Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1876-04-14

INV Sh'O SNillS VSSo"ilo VI h.S
death which had been previously glv-
en- by the sexton, but the doctor not
being satisfied, suddenly uafolded his
handkerchief, and in strong mcna-
cling voice cried, "Woman, do you
know this nail ?" She was terror
stricken and dumbfounded, but when
she recovered from the shock, she ac-
!InowIedged she had murdered her
husband. She was afterwards tried
and executed.
Nine years ago the village Of Stew,
artsviIle, New Jersey. on the Morris
and Essex railroad, was thrown into a
state Of fearful excitement by the an
nouncement that Mrs. Margaret Key,
young, faithful and amiable wife,
had been crually and inhumanly cut
up with a hatchet, that her dead body
had been thrown down through trap
door and concealed beneath the foun-
dations Of her humble home. At the
time the alarm was given, most OF the
people Of the Quain, little village
were preparing to retire TO rest, but
in q very few minutes after the cry of
murder was raised the house Of the
murdered woman was surrounded bv
huudreds of excited and enraged
people. A view Of the situation gave
unmlstakable evidence that the wom-
an had battled bravel Y and heroically
for her life, and, as subsequent devel-
opments showed, she almost succeed
ed at one tine in yanquishlng her
fendish murderer.
The question then rassed from
mouth to mouth. Who has perpetra
ted this diabolcal deed But the
coroner's inquest failed to throw any
light upon the subject. John Key,
the husband Of the murdered woman,
was laborer on the Morris and Essex
railroad, and although he was sober
and industrious, treated his wife af-
tcctionatelY, and provided for her lib
orally, suspicion soon rested upon him
and he was accused Of eing the muir
dercr. The detectives went to work
on the case, laid down many theories
and without much hesitation declared
the husband to he the guilty party.
He acted strangely, and did many
things which no innocent man should
have done. They made him do many
very strange things too. They re-
QuIred him to enter the house at mid
night, lift up the trap door beneath
which she was concealed after the
murder and call the name Of his wife
three times After torturing the man
for considerable time they failed to
bring home the murder to him, and
he was finally discharged
The whole matter was wrapped in
mystery SO deep and thick that no de-
tective skill could penetrate or un-
ravel it. Year after year had passed
away, and until nine annual revolu-
tons were made before any clew to
the horrid deed could be found At
the time the murder was committed,
there was another family named Cum
nlngham living in New Jersey, oppo-
site Easton, Pa. This family, which
does not seem to have been virtu-
Gus one, as the husband and wife were
never married, removed to G Cleveland,
Ohio. One nignt, something over
month ago, the husband came to the
conclusion that his wife needed q lit
tie castigation, and lie maltreated her
mercilessly. He was about to crush
her face beneath his heel, when in the
agony of terror she exclaimed Don't,
don't, or you will murder me as YOU
murdered that woman in JERSEY !,
Cunningham was arrested for abusing
his wife, and as soon as he was taken
from the house, James o. Duffy, a
Cleveland lawyer, who overheard the
words quoted above, entered, and
asked the woman who had been so
fearfully hagelated, what she meant
by warning her husband not to mur-
der her as he murdered the woman in
Jersey. At first she refused to tell
because she was afraid Cunningham
would take her life, but, after much
persuasion, she told the lawyer that
nine years ago the man whom she
called her husband mu. .dered Marga-
ret Key at Stewartsvllle, New Jer-
sey.