The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-06-09
MYSTERY OF BLACK TARH.

Five or six miles to the north of the
small town of Brompton, IN Cumberland
England, there Is a mountain lake known
as Black 1arn. In the neighborhood are
sheep farms, and few insignificant ham
lets lie here and there around. In one
of these, known as Hayton, murder
was recently perpetrated, accompanied
by cruel outrage. At the east end OF the
village there resided one John Coulter,
who kept a beer shop, and cultivated a
small farm. He was n rough, uncouth
man, addicted to drink, and when he
was incapable of attending to his Gus
toners who came of night for beer, his
daughter, a comedy girl of seventeen
waited upon them. He had a son, also
but he was in Carlisle, learning a trade
and seldom visited his native village.
Coulter was reported to be worth a
few hundred pounds, and consequently
passed in the neighborhood as a man OF
means A-young man named Armstrong
had been courting his daughter, but he
had been driven off by Coulter, for as
saulting a farmer who was the latter's
friend. Armstrong had quilted the
neighbOrhoOd, having, as was supposed,
enlisted. At the time now referred to,
Kate, Coulter's daughter, was receiving
attentions from one George Routleage,
the son OF a grocer in BromPton.
on the morning CT the 10th of last
February, Coulter arose late, having
been drunk as usual the night before.
Hearing no sounds below that would in
dicate his daughters being around, he
went to the top of the stairs and called
her by name No answer came, and he
hastily donned his clothes and descended
The stairs led down into the back kitch-
en-, and when he reached the bottom he
saw the door leading into the yard open.
Thinking that his daughter might be in
the bar, he again called her by name, but
to no purpose. Then he passed into the
bar, which was a small room with a
window opening into the main room.
The glasses stood around unwashed, there
was no fire in the CRATE, and the disorder
showed plainly that Kate had not been
at work that morning.
Coulter searched around, but could
see nothing of his daughter. The bed in
her chamber had not been slept in, and
her cloak and bonnet were missing. He
summoned one of the neighbors. and
when the news got around that Kate
Coulter had suddenly disappeared from
home, crowd Of sympathizers gathered
around the father and offered assistance
and counsel.
David Redd, a blacksmith, testified
that he was the last to quit the inn the
night before, and that Kate babe him
good night, and drew the bolt in the
door. 1t was then ten o'clock Peter
Steele, the village constable, confirmed
Redd's statement. as they were in COM
pany, Steele leaving the house only a
few minutes before Redd, who remained
to get a light for his pipe. Beyond this
there was absolutely no testimony.
Coulter, accompanied by his friends,
searched the neighborhood for the miss
ing girl, but with no success. George
Ruutledge, her lover, who had been noti-
fed, reached the village in the afternoon,
and joined in the search. Mounted po-
lice from Brompton, and then officers
from Carlisle, were speedily ON the spot,
and the whole countryside was secured.
No traces, however, of the lost one were
met with.
Days and weeks went by, and the mys-
terry remained unsolved. One day, about
week after the girls disappearance,
Armstrong; old mother put her head in
at COulter's door, and said, in d bitter
tone:
" All. Mr.. Coulter, so you've lost your
pretty miss. Now we're even You
drove away my boy, and now the devil
has drove away your daughter"
Then she gave a malignant laugh, and
departed.
Toward the middle of March two coun-
try lads, amusing themselves around
Black Tarn saw something white
amOsg the rushes. On closely examin-
ing the object they discovered it to be a
human arm. With branch of a tree
they pushed aside the rushes and water
plants, and the body OF a female was
disclosed. They were at first disposed to
run away, but finally resolved TO haul
out the body. This they did with some
difficulty, and laid it on the grass. 1t
was imam excellent state of preservation.
owing TO the ice, which had Just broken
up, and the features were perfect. Both
the lads identified the corpse as that of
the missing girl, Kate Coulter. Cover
ing it with rushes and leaves, they
strated for the village and informed the
griefstricken father of their discovery.
The body was carefully removed to
COulter's house, and a cOrOner's inauest
was held. A surgical examination
showed that the girl had been outraged.
tinctly visible on her throat. The BODY.
when found, was entirely naked. and
search was made for the unfortunate
girls clothing. They were found under
a pile of stones about two hundred
yards from where the corpse was discov-
cred. They were torn and mudstained,
ana traces of blood were observable on
them. What the object of the murderer
was III removing the clothing was beyond
comprehension but that he had an object
was evident. A verdict of willful muir
der against some person or persons I'M
known was returned by the coroner's |
jury, and the corpse was inferred with
becoming solemnity.
a large reward was offered for any in
formation which might lead to the an
prehension of the guilty person, and the
lord lieutenant of the county specially
himself in the matter. and
caused expert detectives to be sent from
London to investigate the affair thor
oughly. 1t will be remembered that
Kate Coulter disappeared on the night
of February Q. The dets ctives accident
all Y came across one Robert tombstone. A
who said that on the night
about seven o'clock he was
at work in his shop in Brompton, which
was on the direct road to Coulter's.
when young man, a stranger, put his
head in at the door and asked for a light
It was very cold night, and the shoe
maker asked the man to come in and
shut the door. He did so and stood with
his back to the shoemaker while he got
the light. tombstone asked him whether
be had come by the train from Carlisle. |
and he said he had. Johnstone re-
marked that it was going to be sharp
night, and the young man replied that |
he judged 50, and abruptly quilted the
shop.
" What did he light his pipe with ?"
the officer asked, after pause.
That's more than | can saw John
stone replied, " though it may be he
took bit OF paper from his pocket"
: How often do you sweep your shop?''
the detective asked.
The shoemaker laughed and said:
Once year, MAYBE Ii
Then the detective, very much to the
surprise of the shoemake, went to work
* tinining the for carefully all over.
Then be began in one corner and lifted
everything from the floor, replacing it
Taere ne found it. After he had been at
work over ten minutes he came across a
Of an envelope, burnt at one