Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-09-08
4 DeviIIsh Crime.

A Sunday or two ago West Miilereek, in
the vicinity of the aims house, was stirred
to fever heat by the report of a crime
which for unprovoked atrocity is perhaps
without parallel, at least in this part of the
country. A young man named William G..
Carpenter, son of a respectable farmer,
treasurer of a Sunday school, and always
supposed to be Of irreproachable character,
is the chief person in the crime, his victim
being Miss Elizabeth Pherrin, the daugh-
ter of one of the leading farmers in West
Millcreek, and person much respected by
a large circle Of acquaintance. Carpenter
had been a suitor Of Miss Pherrin's for
about two years, and his attentions were
always supposed to be agreeable to all par
ties. The narrative is about as follows:
On Saturday night Carpenter called at Pher-
rims and after a short time spent in con-
versation with the young lady left her to
attend a political meeting, giving her two
fine looking apples as they parted. When
the meeting dispersed Carpenter went home
with a neighbor's boys, to stay all night.
During the night, under the pretext of sick
ness he got up and went out and as soon
as he got outside of the house Immediately
went to a tool house, took hammer and a
ladder, and directed his steps to the house
of the Pherrins, carrying the heavy ladder
all the way-a full half mile Arrived here,
he placed it in position under Miss Pher-
rims window, and ascended into the room.
The lady at first feigned sleep although the
noise awakened her at the very first. The
villain looked at her several times to be
sure she was asleep, moving about the room
in the meantime with nothing on but
his shirt. Believing at length that she
was awake, and that his villainous purpose
had been discovered. he approached the
bed and twice struck Miss P. on the head
with the hammer. She was not stunned,
though the. blows were heavy, and suppOs-
ing him to be a burglar told him to 60
away, as her watch and money had been
stolen few days before. At the same
time she jumped out of bed and finding
the hammer threw it out Of the window,
ran down stairs and called her father. He
was much shocked to see the blood stream
ing from her head, and with revolver in
hand ran upstairs, but the villain had fled
The neighborhood was aroused and it soOr
| became known who had committed the
deed. The vigilance committee was at
| once put on the track, and followed the
| trail till it was lost in a corn field. Mr..
/ Pherrin has offered a reward of 500 fol
! the arrest of the man. 1t is thought the ap-
Piles given the evening before were drugged,
and that Carpenter supposed the potion
had taken effect. This is to be investigated
1t appears, since the crime is fixed upor
him, that Carpenter is also the guilty party
in the theft of watch from the same girl
few days before. He left church TO com
nit the theft and afterwards assisted il
searching for the thief. If caught Carpen'
ter will find little mercy.
LateSt.-Up to 8 o'clock Monday morn,
| ing, Carpenter had not been caught, but
all the roads are Pieketed and his escape /:
considered impossible. Between 5 and
o'clock Sunday evening, Carpenter was a.
his fathers house, and it is supposed wa:
| supplied with money. Both the Carpenter
and PheFrin families are Of the highest re
/ snaotob bilitv - E,-ie Gozoffo