The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1877-02-08
THE DEVILS OWN.
EX- X-REFORMER

MAN MURDERS HIS WIFE WHILE KNEEL-
ING AT PRAYER-THE HUSBAND ELoPEs
WITH HIS wIFE's sIsTER-THE GUILTY
PARTY LYNCHED AND CREMATED BY
THEIR NEIGHBORS-THE DETAILS OF
THE HORRIBLE AFFAIR
From the st. Joseph Mo-. Herald
Albert Kline came in this evening from
Iowa and reports the particulars of a
horrible tragedy which occurred on Friday,
the 18th ult., near the banks of Platte
River. About one year ago Phil. Ames
moved into that neighborhood, bringing
with him wife, little child and his
sister-in-law. He secured small piece of
land, and erected upon it neat two-story
dwelling For time all things appeared
to 90 on nicely inside the family mansion,
but it soon became evident to those who
grew intimate with the Ameses that there
was skeleton in the house, and that all
was not lovely as it should be. There was
GOODNESS growing up between the husband
and wife, only equalled by an apparent
warmth existing between the husband and
the sister-in-law. The neighboring women
noticed that the wife appeared often in
tears, was neglected and left unprovided
Tor, while her sister received the smiles
and caresses of the husband Whole DAYS
the wife passed alone, having no company
save the child, a bright, golden-haired girl
OF five summers who clung to her, and in
whose existence she appeared to live and
have her being. At lentgh, on the 10th
of November, the little girl sickened ard
suddenly died. 1t was buried the next
day-a rude country burial, a bitter cold
north wind leafess trees, and a cherries
grave, crushed the mothers spirit and
broke her heart. Then it was that the
spirit of Cain appeared to take possession
of the husband. He frequently beat his
wife, drove her from his bed and forced
her to occupy miserable straw and husk
pallet on the kitchen-foor, while the sister
occupied the place which belonged to her.
At length the wife, driven to despair, told
the story of her wrongs to Mrs Rosa
Mcclure, and she laid the situation in the
Ames household before her husbuard, and
he soon had the men of the neighborhood
worked to the point of lynching the
unnatural husband. They visited the
house, and would have hung the monster,
but for the pleadings of his wife, who went
down on her knees before the angry crowd
and the life Of the man who had so wronged
her, while her sister at the first sound of
danger had sought safety in flight The
neighbors listened to the poor woman s
appeal, removed the rope from the man
neck and set him free. To any but man
possessed by devil this would have proved
a warning that would have turned him into
better ways But not so with Ames.
Scarcely had the crowd dispersed when
he went to the barn, saddled his hores,
and returned to the house with a heavy curb
bride Up stairs kneeling and at prayer,
with photograph of her dead child in her
hand, he found his wife In an instant he
struck her to his feet with the bit, dragged
her to the head of the stairs and threw her
to the floor below, where he continued to
beat her with the bride until life had |
departed. In the meantime the sister re-
turned from her hiding-place. Another
horse was saddled, the body Of the dead
woman was thrown across the saddle the |
sister riding one horse and leading the
other. Ames walked alongside and held
the body in position until they arrived at
the river, where hole was cut in the ice |
and the body thrust Out of sight. A young