Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-02-03
ANIeWA HORROR.

! The ST. Joseph lMo.) tieraiu, Oh the
18th inst, gives an account OF terri
ble tragedy near Albany, No, enacted
lust across the line in Iowa. The pa.
per says:
About one year ago man by the
name of Phil. Ames moved in the
neighborhood, bringing with him
wife, little child and his siSler-in law.
He secured small piece of land and
erected upon it u neat two story dwell
ing. For time all things appeared to
! go on nicely inside tue family mansion,
bat it soou became evident 10 those
who grew intimate with the Ameses
that there was 4 skeleton in the house,
and that all was not as lovely as IL
should be, or, in other words, the love
ofthe household was scattered around
among too many women. There was
coldness growing up between hns-
baud and wife, only equalled by an
apparent warmth existing between the
husband and the ssterin-law. The
neighboring women noticed that the
wife appeared often in tears, was neg
lected and LETT unprovided for, while
her sister received the smiles aud
caresses of the husband Whole days
the wife passed alone, having no com.
pany save the child, bright, golden
haired girl of five summers, who clung
TO her, and in whose existence she APP
peared to live and have her being Al
length, on the 10th at November the
little child sickened aud suddenly dieG.
1t was buried The next day-a rude
country burial, bitter cold north wind,
leatlcss trees aud cherries eravo
crushed the mothers spirit aud broke
her heart. Then it was that the spirit
OF the first born Cain appeared TO take
possession Of the husband. He ire
uuently beat his wife, drove her from
his bed and forced her to occupy mis-
cradle straw and husk pallet on the
kitchen floor, while the sister &C.
cupied the place which belonged 10 her.
At length the wife, driven to despair,
told the story of her wrongs 10 Mrs.
Rosa Mcclure, aud she laid the Situa-
ton in the Ames household before her
husband, aud he soon bad the men OF
the neighborhood worked mp to point
Of lynchng the unnatural husband.
They visited the house, and would have
hung the mouster out for the pleadngs
of his wife, who went down on her
knees before the angry crowd aud
begged the life of the man who had 60
srouged her, while her sister, at the
first sound of danger, had sought safety
in flight. The neighbors listened 10
the poor womans appeal, removed the
rope from the mans neck and set him
free. TO any but n man possessed by
a devil this would have proved a warn
ing that would have turned him into
better ways. But not so with Ames
Scarcely had the crowd dispersed when
he went to the barn, saddsd his horse
and returned 10 the house with heavy
curb bride. Up stairs kneeling aud at
prayer, with photograph OF her dead
child in her hand, he found his wife.
In an instant he had struck her to his
feet with the curb bit, dragged her TO
The head of the stairs, and thrown her
to the door below, where be continued
TO beat her with the bride until life
had departed In tho meantime the
sister had returned from her hiding
place. Another horse was saddled,
the body Of the dead woman was thrown
across the saddle, aud, 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 aud the
body thrust out of sight. A young
man returning home saw the parties
journeying to the river, and when he
: reached the settlement told what he
had seen. A number of armed mcn
started in pursuit, and arrived at tho
river bank just rs the murderer aud lis
They were called upon to halt when
Ames drew revolver and 6red into
the crowd The fire was returned by
yolley, aud the guilty woman fell dead
from her horse, shot through the neck.
The man put spurs TO his horse and at
tempted to escape iD the dark, but
fortunate shot brought his animal
down and the murderer was captured
A rope was provided aud all the ne
cessary arrangements madefo frontier
funeral, when the wretched man made
confession, the chief points Of which
are incorporated in the above statement,
and he further stated that the sister of
his wife had administered poison TO her
little niece in order 10 get her out Of
the way, and that they were planning
the murder of the wife that they might
live uumolested together. In this they
were prevented Ly the mob OF few
hours before, and that be then killed
the wife as above stated. The rope
was throws over limb, strong men
pulled at the end Of it, and the next
instant quiyering body was suspended
in air. A number OF logs were then
rolled together, brush was piled upoh
them and the bodies Of the two inhu-
man beings placed in their midst a
match was applied to the pile, and all
that now remains 10 mark the spot and
the tragedy is bed Of ashes. The
body OF the murdered woman was re
covered on Saturday and buried by the
side Of ier dead child
DRoUGHr IN CALroKSIA.-Tbe SINS
special advices from California TO JAN
uary Is says that all hope Of even one.