The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-08-25
Ghe Bulletin.
BLOODY BUSINESS AT SUNRISE.
ine Sorrows Of Thomas IL. Harding,
Coach Maker.


New York had q very sensational TRACED,
on Saturday morning at sunrise. II was !
family explosion that took place from lonq
train Of troubles and sorrows, and shiyeret
and tore upthe family tree root and branch
Thomas II. Harding was a coach.maker.
lie lad ut one time conducted o large manu-.
factory. but Of late his business had been
falling away, and he was In financial diff
cultiss. lie still lived IN very good style,
In neat cottage embowered with vines In
the outskirts, but IL was likely his pleasant
home was soon to be broken up by the
failure OF his business TO support his esiab.
iishment. From aprosperous coachmaker
he had declined into o mere wheelwright.
Mr.. Harding's first wife died five years ago.
Three years since he married a second-a
yonng girl OF seventeen--a daughter of
lifelong friend. For nearly year they
lived happily, and child came. Mrs. Hard.
ing was in the habit Of carrying her child
into small, shady beer garden opposite
her residence. for airing and refreshments
Here she became acquainted in some way
with good.looking young German named
ZAhn. Harding heard stories about his
wife and Zahn, but he did not believe
them. He received anonymous letters up
OH the same subject, but he tore them VI
unread. He refused TO listen to any scan
DIAL about bis young wife and the daughter
Of his old friend. But be knew about the
trips to the garden, and thought he would
step in there one evening when he came
home earlier than usual. He saw Zahn sit
ting on BEECH with Mrs. Harding, with
his arms round her waist. He drew q pist oil
and shot Zahn In the arm az he sat there,
and took his wife and child home. Zahn
had Harding arrested, and he was indicted
by the grand Jury, but for some re ason the
Indictment was pigeon.holed and Harding
was never tried. Harding soon commenced
proceedings Of divorce against his wife, and
she went home to her fathers. Then Hard. |
ing got hop,ekeeper-Mrs. Agnes Wood
who had husband who had left her, and |
q child who stayed. She brought her child |
TO Harding's house, where there was an.
other child by Hardlng's former marriage,
and the children slept together. The life of
Harding andbis housckeeper was not above
suspicion. In fact the neighbors pretend.
ed to know great deal about its unlawful
intimacy. Harding drank raw brandy, and
he drank great deal OF 1t. 1t is supposed
that he had become crsZsd with sorrow and
drink. On this Saturday morning at sun.
rise Mrs. Wood ran screaming into the
next neighbours and raised az alarm. che
was in her night-gown, which was dripping
blood, and said Harding had shot her, and
she feared he would murder the children as
H. $1,000. - - 80 two |
more pistol shots were heard from the
house, and Mrs. Woods seemed confident
hat Harding was at IL among the children.
Then she tainted and fell. 1t was found
The wound was In her arm, flesh wound
md not dangerous. Harding's house was
now entered by the police and neighbors,
and the children were found to be safe, but
Harding was lying on the noor dying from
. plstol.ball hole in his head, and another in
his abdomen. He bled internally and died,
and was thus released from his sorrows
and uabesrable lite-losd. Mrs. Woods
statement is, In substance, that she had liv.
cd with the deceased as housek,eper for
about two YEAR,. For nearly three months
be had been troubled about business and
his divorce suit against bis wife, which was
decided against him. He was nervous and
wild in his actions, and then
He changed suddenly from
wiliness to stupOr. On this morning about
o'clock he came to her room and told her
10 get up and get breakfast. She tola him
10 90 out OF her room and she would get up.
One OF his wild looks was on him. She got
at it. He exclaimed: "Treach.
cry offs woman! Lib, you have ruined me,
and now III ruin YOU" BY Glib" he
meant his wife, whose name was Elizabeth.
He sprsng for Mrs. Woods throat. She
grappled with him, and finally broke loose
and ran down stairs. Willie she was hurry.
Ing down stairs he fired he shot from which
she bled. She got out Of the house by the
back way, and aroused the people next
door. Soon the other shots were heard,
with which Harding finished himself. The
children were safe, and ignorant Of the
bloody business, going on around them.
During the day Ms. Harding and her father
came and wanted TO see the corpse, but
Mr.. Hardings friends had possession and
would not let them in the house.