The New York herald., 1877-09-11
DOUBLE MURDER.
AN AGED COUPLE Drained IN THEIR sLEEP-
ARREST OF WOMAN ON SUSPICION.
INV TIT rrcp.prr ro THE HERALD


ARREST OF WOMAN ON SUSPICION
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
WrLxixcrox Del. Sept TO- 1877.
One of the most terrible murders of the times was
discovered at Hilsboro Me- on Saturday last The two
aged parents Mr. N. C. Fitzgerald, OF The Maryland
Legislature lived in neat house adjoining MS nome
They were both sevcnty.fvo years OF age ana on
Friday, as usual retired at seven O'CLOCK, aiter
bidding their son good night. The next morning, AZ
nine O'clock according 70 tho statemens OF Ia'na'no
waddc, wife Of Captain waddle, who hvcs wHhn
twenty yards Of the sceno OF the muFdof' the
bodies were found. The old man had nine gasnes
on his neck and his head was crusned
In. He lying his face IN oed'
down stairs. There also slight wound on us
right hand. Mrs fitzgerald was up stairs, lying on
her side on the floor, with her ekulI mashed com.
petey In and her brains scattered around on the bed
clothing and furniture There was no evidence OF
struggle except the cut on the old mans hand men,
toned above A cold ctise was .ound on the hoor
up stairs stained ana cotcd with blood ana ~ Is evi.
IDENTIFY the instrument used by lne perpe''u'o' 'e
murder
OBJECT or THE CRIME.
Robbery Is supposed u have been the motive or the
possession ol the aged couple ls missing; ha al pno
silion further sustained by the lact that al .no
closets drawers ana boxes aoou, nv ,s,c,oU CusO
attached TO Mrs. waddle, and she was ar.
rested SUNDAY. She stoutiy oehies tie
crime. She states she saw the murdered man III
bed with blood him. She called 10 MIN ana nskca
II rats had Killed him, Uut received no reply. sne
then up stairs called the OLD lady. wren sne
saw her condition she thought the rats had klco hcr,
and gave the alarm to hor husband.
AN INCREDIBLE STATEMENT.
II Is generally thought that this IS manuactured
story aud that Mrs. Wadde Is herself the one VINO
committed the crime. She Is n desperate character
and ,hioE Her husband promises 70 tell some
thing, but has not yet made any statement.
Tho detnih oil the murder are wrapped III proiound
mystery There 0thcr parties who are suspected,
but the Jury very rcticent about the matter and
trying to keep everything profoundly secret. Inc
cold chisel mentioned above as the instrument WIN
which the decd conf united has an inch ana q nai
blade.
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
There is absolutely no direct evidence mus iar
against the woman Wadde, and 1t was Suspicion only
that led 10 her arrest horse was stolen on FRIDAY
night from the stables OF r. c. Parker, who re-.
sides near hero, and tho animal returned
homo yesterday badly used up This would
seem to indicate that there some one else en-
gagged in The killing This is strengthened by the
TACT that a strange man, who was seen on the night
OF the murder, has suddenly disappeared When
arrested none OF Mrs. Waddles clothes were bloody,
but her evidence very conflicting, and some parts
OF IL suspicious. For instance. although she was
In the habit going Fzgcrald's house early every
morning she could not explain why she did not 60
there on Saturday morning The murdered people
wero buried yesterday on their sons iarm.