The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-06-01


| 2-Railroad tunnel through Split Rock.
i- -fPHinPo of b RIaSi o' "'"r"'T
5Russell farm and house. in See 49, Ia Sale Township
! 6-Canal lock, = mile from split Rock.
| I-PCquamsUggin Creek.
| S-Brdge across canal, near creek.
The ravinc, in which the body of little Maggie
Cuddy, still half alive, was deposited, is located
about 100 yards nearly east Of the railroad tunnel
She was assaulted and partially murdered on the
south side of the canal, about l0O yards from
RusselPs house, and at night conveyed to the
place first named and buried beneath heavy stone
in the mouth Of the rayinc.
Her home was in Utica, % miles east of Split
Rock. On The south side of the canal are low
lands; the ground Immediately north and near
the locality of Split Rock is quite butfy, and
Astounding in caverns and hiding places for
thieves and tramps, who it is said infest that
region.
The additional developments since our last are,
that on Friday last young Russell was arrested
or the charge of an attempted rape on Polish
girl at La Sale year ago, and while in the lock
up at La Sale made sundry statements in regard
to the murder of Maggie Cuddy near Split Rock,
each new one, however, varying from the pre-
ceding. One, for instance, that the girl had been
south side Of the canal and that he and Walsh
had afterwards in the night procured boat from
the lock and taken her to the north side of the
canal and placed her in the creek where the body
was found; Others that he had been with Walsh,
&c. The following is about his last statement,
which was made on Sunday to the editor of the
La Sale Democrat:
wM. RUssELL's STATEMENT.
My name is William Russell On the 10th OF
October next will be II years old. My weight is
1857 pounds By occupation am farmer and
coal digger. Was born In La Sale. On Monday
May o, 1873, Maggie Cuddy came to my fathers
house, near Split Rock, between La Sale and
Utica, about Il o'clock A. NJ, for a kitten, which
mother promised her. Soon after she started
home by way OF the waste gate Jl,mcs Walsh,
seeing her, proposed that we follow aud = =
after she rot past the cement bridge. We
met her at that point, and Walsh asked dcr To 20
across the bridge to the railroad, and >!!e went
willingly with him She went along up the track
and when we got to the ravine Walsh proposed
that stay on the track, and when we got to the
ravinc Walsh proposed that | stay on the track
and watch, while he (Wash) and Maggie would
20 up into the ravinc Soon after-say five min
utes after they left mc-Maggic commenced to
scream, and Walsh picked up threc-cOrnered
stone, weighing about five pounds, and struck
her on the head, and after that all was quiet
Soon Walsh came down, and we both went up
the ravine, and | saw her lying on the ground
bleeding and muttcrng something, but could
not understand her. Walsh tried To ravish her
after he struck her with the stone. He picked
her up, and | helped to place her in the hole.
When We laid her in the hole she was still alive
and kicking. Walsh placed two large and one
small stones on her body, and | put one small
one on her. felt very bad when | saw her move
in the water with those stones on her, and turn
ing around ran down the track, and Walsh ran
up along the side of the bluiT. Walsh didn't
tlfs.N NJ LOT,
reached out for the rock and struck her with it
while it was in his hand. / admit that helped
to kill her, bat sOlemnly say that did not ravish
her, but that James Walsh did. On the day of
finding the body Of Maggie met Walsh and told
him that would 90 and find the body. Walsh
pleaded with me not to- said that | might as
well tell il now as year hence. have been
miserable since the terrible deed was done, ana
wish To tell a truthful story in the presence of
officer James Murtha and the proprietor of the
DBoraf, and that my story is true, as hope to
meet my God, be published in the Dcni"crdi.
have told several stories about this thing before,
but there was hardly word Of truth in them.
This statement is correct. | didn't touch Maggie
only when Walsh asked me 10 help To bury her.
He and went back about one week after the
deed was DONE 10 look NJ her. | went along on
the day that she was killed 10 rape her, but not
to Kill her.
On the strength Of this statement both Russell
and Walsh were arrested on Saturday for connec-
ton with the outrage and murder Of Maggie
Cuddy and placed in the La sale city prison.
ON Monday morning they had a brief examina- /,
ton, but developing no new facts. Public upin-
ion, however, ran So strong against Russell, |
while Walsh was believed Ia be innocent, that il
was only by coupling Walsh 10 Russell with
irons that the Sheriff felt safe in undertaking 10
convey the latter from the magistrates Office to
the cars for conveyance 10 Ottawa. In that way, |
however. both were brought here safely on Mon
day, and are now secure in the county Jail.
Russell having made his statement TO the edi-
tor Of the Ia Sale Dc1os1rl,, Walsh also made a
statement to the same party. The difference be-
tween the two statements Is, that Russell now
declares, after consultation with his father, that
he made his statement through fear, and that il |