The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-08-14
A TRAGIC AFFAIR.
A Frenzied Wife Murderously Assails
Her Traducer.

A Frenzied Wife Murderously Assail
Her Traducer.
A STORY IN REAL LIFE THAT READ
LIKE A ROMANCE. ..
On Tuesday evening last Sheril
Nugent, Of Wright county, brolgh
to this city Mrs. Jane Townsend
whom he lodged in Jail to await TIL,
action Of the next grand jury of tina
county, she being charged with al
assault that may yet prove the deatl
OF the victim. 1t may here be pre-
missed that Wright county prisoners
are incarccrated in St. Paul in conse
quence Of there being no Jail in the
former shire.
Mrs. Townsend was visited in Jail
yesterday by Globe representative,
for the purpose Of gathering the par.
tlculars of the alleged crime. She
is rather good.looking woman OF
about 50 years ofage, with bright,
clear and thoughtful looking dark
brown eyes. Without being strictly
handsome, her face is decidedly.pret
possessing, and, her intelligence BIZ.
ing above the ordinary type, she told
the history Of the assault with re.
imarkable precisionsand apparent We,
racity. If what she asserts is true it
must be confessed she has a strong
case to present to jury in her favor.
Mrs. Townsend was married wear
|ago on June 18th last TO Mr.. Town
send, who is sixty years of age, and
since that time she has continued to
live with him at his farm IN Corinna
township, Wright county. Both had
been previously married, he being a
widower before wedding her, and she
had separated from her first husband
in consequences OF his infdelity.--
MIR. Townsend has a daughter, Au-
gusta, aged l6 years. The relation
ship between this man and his wife
has been Of the most cordial and
happy character until recently. She
has always entertained FOR her hus-
band the sincercst affection, which
he reciprocated, Notwithstanding the
wide disparity in their ages. Early
last spring, however, aman named
William Durham, 80 years Of age,
obtained aposition Id the Townsend
household as a hired man. He sig
nalized his entrance into the family
circle by commencing the most de
voted attention to the young daugh-
ter, Augusta. His attentions to her
were extremely distastcful til the
step mother, Mrs: Townsend, who
had seen some letters of Ills which
conclusively proved lie was carrying
-
on acorrespondence with lady in
Chicago, to whom he was evidently
engaged to be married: Others of
his epistles led Mrs. Townsend to
believe he had left Chicago deeply
involved in debt, and that he had
probably departed thence under dis
reputable circumstances. She, more
over, became possessed with the idea
that Durham had either accomplish
ed Augustus ruin, or would encom-
pass it, all of which doubly steeled
the stcp-mother against the match,
and led Mrs. Townsend to warn Au.
.gusta of her impending fate. Her
cautions did not, however; seeia to
effect their intention, but on July Sd
last, she succeeded in causing Au-
gusta's removal to Clearwater,
Wright county, where the latter has
since remained, Mrs. Townsend
hoping thereby to wean the girl from
her infat1ation.
I Of late, Mrs. Dwnsohd hid no
ticed whispered conferences between
her hisbahd and Durham, which
would take place when the two were
near the barn and out of other peo-
pies ear-shot. Prompted by the Gu
riosity inherent in every daughter Of
Eve, SHE stole down upon them on
one occasion, and heard some frag-
mentary remarks which induced her
to believe she was the object of talk
in these secret, barn-door conclaves.
She then insisted that Durham must
be sent away from the house, not
only y forcstall bis designs upon
Augusta; but becadse he was en-.
deavoring to breed mischief between
herself and her husband. In view
however, of the near approach o.
harvest and the scarcity of field la
borers. il was arranged. with Town