Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-01-09

Tive Blows From Behind--CeId
Steel with a Warm Sheath
An END" Gate Sure Enough
BENTON City the Scene of the
Tragedy.

"piNu haBPCh w itSh III I'LL
western country, and which We
, rhronicle with a shudder, happened
near Benton City, last Thursday
evening, at the residence of Mastin
Wiley. AS neal as we can learn
Mr.. Mastin Wiley had given old man
Hartley, father of Leslie and Will
liam, Il chattel m ,rtgage on u wagon
for $50. About noon on the I'd of
January, 1879, Leslie and Vim. Hart
ley rode to the residence of Mastin
Wiley, neal Benton City, to get the
wagon for The debt, but found tn,
l0uble tree gone from The wagon.
When they rode up to the wagon to
hitch it up, then Mrs. Wiley carue
ia the door and told them o to take
that wagon unless they had the mort
gage recorded; if So they could have
1t. WIN. Hartley then picked up the
de-boards and put them On the
wagon. Mrs. w. then came out and
licked up the top part OF the end
gate, bring about 6 inches wide, one
inch thick and about four feet long
,n'l started toward the house with it.
Leslie Hartley jumped over the fence
fler her, overlook her, and with
some violence took the board from
her. Mrs. w. then ran toward the
smoke house, l.. Hartley following
ner with the board in his hand.
When they got to the smoke house,
Mrs. w. turned around with her back
Z . the door, when L. Hartley slap
ped her once or twice and probably
choked her during the struggle.
About this time, Am. Hartley had
come into the yard and had come
up near the kitchen door, when he
met Mr.. Wiley, the deceased, com
rng out of the kitchen door. Wiley
then saw Les lie Hartley chokeing his
wife at the smoke house door and
allied to his son Jimmie and said:
Are you going To stand there and
see your o,d mother abused in that
Tay?' And then, turning to VIM.
Hartley said, Get out of my yard!"
Nm. 'Iartly then drew a knife in a
threatening manner, when Wiley
picked up an axe that was leaning
rgainst the house neal him. At this
Wm Hartley moved away and got over
in the garden, Wiley following and
stopping ut the garden fence with his
back to the smoke house.
At this point, l.. Hartley left Mrs.
vi cy and ran toward Wiley with
the Cnd-gate i'll his hand, and rs he
came up behind iley knocked him
partially over the fence, which was
about 3 l-2 feet high. MEiley
ran and assisted her ht&band up
and back into the yard. During this
lime, VIM. Hartley was standing i'll
the garden II or l3 steps from where
Wiley fell. A. soom as Wiley re-
! gained his feet and turned upon L..
lIaJtley, he moved away across the
ward 10 the horse lot, getting through
the fence into he lot, where he stop
ped, three or four steps from the
fence, turned facing Wiley, who,
coming up to the fence, stopped and
lrand -gainst it, with his face toward
l. Hartley, and his back toward WIN.
Hartley, who, in the meantime, had
gotten out OF the garden into the
yard, and passing. looked for an in
slant at Wiley, when he rushed upon
him from behind and caught him
around the neck with his lett arm and
raised his right arm above him hO d.
ing a knife, with which he stabbed
aim, inficting q wound just below
tile sternnm (breast-bone) about an
inch to the right Of The medal line,
'ftcr which Hartley, dropping him,
went out irto the horse lot. Wiley
then turned around t9zhis son, who
nad by this time came up, and says,
They have stabbed me-" then. walk
ing to tie kitchen door, about fifteen
steps, fell prCstrate as he reached out
tur the door-latch. His wife and
laughter draggad Kim into the
<itchen, when his son cam in
md all together they dragged him
into the sitting room, leaving a trail
ot blood behind them. In about two
minutes he was dead. VIM. and
Leslie Hartley hitched up the wagon,
me of them walking over to the house
md throwing the mortgage into the
loor, when they both drove OFF with
he wagon. bout midnight thai
light, Sheriff GlascOck was appraised
~ Iic dSS"J 'niu III ol'tC L IHC COi''
IL fl Mexico ut 2 IA. IN. next morning,
, ~,rresting the boys while in bed, before
Twilight. The preliminary trial
commenced yesterday at 10 O'Clock.
I. III /. in the CIRCUIT court room, be
for. Justices Hit and Lupton, witt
Forrist for the defendant AMI j
Ned. rinble. Prosecuting Attor
ney, tor the Stats. Tliere are severa
witnesses to be examined, and as thu
I .estilnony is long and tedious, in al
fpr0tnaility the examination will no
ii completed to-day. No one re
grets more than we do the occurreac,
/, II such afRrays in Missouri, and th,
only way to remedy this evil is te
i ae,1. outiustice to the offenders of tn
law. AS the case is now in progress