Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-01-09


ting Kate u. Cobb, Of Norwich. Con
ase,ieus, ID shH murder IL her husband,
and rsaslcy ~. Bishop as Der accom-
pliee ID thai crime and prineapal an the
rpisuning q bis wife. is now in pro-
e il lie snperi0r Court of NeW
STE
IN lhe pfelilninary trial of the &c
cused persons Ia the City Court Of Nor
wich ID July laaf Judge Kellogg sup
ported the Indictment Of the Grand Jury,
and bound them over for trial at tie
November term nj the Superior Court.
The case was called al the opening of the
court on Nov. Is. but was postponed
until Dee. 31.in order to allow counsel
for the defence more time for prepare
lion, and because DR.. Paddock, an i'm
portant witness. would not return until
then from tour in Europe.
Public opinion, that had lost none oi
its bitter animosity in the lapse of time,
sharply criticised this delay of justice,
arguing, perhaps more or less correctly,
that It was simply device Of counsel
to put of the day as long as possible,
IN the hope that Bishop. who has long
been in failing health, might quietly die
in jail of consumption. But Bishop
lie, apparently, does not hang by SO
fragile thread as Mrs. Cobb's law
yeFs imagined.
After his confessions Bishop regained
his courage; he felt that he had salts
fed his conscience, and had fully ex-
plated his offence. Strangely enough,
a religious peace and Joy entered his
heart, and TO all his visitors he ex-
pressed great satisfaction with the
world and his fellow men, telling them
with much fervor and spiritual unction
that be had found peace and favor with
God. His assumed spiritual experien-
ces have operated well on his physical
condition and the hope of the lawyers
that he would not live to meet his trial is
dissrpated. Bishops sufficiently healthy
to live for years, and Mrs. Cobb was
never IN better health, having gained
thirty pounds in weight since her incar-
ceration IN Jail.
For many years the families Of Cobb
and Bishop lived in pleasant cottages
on the west side of the city in the same
sneighhorhooa. and on terms Of tse rposf
trustful intimacy. The two men fought
side by side in the rebellion, returned
home after the war with honorable re-
cords, were members ofthe Grand Army
brotherhood, held influential positions
in the same Masonic society, and were
in every respect apparently as devoted
to each other as brothers. Between
their wives there seemed to exist the
same tender and loving attachment.
Notwithstanding the seemingly af-
fectionate relations of the families. the
tongue of gossip found food in dark sus-
picions and insinuations. II was whis-
pered that Bishop, who drove the mar
ket wagon of Charles Hulburt, tarried
longer in the house of Kate Cobb when
her husband was away at his work than
was necessary in the delivery of her
groceries. Itwas noticed, too, that W hen
the two families walked to the same
church on Sunday morning, Bishop
always went by the side of Kate, and
her husband followed with the children,
and that when they took seats in the
pew Kate sat by the side OF Westly, and
looked over the same hymn book when
they sang. She was often seen at the
store in which Bishop was a clerk, and
be frequently escorted her home, un-
accompanied by her husband, at late
hours of the night. A "wife's InfdeL-
Ity' and husbands blind credulity"
were the topics that were most dis
cussed in the homes Of west side neigh
bors. The general rumors were borne
10 the ears Of Cobb, but he laughed at
them, and trusted bis wife and his friend
with unaffected faith.
On the 4th Of February of this year,
Mrs. Westly w. Bishop accompanied
Mrs. Cobb IN an afternoon sleigh ride.
They had spirited horse and a dash
ing cutter, and as they sped up and
down the avenues Of the city their
cheery voices and smiling faces were
noted BY many. They returned home
Ia the early evening", and few hours
later Mrs. Bishop was seized with vio-
lent structures, ,convuIsions, and benufnb-
ing sensations. A physician. DR.. Bai-
lev, was summoned, who administered
Intellectual remedies. He studied the
case anxiously and carefully that night
and on the succeeding days, but admit
ted that he vas unehla 10 ascribe the
symptoms TO sny disease with which
be was acquainted. Mrs. Bishop Iay
honr after hourin her darkened bedroom,
now shaken by terrible spasms, and
again sinking into deathlike stupors,
with palid face and molionless FORM
Occasionally her husband, stealing a
moment from his business, stood at her
bedside administering medicines, and
sometimes IL was the face OF Mrs. Cobb
that the DYING woman saw bending over
her pillow. No one else entered the
chamber. II Is binted by those most
intimately associated with the case,
that in the coming trial the veil that
hangs over the deaihbed OF Mrs Bish-
op wilI be lifted, and a picture Of a
dying uife's suspicion and discovery Of
. crime that came too late 10 be avail
ing viii he disclosed
Alrs. bishop died on Thursday noon,
Feb. z. 1878. She was buried a few
days thereafter. The neighborhood
vas agitated with gossip for several
weeks, but, as Il assumed no definite
shape, the discussion Of the case grad
uaIiy died out. A short time after the
body Of MEs. Bishop had been buried. .
grand mcnFning meeting Of Victoria