Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-02-27
Woman Of Mystery.
Remarkable Story of New YOrk's
Great Female DetectiSe'
The Daughter OF United states
Senator Who Circulates in
the Highest Circles
to Ferret Out
Crime.


Having completed the synop-
sis of her own life, the lady
glancing at her jeweled watch,
remarked: '1f you desire it |
will give you the history of one of
nv first cases. It occurred nine
teen years ago. Mrs. Williston, a
young and very beautiful lady, a
bride Of six months and one of
the bellies of fashion, giving the
gaycst receptions of that winter
in her elegant home on Madison
avenue, died suddenly and mys-
teriously.
"Her husband was very veal
thy, and this marriage was one
of the grandest celebrated at
Grace Church. She was the or
phaned daughter of a New York
merchant and inherited large
fortune. No home in all the ci-
ty gave greater promise of fu-
ture and continued happiness
than theirs. After a brief we'd
ding tour they were enyied and
complimented, and many were
the good wishes bestowed for
the continuance Of their happi-
ness.
"But suddenly gloom shroud-
cd their home. Her husband re-
turning from his club about eley-
en- o'clock one evening in the
winter of the year 1860, was
shocked to find his wife dead,
lying in her evening dress on the
bed in their sleeping-room. lie
rang the bell and summoned the
household. Physicians were call
ed, but it was of no avail. Life
was quite extinct, and had been
for some hours. In his state
ment before the Coroner Mr..
Williston said: II returned at
eleven o'clock, having only been
absent some four hours. l left
my wife at the dining-room door.
She was in good health and spir-
its, and requested me to return
early. When l entered the room
the gas was turned low, and l
thought she was asleep on the
bed. I passed into the dressing
room quietly, not to disturb her,
but was struck by the perfect
order Of. the room. No ndlca-
cations of her having disrobed
were there, and ] then turned up
the gas. In the chamber my
wife was lying on the bed at full
length, but in her evening dress.
Her face looked strangely to mes
and / listened in fear. She didn't
seem to be breathing, / called
her name. She didn't answer, /
stopped to kiss her and found
her lips were cold. Then ! sum
moned help" The Coroner's ju-
ry failed to find any sufficient
grounds to call it murder, nor
yet do they deem it suicide. A
singularly abnormal condition
of the heart determined the YER
dict of death by 'heart-disease.
Yet vague rumors were contin-
ually creeping about that there
was some mystery connected
with the death of the young wo-
man. No
OPEN CHARGE OF MURDER
Was preferred against any one,
much less against the husband.
I Both had been members of Grace
Church; both belonged to the
most. select circles of society.
But keen eyed officer, who had
viewed the corpse, was satisfied
in his own mind that there were
the marks of slender fingers on
the white throat, and the mark
of close, firm pressure on the
finely-cut features. The nails of
her delicate fingers held beneath
them the impression of extraya-
sated blood, and he argued to
himself, 'she struggled for her
life But the physician had as
serted that no marks of foul play
were discernible, and she was bu-
ried. The officer, however, did
not forget his impressions.
"At that time the detective
force held on its payroll some of
the best names ever written there,
among them the eininently wise
and shrewd John A. Kennedy.