Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-09
SIX PERSONS MURDERED.

SIX PERsONs MURDERED.
Horrible Tragedy in q Farm House in Non
roo County, OHIO.
"A S Lady % VISITOR ans and Her e Two % ne CHI, Avn"
I; drcn-Tho Murderer then
Committing Sui
eide.
| A terrible tragedy has occurred in Non
roe county, Ohio, three miles west Of the
village of Lewisville, in which five persons
were killed outright and one SO badly ill.,
in horror anything that has hitherto Oc-
Cured in that part of the country. The
principal actor in the scene of blood is
Frank Bedenbaugh, so years Of age. The
victims are his wife, Mrs. Annie Beden-
baugh Ga daughter of John Jcffres, ESQ.,,
who lives near Temperanceville : her
babe, aged less than 2ycars ; Mrs. Eliza
beth Stephens, aged 45, and her two chill
dren, girl 11.years of age and boy or
6 years of age. All were killed outright
except the daughter of Mrs. Stephens, who
is 50 badly Injured that she may no: re-
cover.
The tragedy occurred On Saturday even.
ing last, at about dark. The first indica-
tiOns of the murders were discovered by
a younger brother of Bedcnbaugh, who
had been absent 1T 4 husking and who re-
turned at about II o'clock at night. En-
terins the family room on his return, there
being just enough light from the shoulder
ing fire to cast an awful shadow upon the
scene of death, he was Mortified to find
upon the floor tho body of Mrs. Eetsey
Stephens-a large tall woman, with fair
| l,o:,, 10, nj tod
by blood which had oozed from her brain
wound had been made with the pole of an
axe on the back of the head, above and be-
hind the car. On the floor, not far away,
were three children-his own babe and
two belonging to Mrs. Stephens-all dead
except one, which was unconscious and
will not recover. Two of them had their
heads crushed. probably by the same
weapon. The living one had wounds about
the face, but the skull docs not seem to be
injured.
The young man Immediately gave the
alarm, and party of Mortified neighbors
soon gathered ut the scene Of the tragedy.
A search of the premises was soon begun,
but nothing beyOund what has been de-
scribed was discovered in the house. The
OutbuildIgs were then searched. In :,
tobacco house 4 quarter of Il mile east of
the premises they found Frand Bcdcn-
: baush, badly wounded. He had crawled
!, into tho house through 4 crack in the
wall. His throat had been cut from ear to
ear, and blood covered the ground for some
distance. Several wounds, evidently made
with hatchet, were On his forehead and
, face. 1t is supposed that tho man had
tried to kill himself with the hatchct, and,
foil in f1,0f h1l fi,n rfniv, n
fatal razor. Both weapons were found
near him, covered with blood. He was yet
| able to speak, and. in reply 20 q question
S as to where his wife was, designated the
place where she could DC found, and added
, that he killed her. He was taken to the
house. and lived until II o'clock On Sun
day morning.
7 The mortified ncisl.bors went from the
scene into the tobacco house TO Il pasture
! field where the wife, intent Oh family dl-
ties, and with no thought of danger in her
mind, La gone to milk only few hours
before. The night was dark and rainy. A
still more horrible scene was here present
ed. Here lay the dead body of Mrs. Bed
1 enbaugh, with her throat cut and her head
: beaten and partly embedded in mud. The
hatchet and razor had both been used tu
do the deadly work, and the fair young
face was mavred and mutilated by the
G cruel blows. The bodies were placed side
Y by side in the house, and all that Sabbath
| day, as the news spread, hundreds of per.
, sons from the surrounding country visited
the scene of death.
The exact way in which tine killing was
+ done will never be known. Whether the
f decd was the result of sudden impulse,
! OF 4 quarrel, or Of long settled intention, is
not known. The actions of the murderer
when his brother left him in the morning
: were not unusual, although he complained
! of not feeling we'll. There had been nc
family chickering's, and there was no i'll
. feeling between the murderer and the Ste
phenS woman.
Frank Bedenbaugh, the murderer, is
1 about 80 years Of age. Jasper BedenbaugE
Q his father, is of Ger birth, and has ten
y children. He is well-to-dO farmer, and
. lives about four miles south of Calais
where he owns a farm of some four hun.
: dred acres. The old man purchased the
S farm where Frank lives several years ago.
i and presented it to him. Frank was man
of immense physical strength, as were tine
whole family. He was not y man of bad
, disposition, although the family
: had the reputation of being fighters.
, He had been slightly deranged
|
malady, but was not regarded as ut all
) dangerous. He was married only two oi
y three years, and was tho father Of ne::child.
1 He was raising the eldest child of Betscy
i. Stephens, who was about ten years old and
lived with him for two or three years. II
was to visit this child that Bctscy and her
, youngest child went to Bc,lcnbangh's on
Friday evening. Mrs. Bc,lenbaugf was g
years of age, lady OF excellent family
!, and amiabc disposition, and her short mar.
ricd life had been pleasant one so far as
is known.
A later report says that Frank Bedcn-
baugh, who committed the MURDERS died
from his wounds. The Stephens girl also
died, making in all seven lives lost in the
tragedy.
CONTROLLING THE PORK MARKET.
How Armour brothers, OF Chicago, Made
Ss.OOO,OOO by This Years Operations.
A special despatch from Chicago. ILL.,,
says: "Thc inside history OF the great
Armour pork corner,' in which tbs firm
made s., ,000, 900, is published here to day.
The history Of the operations goes back to
the summer OF 1879, at which time Phil.
Armour and his Milwaukee partner, John
Piankington, went to Europe with the in
tention of cornering the pork market of the
| IL