The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-04-23
THE CHILD WITNESS.

The Arnods lived in the old brown house
which you may yet notice at the right of the
road just as you enter the village of l.,
Pennsylvania, from the south. The house
stands back about ten rods from the road,
/ among peach and apple trees, and the little
/ path running up from the gate is bordered
with pinks and moss.
/ I should not speak so confidently; it is five
/ years since l saw the village or the house,
and perhaps the awful tragedy enacted un-
der the mOss-covered roof one night may
haye kept the house tenantless, and allowed
time to tumble it down.
One day, in answer to telegram sent
from the nearest railway station to l., a
matter Of a dozen miles, I rode into the
quaint old village on the top Of the stage,
and at once reported myself to the town
authorities. Every inhabitant Of the village,
even to the ragged uTchin sitting on the tav
ern porch, carried a grave face and talked in
whispers. Had l not known a double muir
der had been committed the night before,
could have read some news almost as bad by
glancing at the faces Of the towns-people.
While I was eating my supper at the only
hotel the town clerk and the president of the
village sat opposite and told me the story.
Il seems that Arnold, who was nearly sixty
years old, had two sons in another part of
the State, and, wishing to divide up his
property before his death, had, a few days
before the murder, disposed of a farm and
some manufacturing interests in Pittsburgh,
! realizing several thousand dollars in cash.
He intended visiting the sons and dividing
the money between them, but had placed it
in the village bank until he should be ready
to go. Mrs. Arnold was old and gTay-head-
ed, and the couple would have been all alone
had it not been for little Jack, as he was
called, a child four years of age. The child
had been abandoned by a woman passing
through the village. and the Arnolds had
taken it for company; in fact had made pro-
vision to adopt it.
The night before, at O'Clock, citizen had
seen Arnold at his gate smoking pipe. No
one heard any alarm from the house during
the night, but about sunrise little Jack crept
down into the village, his night-gown red
with blood, and told the first one he met,
somebody has hit grandpa and grandma on
the head with an axe"
There was an investigation and the aged
couple were found at their house dead and
terribly mutilated. The old mans head was
nearly split in two, and Mrs. Arnold had 4.
horrible wound in the temple which had
/ caused death almost instantly. The child
was not in the least injured, but seemed to
F have been badly frightened.
This was the Cist of the story l got while
eating, but found that none Of the sensa-
tional points had been overdrawn when !
reached the house. The cOrpses had been
the subject of inquest and had been washed
and placed in collins, but the rooms had not
been disturbed. y constable had been
present all the time to see that any clue
which might have been left of the murderer
should not be erased by careless hands ol
feet.
The room where the tragedy occurred was
a double bedroom on the ground floor. II
contained two beds, one of which was Occu
pied by the old man and little Jack. The
murderer had come in at the back door
bringing along the axe from the woOdpije
He had passed into the bedroom. lighted
candle which stood on the stand, and haC
been some time in the room before using the
weapon. | knew this because the top draw
er OF the old bureau was pulled out, its con
tents tumbled over, and there were no bloody
finger marks on anything. The three Othe
drawers were daubed with blood shown.
that lie had searched these after the murder
Something had aroused the old man from
his sleep. He had started TO get out of beC
when struck by the axe. The old lady haC
heard the noise when the cruel implement
descended on her head, the positions il
which the bodies were found bearing out N,
frEt hon no. chi IlNra
Jack probably snugged down under tn
quilts. and had thus escaped harm, though
as afterward shown, he had been a silen
witness OF part of the proceedings.
The murderer had made a thorough searcl
of the house. taking his time about it. Ii
had first felt under the old mans pillow af
ter money, and then under Mrs. Arnold 5
daubing his fingers with blood, and leavin
his marks on the pillows. / counted tiv
different places where he had rested his lef
hand on the pillows while searching wit
his right, and in every case there were onl
four daubs or spots. There should hav
been five He would not put four finger
down and hold up his thumb. No; tn
thumb on the left hand was missing-cut O
at least at the first joint.
This was a clue, and my subsequent il
, vestigations proved that l was correct in bC
lieving 50. There was another thing. tn
man had torn up the carpet of the bedroom
in several places had got out the bible an
looked between its covers had taken dow
and searched the clothing In the closet; an
had been so cool and thorough in his scare
that ! knew he was no ordinary offender.
- common thief would have fed after con
mitting murder or at most stopped only Ion
ennnch In saarch tie hurnau- Whnevar N