The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-04-17
TIE CHILD WITNESS.


Thu Arnolis lived in the old brown
mouse which you may vet notice at the
night Of TIE road Just as you enter the
yiIlag. 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 b0rdercd with pinks
and moss
should not speak 50 confidently; it IS
five years since / saw the village or the
house, and perhaps the awful tragedity
enacted under the moss-cOyered roof one
nights may have kept the house tenantless,
anJ allowed time to tumble it down.
One day, in answer to telegram sent
from the nearest railroad station to
L., matter Of q dozen miles, | rode
into the quaint old village on the top Of
the stage and ut once reported myself to
the town authorities Every inhabitant
Of the village, even to the ragged urchins
sitting on the tavern porch, carried a
grave face md talked in whispers. Had
| not known a double murder had been
committed the night before, | could have
read some news almost as bad by glauc-
ing 1t the faces Of the town s-people.
While | was eating my supper at the
only hotel the town clerk and the presl-
dent Of the village sat opposite and told
me the story 1t seemed that Arnold,
who was nearly 60 years old, had two
sons IN another part of the state, and,
Wishing to divide mp his property before
his death, had, few days before the muir
der, disposed Of farm and some manu-
featuring INTEREST," in Pittsburgh, realizing
several thousand dollars in cash He in
ttuded visiting the sons and dividing the
money between them, but had placed it
in the village bank until he should be
ready To 90 Mrs Arnold was old and
gray headed, and the couple would have
been all alone had it not been Tor Little
Jack, ua he WAS called, achild four wears
old The child had been abandoned by
Il woman passing through the village,
and the Arnolds had taken it for compa-
n.y. i'll fact, had made provision to
adopt it,
The night before, at 8 o'clock, citizen
had seen Arnold at his gate, smoking
pipe No one heard any alarm from the
house during the night, bat about sun
rise Little Jack crept down into the vii
lage, his night gown red with blood, and
told the first one he met, /" Somebody
had hitgrandpa and grandma on the head
with an axe
There was M investigation and the
agel couple were found at the house
dead and terribly mutilated The old
mans head was nearly split in two, and
Mrs Arnold had a horrible wound on
the temple. which had caused death al
most Instantly The child was not in
least injured, but seemed to have been
badly frightened.
This was the gist of the story l got
while eating, bnt | found that none OF
the sensational points had been over
drawn when ! reached the house. The
c0rpses had been the subject Of inquest,
and had been washed and placed In cof-
fms, but the rooms had not been dis
turbed 4 constable had been present
At the time 10 see that any clue which
might have been left of the murder
should not be erased by careless hands
or feet
The room where the tragedy occurred
was a double bedroom on the ground
floor. 1t contained two beds, one Of
winch was occupied by the old lady
alone. and the other by the old man and
L
III the back door. brought along the axe
from the woodpile He had passed into
the bedroom, lighted a candle which
stood on the stand, and had been some
time III the room before using the
weapon | knew this because the top
drawer Of the old bureau was pulled out,
lt- contents tumbled over, and there
were no bloody finger marks on any
thing Tie three other drawers were
doohed with blood, showing that he
searched those after the murder.
Something had aroused the old man
IRON his sleep He had started to get
out III bed when struck by an axe The
o-J lady had Just heard the noise when
ne cruel Implement descended on her
mead. the positions in which the bodies
were found bearing out my theory. The
night had been chilly, and Little Jack
probably suuggled down under the
quilts, and had thus escaped harm,
though, rs afterward shown. he had been
silent witness Of part of the proceed
ngs
Tie murderer made thorough search
Of the house, taking his time about Il
He had first felt under the old man 3
pillow after money, and then under Mrs
Arnolds, dauhlng his fingers with blood,
and leaving his marks on the pillows
/ counted five different places where
rested his left hand on the pillow while
searching with his right, and IN every
case there were only four daubs or spots.
There should have been five He would
not put down four fingers and hold NJ
his thumb. No: the thumb on the left
hand was missing cut off at least at the
first JOINT.
This was a clue, and aumy subsequent
Investigations proved that l was norrec
II believing So There was anothe
thing. The man had torn up the carpe
OF the ed-room in several places; had go
out the Bible md looked between IT
covers; Ind taken down and searched tn
clothing In the closet; and had been s
cool and thorough in his search that