Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-27
BLlNDING A WITNESS.

Of in mysterious whispers by the neigh
bors, few of whom, however, ever dared
to 60 near their dwelling. Once, a wo-
man named Cleary thought she would be
and call on them. As she
drew near to the house she heard voices,
and alter she retired reported to her hus-
band very strange conversation which
she said she had overheard bctwe IN Rees
and the blind woman.
Mrs. Cleary said that she went toward
the door and stood on the porch ready to
knock, when she heard Rees say:
'Betsy, you've been a id light more
useful to me without your eyes than ever
you was before spoilt them for YOU"
"Ah, well,' the woman replied, "it
may I've so, but its nav satisfaction to
know that heli-ffre will feed on your
cursed eyes forever!"
This conversation at once raised the
suspicion that Rees had at one time put
out his wife's eyes, and it did not raise
him III the estimation of his neighbors.
On November s, 1927, Rees died. Lit
tie, if any, property was found in his
possession, and the blind woman was re
moved to the poor-house. A few days
after his death, a lawyer came down from
London, accompanied by
THREE ELEGANTLY DRESSED LADIES.
Who claimed to be the daughters of the
dead man. A search was made, and pa
pers were found concealed in an old
hamper which revealed the fact that Rees'
real name was John Cartrey, and that he
owned property in London estimated at
over e4,0O0,o00. Originally, it appeared
that he owned a tract of land in poor
locality in Bermondsey, where he kept a
blick yard; but the extensive growth of
the city calling for the space, the price
rose, and he realized an immense fortune
He set up splendid establishment, and
educated his children WE'LL All died ex-
cept the three daughters alluded to, all
of whom married we'll.
OF Cartrey's early history no one
seemed to know, but he bore a frightful
mark on his neck and cheek, which his
enemies were wont to say was the cause
of the hangman's moose. While the
daughters were prosecuting their clam
to Cartrey's immense property, the old
blind wife was lying in the poor house.
As soon as she learned that the husband
was rich, she changed her behavior and
asked for alawyer. One of the best in
the place was sent for, and she began
proceedings which the story will explain.
The narrative which follows is taken
without alteration from the record Of the
trial and the documents in connection
with the case. No matter how strange
it may appear, 1t IS absolutely true as
sworn to by witnesses whose words would
have been believed in any Court cf JUS
tice and in any community.
A STRANGE STORY.
In 1888, when George the Third was
still comparatively q young man, there
stood IN the suburbs of Leicester, Eng
land, a pretentious dwelling house known
as Gates Hall. The River Soar flowed
near it, and it was not far from the great
North road or rampant, as it was called.
The occupants of this house were fami-
~ named Cartrey, or, as some spelled it,
Carteret. It consisted of father, mother,
three daughters and one son. For many
generations there had been but one son
in the family-a fact which bad caused
many comments and became remarkable.
The estate of the Cs1treys was large, the
father having an income of over fifteen
thousand pounds sterling, and the. moth
er having one third as much in her right.
The estate was strictly entailed-that is,
it went entire to the next heir. Young
Cartrey, popularity known as Jack, was
handsome, daring fellow of twenty-five,
and his sisters were all younger. Jenny,
the eldest, was nineteen, Dorothy was
seventeen, and Mabel sixteen. They
were all comcly damsels, full of life and
health, and we'll educated in accordance
with the times.
On December 81, 1888, all the family
were at home. They sat up in obscr-
vance of an established custom to see the
old year pass out and the new year in,
and did not assemble at breakfast next
morning until a late hour. The young
est daughter was then absent. Time
passed, and as she did not appear, and
inquiry failed to disclose her whereabouts,
the family were aroused, and search was
made, and she was
AT LAST FOUND DEAD
in tho room of chambermald in the
top story of the left wing of the dwelling.
The maid, who was known as Betsy Tay-
lor, was missing, and all search and in
Quiry failed to disclose whittier she had
gone. Mabel Cartrey. bore evidences of
having been, outraged. In her left hand
was bell-rope, which had been severed
with a powerful hand, the other part still
dangling from the wire close to the CELL
ing. Her neck and body were torn, and
the bed on which she lay was bloody and
disordered. In those days the law was
slow and feeble in, its action compared
to what it is now, and it was some time
before the authorities moved in searching
into the crime which had been commit
ted. 1t was found on medical investiga-
ton that she had evidently resisted the
attack upon her to the last, and only sue
cumhed when the grasp of the villains
hand on her throat deprived her of what
consciousness she had. ,-.,,.
But how came Mabel to the bedroom
of the girl Taylor, and where was the lat
teri A vigorous search was made for her
but 49, s%'E :#., ~ - =. t=-, =.
NO TRACE COULD BE DISCOVERED =.
That she was either implicated in the
crime aud had escaped, or had been, re-
moved IS damning witness against the
offender, was evident. She had been in
the employ Of the Cartrey family for on
II three months, out had come so strong
u recommended, and was SO respectable
and proper IN her bearing, and SO come
" withal, that she had speedily found
favor in The household and narf1cular1v