Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-04-15

ror ne hand tnat held the lily stopped to the toucl
roses, too.
THE CHILD WITNESS.
The Arnolds lived in the old brown
house which you may yet notice at the
night of the rood, just as you enter the
village of L., Pennsylvania, from
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.
should not speak so confidently; it is
five years since saw the village 81: the
house, and perhaps the awful tragedity
enacted under the moss-covered roof one
night may have kept the house tenantless,
and allowed time to tumble it down.
One day, in answer to a telegram sent
from the nearest railroad station to
l., a matter of dozen miles, rode
into the quaint old village on the top OF
the stage, and at once reported myself to
the town authorities. Every inhabitant
Of thevillage, even to the rugged urchins
sitting on the tavern porch, carried a
grave face and talked in whispers. Had
l not known double murder had been
committed the night before, I could have
read some news almost as bad by glanc-
ing at the faces of the town s-people.
While 1 was eating my supper at the
only hotel the town clerk and the presi-
dent of the village sat opposite and told
me the story. It seemed that Arnold,
who was nearly go 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 mur-
der, disposed of farm and some manu-
featuring interest in Pittsburgh, realizing
several thousand dollars in cash. He in.
tended visiting the sons and dividing the
money between them, but had placed it
in the village bank until he should be
ready to CO.. Mrs. Arnold was oldrand
gray headed, and the couple would have
been all alone had it not been tor Little
Jack, as he was called, achild four years
old. The child had been abandoned by
a woman passing through the village,
and the Arnolds had taken it for compa-
ny; in fact, had made provision to
adopt it.
The night before, at9 o'clock, citizen
had seen Arnold at his gate, smoking a
pipe. No one heard any alarm from the
house during the night, but 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 hit grandpa and grandma on the head
with an axe.H = 7 : - = - -
There was an investigations and the
aged couple were found at the house
dead and terribly mutilated. The old
mans head was nearly split in two, and
Mrs. Arnold had 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: 81 ~ :. !.
This was the gist5 of the story + got
while eating, but I found that none Of
the sensational points had been over
drawn when reached the house. The
corpses had been the subject of inquest,
and had been washed and placed in cof-
fins, but the rooms had not been dis
turbed. A constable had. been present
at tee time to 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 double bedroom on the ground
floor. It contained two beds. one of
which was occupied by the old lady
alone, and the other. by the old man and
little Jack. The murderer had come in
at the back door, brought along the axe
from the woodpile. He had passed iuto
the bedroom, lighted a candle which
stood on the stand, and had been some
time in the room before using the
weapon. knew this because the top
drawer Of the old bureau was pulled out,
its contents t1lmbled over, and there
were no bloody finger marks on any,
thing. The three other drawers were
daubed with blood, showing. that he
searched those after the murder.
Something had aroused the old man
from his sleep. He had started to get
out Of bed when struck by an axe. The
old lady had just heard the noise when
the cruel implement descended on he1
head, the positions in which the bodies
we're found bearing out my theory. The
night bad been chilly, and Little Jack
probably snuggled down under the
quilts, and had. thus escaped harm
though, as afterward shown, he had beer
silent witness of part of the proceed
The murderer: made thorough search
of the house, taking his time about it
He had first felt under the old man.
pillow after money, and then under Mrs
Arnold's, daubing his fingers with blood
and leaving his marks r.. on the pillows
I counted FIVE. different places wher
rested his left hand or! the pillow Will
searching with his right, and in ever,
case there were only, four daubs or spots
There should have been five. He woul,
not put down four fingers and hold III
his thumb. No; the thumb on the lef
hand was missing off at least at tn
first joint. r., - .'.' .s
This was n clue, and all my subsequen
Investigations proved that I was cornec
in believing So, There was anothe
thing The man had torn up the carpe
Of the bedroom in several places; had 70
out the Bible and looked between it
covers; had taken down and searched til
clothing in the closet; and had been 8
cool and thorough in his search that
knew he was no ordinary offender.
common thief would have fed after com
hitting murder, o.. at most stopped onl
long enough to search the bureau. WHO
ever the man was he had not secured
dollar III money. Hehad, however, take
away an old-fashioned gold watch be
longing TO Arnold, which was out Of RI
pair, and chiefly preserved as an he'll
loom. A dozen persons could identif
the watch. if found, and here was some
thing which might prove agood clue.
l did not expect to get muct, out {
the boy, owing to his youth. Fakin
him on my knee, made his acquaint
ance, gave him some pennies, and the
asked him what he saw.s s !,
''You see" began the child yer
as ~ 81 ~ ~ "a &