The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-12-21
70 aTY YEA rs ais JUNIOR.
The Crime Of o Farmer Who Mar
rid q Young Wife.

Mrs. Lizzie Van Tassel, whose home
is in the Little Ulster county hamlet
Ut New Salem. was thirty.eixht years
ofase Oh "Wednesday. and it was ar
ranged that her birthday should be
celebrated BY social gathering Of
her neighbours. But instead Of the
pleasant party anticipated the Var
faSsel dwellins was filled by mourners.
John Van Tassel. the husband Of
Lizzie Van Tsssel, tor the past half
century has lived in or near New Sa-
lem. Twenty four years ago John
Van Tsssel. then being u widOwer and
The father OF adult childrer, married
Lizzie, The only child Of Matthew
Freer, . farm. r possessed of much prof.
erty. Though two score years her
husbands junior. Mrs. Van Tassel al
ways avowed great affection for him,
and until Within tie past year Van
rassel seemed To reciProcats it. The
Young wife quickly developed into .
comely woman. She found opportunity
10 improve her mind, end ~ con-
versalionalist ranked far above her
neighbOrs. No social gathering in the
towns Of kingstoo and Esopus WAS
ever deemed complete without her.
Mrs. Aaron Stokes, w1Ose home il
next to that of the Van Iiassels, says:
Lizzie loved gay life she Was ever
ready to laugh aud to joke she al.
ways wore smile, aud none Of our
parties could be held without her. Of
al! the parties held in this vicinity for
the past twO duzen years she has been
the belle
John Van Tassel was never known
tn urge any objection to the partici-
patton Of hls wife in these parties. No
mao ever whispered aught to the wife's
discredit. Once. however, about .
year ago, Van Tassel displayed . sus-
piciOn Of jealousy, after his wife had
returned from 'sociable' On Traveris
hill. He said:
Lizzie, l don't believe you love me
like you ought tn. You care more
Tor other peoples company. You have
been OF dancing all night. while / have
sat here 1t home with our children.
But it's al RICH, l dou't blame you.
I'm twice as old as you are. and of
course you can't love me like you do
q younger man. Its oil right, Lizzie
During the next several months it is
not known thst Van Tassel ever said
to bis wife which would fur
ther sustain the theory oi jealous feel
iDgs.
In September John Van Tassel Vas
Frustrated with malarial fever, and for
a long time death vas considered Ger
iain. He recovered. however, and
began t,se",,>r his wife.
and to threaten her life ard that Of u
man Who is we'll known to The neigh
bO, hood. He also threatened to take
bis own life. These threats were made
to half q dozen persons.
On Wednesday morning be asked
bis wife to 60 With him to the barn,
md she did 80. An hour later Mrs.
Van Tsssefs mother having an errand
10 the ban saw John Van Tassel fall
ing backward upon pile Of straw, .
butcher-kDife to his throat. and the
blood squirting over the floor. She
wss alarmed. In the upper story of
he barn lay Lizzie Van Tassel uncou-
,ciOus, and q cut On her head. An axe
ay beside her b~spattered with blood.
The mans throat WAS cut widely and
leeply. the wiDdpips being nearly
evered. He died slmost Immediately
'fter being removed to the house. Mn.
Van Tsssel still lies unconscious. The
lOctor says she cannot possibly re-
over. Her skull is fractured. and she
uffers cOncussion Of the brain.
DR.. josiah Hasbrook said late last
vening that the condition Of Mrs.
IAN Tasecl is much improved.