The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-09

at home all day, feeling badly in BODY anu
brooding in miud. When his wife started
to milk the impulse seized him, and taking
an axe be brained the little children. The
marks on the face Of Betsey Stephens indl'
cate that she had been struck with the hst,
thus showing that she made struggle for
her life, and The probabilities are that she
was knocked down and alterward struck
with the axe.
Maddened like a tiger by the taste Of
blood, be started in pnrRnit Of his unsus'
pecting wife, leaving The floor Of his house
etrewn with three dead bodies. Before
starting after his wife he dropped the cum
bersOme 'Veapon, the axe, and occurred a
ha,chet and rsz1r. These weapons were
easily concealed, ard the demon could
approach his wife without giving her any
cause for suspicion. Then when the inno.
cent wife turned her face towards him he
struck her in the forehead with the hack
OF the hatclet, and followed Mp the blows
after she fell until the whole head was
crushed and beaten into the yielding
earth, and the woman he had promised 10
love and cherish was q bleeding corpse be-
fore him. Then t. make the work more
c1mIlete, he drew the rszor and cut her
throat, almost severirg The head from
the body. His devlish work was dIne.
There was no other human being in
sight. Acting on the insane impulse
which prompted him to commit the whole.
sale murder, or stung by remorse tfor an
act without palliation or excuse, be then
attempted to take his own lie. Going to
the tobacco house, a hundred yards away,
he entered and took 'wn the hanging TO-
l,fs oil a
tried 10 Kill himself with the poll OF the
hatchet, and failing in this drew his razi "
and cut his throat. His attempt at hts
own life evidently brought him to his
senses. for he dessted aud mad not the
courage 10 complete his work. There he
lay ali night, aud until he waFdlsc nvered
next morning, when he still retained sui
ticient consciousness to tell where his vile
might be found, aud to acknowledge that
he had murdered her.
THE VICTIMS,
Frank Bsdenbaugh, the murderer, is
about thirty years OF age. James Beden'
baugh, his father, is OF German birth, and
has ten children. He is a wellto.do far
mer, living about four miles south Of
Calais, where he owns q fam OF some four
hundred acres. One son, John, is asaloon
keeper in Wheeling. The old man pur-
chased the farm where Frank lives several
years ago, and presented it to him. Frank
was a man OF immense physical strength,
as were the whole family. He was not
man Of bad disposition, though the whole
family had reputation as fighters. de
was not hard drinking man, though like
most people in that neighhOrhood he
would take drink. He was married only
two or three years ago, and was the father
OF one child. He was also raising the old.
est child Of BETSY Stephens. The family
OF the BedenbAughs were pleas.
ant, so far as is known, and there could
| ave been no motice fir the deed. Before
his marriage Beden6augh worked one year
for Armstead Garter, near Temperance
vile.
Elizabeth Tor Betsy Stephens was
somewhat noted character 10 thai part OF
the country. Her father is Wash. Stephens,
who lives near BsileV's Mills, about four
miles west OF Blrnesville, Betsy was about
forty FIVE years of age, and was very large,
over two hundred pounds. She |
was single, but was the mother OF eight or
nine ilIegitimate children. She was con.
sidered rather harmless old body, handy |
to have around in case of sickness, and
made her living by going around and do
ing house work. The child which Beden-
bsuyh mad taken to raise was about ten
years old, and had lived with him for two
or three years 1t was to visit this child
that Betsy and her youngest child went to
Beden baugh's on FTiday evening.
Mrs. BedenbRugh WAS daughter oil
John Jetfers, who leaves near Temperance.
Vile, and niece OF Plus Jetfers, OF Barnes
Vile. She was lady OF excellent family,
aud OF amiab'e disposition, and her short
married life had been a pleasant one so for
as is known. Like her husband, she was
Of a Catholic family.