The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-07-08
A FEMALE FIEND.
MRS. ATHEY's TROUBLED CON-
SCIENCE RISES UP AND CON-
FRONTS HER SOUL,
In Glowing Words She COnreSSeS How, Inspired
by DeVslish, Jealous Hate, She Cut Poor Mary
Seneff to Pieces with an Ak and Buried
her MsnRled Body in an Ash Pile
Horrible Details Of Horrible


her Msngled Body in an Ash Pile
Horrible Details Of a Horrible
Crime.
Canal Dover July 1.-The Iron Valley Reporter
will, tomorrow, contain, in substance, the follow.
ing, being the confession OF Mrs. Ellen Athey the
woman who, in company with her husband and
brother, was arrested and, after a hearing, com.
mitted to Jail to await trial for the murder Of Miss
Mary senetf, A full report Of the finding Of the
body and the evidence taken at the preliminary
trial has already been published in this paper
The last time Mary senef was ever seen alive, by
any one save the murderesS, was on Friday eve.
ming, May 2S $780, when she, with Mrs Athey
and two or three other parties, spent the evening
in pleasant talk and singing at the house of David
Critics, the father Of Mrs Athey, who resides upon
the same farm and In the same yard with the
Atheys, Late that evening the two, Mrs. Athey
and Miss Senef, went across the yard to the Athey
house and went in, and here, says the Reporter
drops the curtain on all that Can be proven by
outside testimony, and begins the inside history
Of the murder, based upon the confession Of Ellen
Athey, the murderdss." The two women were
alone, with the exception Of two small children.
at the time Of the murder Mr., Athey being at the
Dover salt works, six miles away. While the Wo.
men were disrobing, Mrs. Athey accused Miss Sen.
eff OF having come over to her house while she
miss s) was working for David Critics in the
spring. and wrapping on the window, and that
that was a signal for Mr., Athey to meet her out.
side. Mary seneif denied this and said she had
scarcely ever spoken to Mr. Atheyi but Mrs AS
blood was up and the demon had the upperhand
reason had left her, and nothing but the beast re-
mained. Mary had taken of all her clothing but
her under garments and was sitting on the led,
bewildered by the torrent Of abuse and vile cpl.
thets hurled at her by Mrs, Athey, who then
rushed out into the kitchen, caught up her hus-
bands az and came tearing back into the room,
thrstng for the innocent girls blood Mary,
when she saw the ak, cried out in alarm, asking
her what she meant, and for answer received
terrible blow In the left side Of the neck. Again
and again the cleaning steel descended on the
unprotected body Of the poor victim, who vainly
strove to ward off the cruel blows, Blood spurted
in every direction, and at last the exhausted girl
sank on the bed, her life blood pouring from a
| dozen wounds. Life was not yet extinct and this
Jealous devil to finish her heltsh job turned the
| ak and brought the blunt end crushing down into
| the skull Of the poor girl, That was the end
| After resting from her fearful work the murder
ess hunted up the hoe aud noiselessly as possible
| followed out shallow grave In an ash heap In
the yard and but short distance from the house,
She then went to the room where lay the bloody
corpse and knotting the corners OF the sheet
about the body, and placing the bloody skirts
and apron In with II, dragged II to the ash bed,
| stretched II in the trench and covered II over
with the filthy rubbish and ashes She worked
the balance Of the night, hiding all traces Of the
terrible crime, and in the morning gave out that
the girl had gone away early. Suspicion was not
aroused for some days, but the murderess could
| not Her rsecret weighed like lead, and hnaly
on Sunday evening, June l9, she told 1t to her
youngest BROTHER Frank Critics. asking him 10
| help her dispose Of the body more securely. He
was Mortified, and told her she must tell her hus'
band. That she would not DO, but they finally
concluded to let the elder brother Alex, (the one
now In jlil) into the secret. She did so, and that
night the two boys went oyer to the Athey house,
after all the balance Of the family were in bed,
and called Ellen out to show where the body was.
Henry Athey, the husband, was at home and In
bed asleep The noise of the wife leaving the
| bed and the room woke him and hndlng she was
not beside him, he rose and followed his wife.
She saw him coming, turned and went back into
the house. Athey then demanded Of the boys
| what the secret meeting meant They we're both
crying and told him to ask Ellen. He went In
and she told him the story. he was terribly
shocked and paced the floor all through the
night. Mr.. Critics. the father Of the murderer, was
next told, and his grief was heart ending, He
demanded that the body be taken away that
night, but 1t was not done. The enect OF lhe uls-
closure Of the horrible deed was noticed on Athey
and young Critics the next day and spoken OF by
many, On Monday night the boys agreed. at the
pleading OF Mrs. Athey, to move the body, put all
refused 10 dig 1t up or touch Il. Mrs A, made
sack out Of an old coverlet and alone she uncoV'
cred the decOmposing remains OF the toully mur'
| dered girl and placed them In the Sack ana then
In the darkness and the rain the body was loaded
on a wagon; and with one Of the boys on horse
back riding in advance, and Athey and the other
driving, they broSght the corpse to the creek and
dropped 1t from the bridge into the muddy stream
| below
Here It was found, identified, and the suspected
parties arrested and lodged In jail. The woman
| Athey Is of Jealous disposition and has merry
ungovernsble temper The publication OF the
| foregoing in the Reporter will doubtless augment
the excitement In the country about here and
| iAtensify the feeling against the woman hend.
Nothing short Of stern justice will satisfy the peo.
| pie, All have considered the evidence against
| Mrs, Athey conclusive and damning, and any at
tempt to shield her from jnst punishment for the
| atrocious butchering will meet with storm OF
Indignation and no pleasant results,