Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-11-09
A DEVILS DEED.

L rhuk benueuDdugu. AuSprSu oy oateu
AID Bad W hisky. Flourished the Fatal
AK.
News reached the REGISTER office yes
terday afternoon OF the most appalling
tragedy that ever occurred in this sec
tion of the country. A man hitherto OF
good character and ordinary intelligence,
in a ft OF temporary Insanity, kills, in a
briei space of time, five persons, and
then completes the terrible tragedy by
putting an end 10 himself. The scene OF
the tragedy is the Peter Weisent farm,
in Monroe county, Ohio, five miles
south OF Calais, near the Chapel Church,
between Lewisville and Summeriield,
three miles west of the former
village. The principal actor in the
scene OF blood is Frank Bedenbaugh, a
man thirty years OF age. The victims
are his vile. Mrs. Annie Bedenbaugh, a
daughter OF John Jetfres, Esq, who re-
sides near Temperanceville; her babe,
aged less than two years; Miss Elizabeth
Stephens, aged forty-tive, ami her two
children, girl OF eleven years OF age,
and boy five or six years Of age. All
those people
Were Killed
in brief space OF time, except the
daughter OF Miss Stephens. who is so
badly injured that she will not likely
recover.
The tragedy occurred last Saturday
evening about dark, il is supposed. The
first indications OF the horrible murder
were discovered by younger brother
OF Bedenbaugh, who had been absent at
a husking, and who returned about
eleven o'clock at night. He came from
a scene OF revelry aud in moment faced
a carnival OF death. The Bedenbaugh
house is an old-fashioned farm house,
with two rooms on the first floor, with
a large chimney in the centre, furnish
ing replace for each room. Enter
ing the family room on his return, there
was Just enough light from the smouId-
ering fire to cast a
wierd and Awful Shadow
over the scene Of death Prominent on
the floor was the body ot Miss Stephens,
a large, tall woman, with fair face and
hair, which was now darkened and
matted bv blood. which had oOzed from
her brain and ran down upon her dress.
4 irightiul wound had b-en made with
the pole of an AK on the btc& OF the head,
above and behind the ear. The skull
mad been mashed in where the fatal ak
had descended with crushing force.
On the floor, not far away, were three
children-his own babe. and two be-
longing TO Miss Stephens, all dead eX.
cept one, which was unconscious, and
will not recover. Two OF them had
their
Heads Beaten,
probably by the same weapon which
had b ZEN used on the woman. The NV
irg one Rad wounds about the Lace,
but the skull does not seem to be in
jured.
The young man Immediately gave the
alarm. and party of horiited neighbors
soon gathered at the scene Of butchery.
A search OF thc premises was soon De-
gun, but nOtlin, beyond what has been
described was discovered in the house.
The outbuildiugs were then searched.
In a tobacco house, quarter OF a mile
east of the residence, tney found Frank
Badenbaugh, badly wounded. lie had
crawled into the house through crack
i'm the wall, and hal then taken down II
quantity OF tobacco, upon which he was
living, not yet dead. The throat had
been cut from ear TO ear, and blood COW
cred the ground FOR Il considerable
distance. Several wounds, evidently
Made With Ha,chet.
were on his forehead and face. IL Is
supposed that the crJZsd man hal trled
,n kin himself with the hatchet, and
failing in that had used the certain AMI
fatal razor. Both weapons were found
near him, covered with blood. Tie had
on his everyday clothes, and his lace
and breast were covered wi:h blood. He
WAS vet able to speak, and in reply to
ouestion about where his vile was, he
designated the place where she could be
found and added that he hal killed her.
No further information could be OBJ
IN ned from him. He was taken to the
house and lived until IL O'Clock Friday
morning.
The terrified neighb1rs went from the
Bloody Scene
i'm tie tobacco house, 10 the pasture
field, where the faithful wife, intent on
family duties, and with no thought 0i
danger in her mind, had gone To milk
only few hours bel IRE. The night was
dark and rainy, the ground turned to
mud by the heavy rains OF the previous
dav A still more horrible scene was
nr,,Sented in the lonely field. Here lay
The dead body OF Mrs. BedenbduTh,
with her throat cut, her head beaten
ami uartiallv imbedded in mud. The
hatcbet and razor had both been used
10 az, their deadly work, and the ia'r
vorn- face and forehead were marred
and mu,ilated by the cruel blows. THIS
co,,,,le.e,I the ia'al list-alI were ac.
,.nrn,..d f,r but all had been killed, and
Tre Death Roil Was Complete
The bodies were gathered together IN
tha house. and all that Sabbath day, as
the news spread, hundreds OF people
from IN. surrounding country, hearIhs
of the awful tragedy, came TO the scene
of death. and with bited breath anu
hearts almost stilled in the presence oil
the awful scene, gazsd appalled, upon
tho dead bodies OF the victims. Among
The neople who went to the place was
the iather and brother OF the man VINO
had done the awful butcnery. lneie'
too. was John Jeffrey, the father OF tne
deceased wife, who had started from ms
home. with no thought of the late when
had beisllen hls daughter, bat merely
to make a friendly visit; to take by the
band one he loved dearly, and TO I'VE
far a time with the family which he eA-
nacteJ 10 find, as before, in the enjoy
ment of health and happiness.
How 1t Was Done.
The exact manner in which the kill
inc was done will never be known.
Whether the deed was the result OIL
sudden impulse OF a quarrel, or OF la long
settled intention, cannot be surmlsea.
Tbs sctiops of the murderer when his
brother lett him in the morning were
not unusual, though he complained oil