The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-03-25
The Valley Forge Murder.
GREAT EXCITEMENT IN THE NElGllBOR
uOOD---DETECuvEs SUPPOSED TO re
ON THE TRACK OF THE MURDERER
THE SONS sToRY--A TERRI
BLA STRUGGLE.

VALLEY FoRGE, March 10.-Tho en-
tire section of the country is stirred to an
alarming extent this morning The pa
pers have given the news of the murder
of Mr.. Samuel w. Clugston, q wide cir
culation, and although the weather is
most distressing and the roads almost
impossible, still from every direction
come men and women, by the cars and
by private conveyance, to witness the
scene of the terrible encounter between
Mr.. Clugston and his assailant
Mr.. Thomas Clugston, hale, hearty
young man of about twenty-three years
of age, says that in the confusion and
excitcmeni,he he is unable to give correct
picture of the murder. His fight with
the man must have been most terrible.
lie had arisen shortly after his mother
had screamed, and of the fight which
followed, in the uncertain light he can
tell but little Said he 81 might have
killed the man very easily, but at the
time | did not know that father was
hurt, and let up on him for moment.
During this time the fellow was divest-
ing himself of his vest, and when | sue
ceeded in getting his pistol from him, he
got away from me, and in amoment had
darted through the window,sash and all,
and was gone. think that | fired at
him with his pistol, which l kept in my
hand, but / cant say much about it. l
was too much excited.
Officers arrived this morning from
Philadelphia and Reading. They are in
vestigating all the clues but up to this
hour no arrests have been made.
Yesterday Mayor Stokley was appris-
ed of the murder by Mr. Reese. The
police were Immediately put in motion,
and the different localities as indicated
by the memorandums left in the muir
derers pocket visited. Nothing of any
moment was discovered. The search
will be continued, for, from the nature of
the work done on the house. it is believ-
ed that the murderer resides in Phila-
delphia.
About 5 o'clock this morning Car In
spector John Keeb, of the Philadelphia
and Reading Railroad company, while
engaged in performing his duty in the
vicinity of Twenty first street and Penn
sylvania avenue, had his attention attrac
ted by man who was rapidly walking
along the track eastward, bareheaded,
without a coat to his back or shoes to his
feet. Mr.. Keeb hailed the man, but he
kept on more rapid rate of walking,
without making response. Mr. keeb
related the circumstances of the singular
affair an hour or two subsequently to one
of the officers of the road, and the latter
then informed the Inspector that the de-
scrlption given corresponds in many par
ticulars to that given of the burglar who
broke into the house of Samuel Clugston
at Valley Forge, Chester county, at an
early hour yesterday morning, and, on
being surprised by Mr. Clugston, drew a
pistol and shot him dead This was the
first intimation that the Inspector had of
the committal of the terrible deed. and
he Immediately repaired to the Ninth
Police District Station house, where he
informed Lieutenant Jordan of the
matter
A detail of officers was sent out to ihsti-
tute search for the man, but up to the
present time they have been unable to
capture him. 1t is presumed by the au-
thorities that the man, after committing
the deed secreted himself in freight
car, and by that means reached the
city