Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-05-07
A CRIMINAL ROMANCE
Samuel Armstrong; Wife
and MOther-iR-i.aW held
fnr Iris Nurderin 1875.

j. Darety and her daughter, Mrs.
Herman c. CO'ZiIiu@. are charged
with tie murder Of samuel Arm
strong on the night Of August 81
1873. Armstrong was u dissipated
farmer worth so 0G0, residing
near L. Inio and when in his cups
was terribly abusive. Tue in
mates of his house at the time Of
the murder, besides Armstrong
Were his W f., the present Mr..
CoiziliuS. Mrs. Drely, har motn-
er. and John Adams farm hand
At O'Clock on the morning OF
August y, Mrs. Armstrong ran in
her night-clothes TO the nearest
neighbours and walked them with
her screams, telling them that
some one had killed b, husband
The ueighbors assem- bled and
found Mr.. Armstrong dad with
pistol-bali in his head. He lay
next TO the window, and the shot
had evidently been fred by some
one standing outside. The face
was burned and powder blacken-
cd, and the examining physicians
remarked that not drop Of blood
had flowed from the wound
John Adams, the farm hand dis
appeared on the night Of the muir
der. Mrs. Armstrong turned her
husbands properly into cash, and
established boarding house in
Columbus. Here a boarder, DIR.
Whitehead, made love TO Mrs.
Darety, and they were married
1t was soon discovered that he had
several wives already, and the
late Mrs Whitehead prosecuted
him for bigamy, and he WAS sent
TO the penitentiary. 1t was dur
ing the trial Of this rase, that Her
man Corzilius, who was then en-
plOyed III The Office Of the clerk of
the court, met Mrs Armstrong.
She was young-less han twenty
ive-eXtremely fascinating, and
very beautiful. The young wild
oW and the clerk fell in love and
were married or the 7th OF Febru-
airy.
A sensational part Of the stofy
is connected with John Adams,
the farm hand, who so mysteri-
ously disappeared the night of
the murder Ee had a difficulty
with Armstrong the day before
the murder. The next morning
after the murder, he was arrested
at the Union Depot, Columbus, as
Suspicious character" as it was
evident that he was trying to
avoid observation while waiting
for q train for the West. To the
eff er who arrested him he said.
You are mistaken, | did not kill
Armstrong At that time moth
ing was known in Columbus ofthe
murder. To the Mayor Adams
again pro ested that he had rot
Eilled Armstrong. The Mayor
concluded that he was drunk, and
discharged him with an admoni.
ton 10 leave the city. Later, an
uncle Of Armstrong became con-
vinced that Adams was the mur-
derer, and caused a search to be
made for him. In February, AID
ans was found at Lees Summit,
Mo, living under the name Of j.
b. Hall. He was taken to Lon
aon, where he gave a. reason
for his sudden flight and change
Of name that he had forged his
brothers name TO note for $50,
and was afraid of being arrested
for it. This his brother corrobor-
ated.
A special grand jury was sum-
xN0AHAA spx "a oc
Adams alias Hall. The delibera-
lions of the grand jury resulted in
the speedy discharge of Adams
and the indictment of Mrs. Cor
zilius and Mrs. Darety, which was
brought about in this way.
Whitehead, in the penitentiary,
hearing of the case, sent word TO
the prosecuting attorney that he
could give important testimony.
He was taken before the the grand
Jury, and said that Mrs. Darety
had confessed to him that she and
her daughter had killed Arm
strong, while the whole suspicion
rested on Adams, for whose sud-
den disappearance she could not
account; that Armstrong was a
drunken, worthless man who abus-
ed her child shamefully, until she
made up her mind to get rid OF
him. On the night of the murder
he was in beastly state Of intoxi-
cation, and after abusing his wifs
lay down on the bed and went to
sleep. She made up her mind she
UOtlld kill him thai vprv nirht
She procured a pan of charcoal,
lighted it, placed it under or near
the bed and closed the doors and
windows. She and Mrs. Cerzilius
waited in another room until he
was asphyxiated. Finding that
ha Hrns daad than nnnnad he xuir