Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-08-25
THE CHILD WITNESS.


-. THE CHILD WITNESS. -
The Arnolds lived in the old brown
house which you may have noticed at the
right of the road Just as you enter the vii
lage of l., Pennsylvania, from the
south. The house stands back about ten
rods from the road, among peach and apple
trees. and the path running up from the
gate is boedered with pinks md moss.
should not speak SO confidently; it is
five years since I saw the village or the
house, and perhaps the awful tragedy en-
acted under the moss covered roof one
night may have kept the house tenantless,
and allowed time to tumble it down.
One day in answer to a telegram sent
from the nearest railroad station to L--.a
matter of dozen miles, rode into the
quaint old village on the top of the stage,
and at once reported myself to the town au-
therities. Every inhabitant Of the village,
even to the ragged urchins sitting on the
tavern porch, carried grave face and
talked in whispers. Had I not known q
double murder had been committed the
night before, could have read some news
almost as bad by glancing at the faces of
the towns people.
While was eating my supper at the on
ly hotel the town clerk and the president
of the village sat opposite and told me the
story. 1t seems. that Arnold, who was
nearly sixty years old, had two sons in an
other part of the state, and, wishing to di-
vide up his property before his death, had
few days before the murder, disposed of
farm and some manufacturing interests
in Pittsburg, realizing several thousand
dollars in cash. He intended visiting the
sons and dividing the money between
them, but had placed it in the village bank
until he should be ready to go. Mrs. Arm
old was old and gray-headed, and the
couple would have been all alone had it
not been for little Jack. as he was called, a
child four years old. The child had been
abandoned bya woman passing through the
village, and the Arnolds had taken it for
in fact, had made provision to
adopt it.
The night before at o'clock a citizen
had seen. Arnold at his gate smoking his
pipe Nossohe5 heard any alarm from the
house during the night, but about sunrise
little Jack crept down into the village, his
night gown red with blood, and told the
first one he met Somebody had hit grand
pa and grandma on the head with an axe. I"
There was an investigation, and the aged
couple were found at the house dead and
terribly mutilated. The old mans head
was nearly split in two, and Mrs. Arnold
had horrible wound on the temple, which
had caused death almost instantly. The
child was not in the least injured, but
seemed to have been badly frightened.
This was the gist of the story got while
eating, but I found that none of the sensa-
tional points had been overdrawn, when I
reached the house. The corpses had been
the subject of inquest, but the rooms had
not been disturbed. A constable had been
present all the time to see thatany clue that
might have been left of the murderer should
not be erased by careless hands or feet
~ The room where the tragedy occurred
was double bedroom on the ground floor.
Iteontained two BEDS one of which was oc-
cupied by the old lady alone and the other
by the old man and little Jack. The mur-
derer had come in at the back door, bring
ing along the ak from the wood pile. He
had passed into the. bedroom, lighted a
candle which stood on the stand, and been
some time in the room before using the
weapon I knew this because the top draw
er of the old bureau was pulled out, its con-
tents tumbled over, and there were no
bloody finger marks on anything. The
other drivers were dabbed with blood,
showing that he searched these after the
murder.
Something had aroused the old man from
his sleep. He had started to get out of
bed when struck by an axe. The old lady
had just heard the noise when the cruel
implement descended on her head, the
positions in which the bodies were found
bearing out my theory. The night had
been chilly and little Jack probably snug
gled downunder the quilts, and had thus
escaped harm, though as afterwards shown
he had been silent witness Of part Of the
proceedings.
The murderer made thorough search of
the house, taking his time about it, He
had firstfelt under the old mans pillow
after money and then under Mrs. Arnold's,
daubing his finger with blood and leaving
marks on the pillows. I counted five
different places where he rested his left
hand on the pillows searching with the
right, and in every case there were four
daubs or spots. There should have been
five. He would not put four fingers down
and hold up his thumb. No; the thumb
on the left hand was missing-cut off at
least at the first joint.
This was clue, and all my subsequent
investigations proved that was correct in
believing SO. There was another thing.
The man had torn up the carpet of the bed
room in several places; and had got out the
Bible and looked between its covers; had
taken down and searched the clothing in
the closet, and had been 30 cool and thor-
ough in his search that knew he was nc
ordinary offender. common thief would
have fled after committing murder, or a,
most stopped only long enough to search
t1fa I,Tfrn "hNn L
not secured dollar in money. He had,
however, taken away an iold-fashioned GOLD
watch belonging to Arnold, which was out
of repair, and chiefly preserved as an heir
loom. A dozen persons could identify the
watch, If found, and here was something
that might prove good clue.
could not expect to get much out of the
boy, owing to his youth. Taking him on
my knee,I made his acquaintance, gave
him some pennies and then asked him
what he saw.
You see,'" began the child, very gravely,
II heard grandpa talking and getting up,
and then I saw big robper jump up and
hit him with the axe. Then grandpa fell
down and the big man, went over, and
Struck grandma. Then, he looked in the
bureau, on the bed, in grandpas box in
the closet and then went off, and then |
went 10 Sleep"
|akI dreaded to ask how the man looked
for much depended on his answer. But
he was ready with his reply and all my
CROSS questioning could not alter his state
ment.
Big man Ered collar (necktie) on-great
big breastpin-red whiskers like Mr..
jackson theren shining ring on his finger
one eye almost shut up.