Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-02-24
A TERRIBLE CRIME.
w. O. CrandaH Under arrest for the
Murder Of HIS Wife and Babe.
FuH Particulars of tie Dastardly Deed.
THREATS OF LYNCEING.

No little anxiety Is felt by our citizens
to learn more full particulars in regard to
the circumstances attending the death of
Mrs. W. o. Crandall Since our last issue
we have learned that Mrs Crandalrs eight
months old babe also persisted, and while
there are no definite facts, yet we learn
from parties from Millbank that there are
suspicious among the people in that sec,
ton that the matter should he thoroughly
Investigated. From the parties above
mentioned. one of whom was the agent at
Milbank station. about four miles from
where the Crandall's lived, the following
few meagre facts were learned: Crandall
first informed some of his neighborS ON
Tuesday that his wife had not been home
since the Sunday evening previous, telling
first that she had left the house to go to
the barn to milk the COWS. afterwards stat
ing that she started to so to the rostotficc.
Search was Immediately made for the UNI
fortunate woman. her body WAS found II
mile away from the house, and near
by lay her babe, from the marks ii APP
pearing rs if the child had crawled away
from the mother after she fell. The party
who gave the information stated that the
circumstances were deemed 50 decidedly
suspicious that the heritf anu coroner left
for Crauda's farm on the morning lie
started away.
Later advices received by telegraph and
mail yesterday leave little doubt but that
there has been foul play. The following
message has been rec, lived in answer to an
enquiry from this office asking for brief
partiCu ars:
Special telegram to the Tribune:
MILLBANK, ID. II. February g. 1880.
NORRIS TRIBUNE: Mrs Crandall and
baby were found on the p airie one mile
and IL half from home frozen to death. on
the 9th inst. The theory is that she was
foul dealt with by her husband. Gram
dali has been arrested for murder. Great
excitement and talk Of lynching. The
bodies are here in Millhank.
We have been 10th to believe that /.
husband and father could be so hruta!ly
nhuman, and did not think that Crandall
could be guilty of one of the most brutal
crimes on record, it seems however that
the evidence Was fully sufficient
to hold him for tri:, on the charge of
murder. If it is true, if the facts are us
stated, tho monster should he rent limb
from limb and we would not blame the
people of Millbank if they had sent his
black soul into eternity. a special CORES
pendent OF the Pioneer Press furnishes the
following additional particulars:
''Shortly after his wifr's Disappearance
Cranlall found the bodies. The stories
told by him, us to the course taken by his
wife, differed greatly so that it is impoSsi
bile as yet to ascertain The truth in the Case.
However on Tuesday afternoon he went
To his nearest Observation-Disclosures
got II boy to go with him and mark the
spot with pole where his wife and child
lay partly buried in the snow, In the
meantime the neighbors becoming salts
fed that something was wrong, went to
CIR ,ndail on Thursday morning and made
him 90 and show them where the bodies
were The woman was found lying OH
with her arms drawn up in IL position that
would he natural when holding II baby.
The l,:hy Was lying about five feet from
the mother. The neighbors, eight in mum
her. bore the remains back home and
placed them in room, locked the door
and retained the key. Crandall, during all
the time, remained perfectly stolid and
unconcerned not exhibiting the slightest
degree of grief or regret. The neighbors,
upon further investigation, became sails
fled that the woman had been driven away
from home l'y her husband, and permitted
to die. When found there were marks OF
viol, nee on her body, especially about The
throat. and she was thiny clad, with ne
underclothing except II chemi>e. II is evi
dent from her lasi letters that she was the
victim of continual abuse at the hands of
her husband. ALL the new evidence goes
to show she was murdered"
Crandall'S mother and sister in law now
| reside in this vllage Mrs Cranda
married s p. Schotield short time pre-
vious to her sons marriage he marrying
ScIiofeld's daughtcr-his step sister. After
II few months of married life Sci,otielt
procured divorce from his wife on thu
grounds of incompatibili,y Previous tt
this there was much trouble in the fami
lies and Cramdall was in the habit %
abusing his wife once driving her out o
the house They separated for some time
but after while she agreed to go ava,
with Crandall. thinking that srparalio,
from her step mother, who had great influ
ence over her husband, would end al
trouble