The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-04-14
Horrible Murder in Bel Air.
A woman's Skull Crushed with an Axe.
THE MURDERER GIVES HIMSELF UP.

A WOman's Skull Crushed with an Axe.
THE MURDERER GIVES HIMSELF UP.
| Ever since the removal to the penitentary OF
the prisoners convicted at the February term of
court the cell doors of Bel Air Jail have been
open, not single prisoner being confined there
| in. Now one of the cells contains Arthur Pres
ton, acolored man, held for the murder Of a col
ored woman named Mary Dorsey, in Bel Air, on
| Wednesday morning, April 18th. Shortly after
O'Clock Preston came to the Jail, in state OF
| gre It excitement and asked first for Deputy
Sheriff Carman and then for Sheriff Whiteford
Both were absent on business, the tenantless
Jail having been left in the charge of Jos E.
Morgan, a son ofeX Sheriff Morgan The latter
asked Preston what he wanted. Boss l want
| to go into the ;ail,' was the reply. Mr.. Nor.
gan supposed he merely wanted to see the in
terror out of curiosity, aud told him to walk in
Preston in reply said ~ want to be locked up
so no one can get me" and added that he did
not expect to come out again except to be
hanged. lie refused 10 tell Mr.. Morgan what
he had done for which he expected such dire
punishment.
WHERE THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED
Arthur Preston and coIored woman named
Mary Dorsey have together occupied an upper
room in the small red house situated on the
Baltimore turnpike, in the lcar of Capt. X. +.
Bouldin's residence The two lower rooms are
each occupied by colored families. Preston
was in the habit of beating the woman, and had
threatened several times to take her life. She
was employed in the family of Mr. Isaac Amos,
until last Monday, and about three weeks ago
in order to avoid Preston, she remained away
from their room. Preston, 1t is said, would
wat oh for her at a convenient corner, and chase
and beat her whenever he could overtake her.
About the same time Preston was seeking re-
fuge in jail Abbie Morgan, n colored woman
who occupies the house next door to Preston's,
Informed Squire Snowden that she feared some
one had been murdered. The Justice and Town
Bhiliff Golden went to the place and finding the
door locked Mr. Golden went in search of Pres
ton. He found him in Jail and obtained the key
of the room from Gertir Talbot, colored
woman at the jail, to whom Preston had given
il, together with n small seven chamhercd re-
volvcr, two bar rels of which were empty.
Upon entering the room II horrible sight was
presented. On the floor, with her clothing
on her person and in her stocking feet. uy
the lifelcss body of the woman, Mary Dor.
sew in u pool of blood The room con
tanned q bcdslcad upon which the bed and
clothing were III great disorder: dresser in one
corner. on which was a comb and some bottles
II wooden bench, pile of split wood thrown
curelessly on one side of the room, and in a cor
ner was an old unoaded musket. Near the
woman's head stood an axe, which was proba.
bly, the weapon used by the murderer, although
no blood was found upon IT,
An EXAMINATION BY THE DOCTORS.
DIR. Il. d. Lee and Dr. VIM. s. Archer made an
examination of the body and found q terrible
Wnnnl nm h,. rich. side Df the head "a bn bn sp
OF the skull, back of the ear The skull at his
point had been completely crushed, making a
hole 211 inches square. around which fragments
of the skull were hanging. Another blow had
been given upon the top of the head. 1t Is sup
| posed that the woman was first Knocked down
| by the blow upon the head, and whilst lying on
| the floor the murderer had inflicted the blow or
| blows which crushed the skull and killed her.
On "Wednesday night Drs. Lee, Archer and
Munikhuysen made thorough and complete
| examination. No wounds were discovered ex.
| ccpt those already mentioned, and a slight con-
| fusion oyer one of the eyes, which was probably
| caused by striking against the bed. post as she
| fell.
THE CoRoNER's INQUEST.
| Justice Snowden summoned jury of inquest,
| consisting of VIM. H. Stagmer, foreman; John
Smith, VIM Wann, John W. Anderson. VIM
| H. Bauer. p f. Carroll, Vim. &. Jetrery, VIM
Moffitt, +. J. b. Moore, jacob C.. Kennedy,
Ben Wann and J. Howard Cornthwaite.
| ing TIE evidence of the physicians and Others,
| they rendered verdict that "Mnry Dorsey
came to her death al the hands of Arthur Pres
| ton, in heir room in Bel Air, on the morning of
| April l2th, 1882, by blow inflicted by him on
her head, with the poll of an axe or some other
blunt instrument"
BEFORE THE MURDER
| On the evening before the murder Preston fol-
| lowed the girl out Broadway, and coming up
| with her asked her to take q walk with him.
| a i.,I
| Franklin street towards Dr. Munnikhuvsens
| woods After some conversation she started
to run. lie pursued her, firing his pis oil at her
and ordering her to halt. Overtaking her he
compelled her to return to their room with
him.
No noise was heard there during the night, but
about nine O'Clock the next morning the dodgers
down stairs and the neighbors next door were
startled by dreadful shrieks issuing from Pres
toms room. Abbie Morgan, colored. who lives
next door came out of her house and saw Preston,
who in reply to a salutation said "Good bye am
going to give myselfup to Mr.. Carmun (rhe Depu-
| ty Sheriff She then called Mary, but she did
not answer, and Abbie Informed Squire Snow.
| den that she feared some one had been killed
| Harriet Bond, colored, who lives down stairs,
| also heard the screams, and called to Preston to
| know what he was doing to Mary. She receiv-
| ed no answer The screams ceased she heard
the door locked and Preston came down stairs.
| In reply to her question he said: 81 have done
| what intended to do to her."
THE MURDERER AND HIS VICTIM.
| Preston is about 90 years of age, about feet
| SO inches in height, and is a stout, muscular
| negro He was reared in the neighborhood of
| Forest IIill on the farm of Mr.. Humphrey Will
son. He is vicious. quarresome and reckless,
and has frequently been arrested for fgh ting at
| public meetings of colored people. He was re-
| gurded BY his color us Il dangerous mn.
Mary Dorsey, the murdei ed woman, was
about % years of age, and was good natured
quiet girl She had been working for some time
| in the neighborhood, and had expressed fear
that Preston would kill her.
Preston is extremely reiicent about the affair."
hut does not deny that he struck the woman.
He declines to state however, what kind of an
instrument he used He denied shooting her
and said that she had his pistol In her hand. II
WAS cooked and after struggle he took 1t away
from her.
THREATS OF LYNCHING.
number of celored people gathered at the
spot and threats of lynching Preston were made
During the day several Of them made anxious
inquiries as to when Preston would be brought
for examination before magistrate, but States
Attorney Maynadier decided that he could be
held for court under the commitment and the
verdict of the eoroners' jury.
The murder Of Mary Dorsey was probably tho
first one ever committed within the present
limits OF the town of Bel Air The remains of
the murdered woman were decently buried at