The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-23
4 SERIESS.0FS HORRORS.
THREE DEATHS YESTERDAY
A Young Nan Commits Suicide BfrAuss the Course
OF True Love dots not Hun Smooth, a Miner
fruAhed to Heath, and 4 brakeman
I Fatally Manglsd by The Iron Wheels.

Considerable excitement was caused II
Martins Ferry yesterday morning about II
O'Clock by tho announcement that Newton
Ashton, aged p years, tue son Of II highly re
spected farmer living three miles back o
that town, had been found IN The woods nca
the family residence, dead, with q bullet Ii
bis bialp. Tho FIRST report was That he In.
been murdered during n quarrel with an
other nIati, not named, about gr, bu
later reports dlsproved this, though the fac
that lis dead body Ind been found in thu
woods, as reported, was verified. Corone
Ganctt, Of Belmont county, who lives at lei
laiIe, was at once notified, and about .
o'clock he, In company with Mayor Mitchell
and Officers Hanson and Linn, OF Martin.
Ferry, started for the scene OF the tragedy
accompanied by oil iSrELLtGxNcEn reporter
The Ashton residence Is situated on th,
summit OF n hill, abou, three miles from
Mar.,n's Ferry, in neighborhool noted fol
lis quiet and good order. The spot where the
body Of Newton was found Is onl yA few hun
bred yards from the house: and the body had
been brought III aud laid out by tbs
time The coroner arrived. The wound which,
caused his death was situated about an incl,
bscs OF and slightly higher than his right
eye. The bull passed through his brain and
lodged Just under tho scalp, on the left side,
about two inches above tue eye,and at about
tho same height as the entrance. e ISL
The Coroner ut once began the :aking OF tts
timony, the following being tho main points;
On the previous evening Newton Ind, 10 com.
pany with hls betrothed wife, Mis- katG
Powell, attended party given At the resi-.
dence OF q family named Woods In the neigh.
borhood. Nothing happened during lie
evening to mar the harmony Of the occasion,
and when the party broke up Mr.. Ashton and
Miss Powell departed with the rest OF the
guests. From the statement OF Miss Powell,
given before the Coroner, with evidences of
much distress. It appears that she informed
Ashton after their return froai The party that
their wedding, which bud been fixed for
Thanksgiving dsy, would have TO be post.
roned, for the reason that she could not get
ready In time; and she turtle! stated that he
left her in his usual good spirits, sayin. AL
right 10 tho proposed p0stponement. Sho
further stated that he had on u former o..
cusOn threatened 10 shoot himself If she did
not agree to marry him, and that since that
threat they had formed their engagement,
Before he LETT her yesterday morning be
showed his revolver, but said nothing about
using 1t upon himself. She had, Il; the time
OF informing him Of the phstpeneiuent of the
wedding, also returned his engagement ring,
with the remark that he might wcur II awhile,
but did not say to him or consider that their
engagement was at at end. It was about 3
o'clock when he lcf, for bis home, and he was
than. to all appearances. IN bis usual good
spirits.
Isaac Ashton, The father Of The deceased,
Ind gone about his work as usual in the morn.
ing, not noting the absence Of his son, until
he saw his horse Stumbling satIited in hollow
near The house, when be started partly 10
search for him and partly to attend to his usual
duties. In u piece OF sOds near the house
the father found the body OF his son lying on
the ground, with the wound in his head tx.
posed 10 full view, the yonrg nun having
fallen Ut full length on his LETT side. The
body was cold IN death. Ills revolver was
found lying partly within his oversoat be.
tween the inside coat and oyercoat, two OF
the chambers beins empty.
Mr.. Ashton summoned assistance aud tile
body was taken into the house and notice at
once sent to The authorities. nv,
4Ht lothlttS nHebE lNt uUuS WIS lOulu
was thoroughly searched by several of the
nc'ehbors, but no evidences were discovered
OF Il struggle or the presence Of other persons.
Gone blood was found on the leaves near
where the body lay. It was the opinion Of
Drs. Werlich, Dlackford. Williams and Her.
Yey, who carefully examined the body that
the wound was sutlicieSt 10 cause instant
death.
The revolver was OF a2calibre, and belong
cd 10 Il nephew OF the deceased, Charles Ash
ton. Several witnesses were examined besides
those named above, bat no additional light
wis thrown upon the matter. 1t appeared
FROM the evidence that Newton had had no
aihcnlly Or quarrel with anybody, and That
he was held in high esteem by all his friends.
The Coroner, after hearing all the testimony,
concluded that the case was clearly one Of
suicide, and SO rendered his verdict. Mr..
Ashton's fhter, however, refuses to entertain
the belief that his son died by his own hand.
Miss f'uwa!l. the betrothcd wife OF the dead
man. is bright iittla brunette OF seventeen
years, Of prepnssessing Dppsa!ance, and was
com pletely overcome by. emotion when
shown the engagement ring taken from her
lovers hand for Identification. Her testi.
mony was frequently interrupted by out
bursts Of grief.
Tho tragedy has cast a gloom over the good
people OF the nciEhborltood, and Mr. Ashton
and family have the warm sympathy Of many
friends in their Drnseu d istrnps .."