Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-10-01
STILL A DEEP MYSTERY
Investigating tho Murder Of Pretty
Ada Atkinson.
A MOST BRUTAL MURDERER.
What a Detective Has Done-Exploding
Theories and Fixing the Deed ona
Farm Hand, Who Owns 4
BIood-Stained Knife.

| corn the sorrowful details OF the murder
OF pretty ysung Ada Atkinson are dis
cusSed and VOWS Of vengeance breathsd
the large grove near the Atkinson resi-.
dence is filled with wagons, bussies and
saddle-horses, as all who ride along the
road stop for q while to condole with the
family or to exchange theories. Some Of
the best men in Benton county have aban.
doned all work TO search for the murderer.
Daniel Fraser, the Prosecuting Attorney
for the county, and one OF Pinkerton's do.
tectives in the employ OF the murdered
girls father, who have been working day
and night since the crime was committed,
have accomplished very little except to eI.
plode Wild theories that have been ad-
vanced and remove suspicion from innocent
persons.
The Atkinson farm Is about three miller
from this place which is little town Of
about nine hundred lwellers, and . con.
slant stream Of people Is continually pass
ing between the two places. As nearly as
can be learned
Ada Atkinson ~as Last Seea
by q passer.by on the road little after 2
o'clock Monday afternoon. She Was then
sitting on the front steps singing. The
Young lady was murdered in her sisters
room, a small apartment, nearly half OF
which the bed occupies Blood stains can
he found in only three or four places. One
pool found beneath the wound in the
throat, another about where the stomach
rested and three or four closely mingling
splashes on the wall indicate that the blood
must have spurted from the iugular vein
when the throat was cut IL so the clothing
Il the murderer, who must necessarily
have been IN contact with his victim, must
hrvc been deeply rtained.
The stairway leading to the lower toor OF
the house is
A DARK, Marrow Passage,
not over two and half feet wide, and 10
the only means OF descending from the
floor. II Is SO constructed that even when
oil the doors and windows are open II In
dark. Yet the clio est scrutiny OF the steps
and the walls failed to show the slightest
stain, while II Is impossible under ordi.
nary circumstances to ascend the stairs
without touching the walls With the hand.
The body bears evidence OF frenEied rage
on the part OF the murderer, but these and
other things also prove that he was sedu.
lously careful The blood is oil confined
TO two spots though the body Of the girl
showed signs OF struggle. Her corset was
broken and almost torn oil, and the back
of her hands were cut rs II she had been
warding OIL the blows OF knife. The wounds
in the abdomen were cut upwards, this cuts
running towards the sides. The nature Of
these wounds incline the examining ply.
sicians 10 believe that they were inflicted
before
on the left thigh were the imprints Of
bloody fingers, aud the throat also showed
signs that It had been grasped by merci.
less hand. The fact that the wounds were
not instantly mortal, together with the ab-
senCe OF violent struggle, indicates that
the girl must have been paralyzed with
fear.
She was but fifteen years Of age In June,
and weighed nincty.hve pounds. EKami.
nation OF the wounds showed that the knife
used had a blade less than three inches In
length.
Such a knife with blade 10 III the stab
wounds in the hands OF the corpse has
been found in the possession Of Jake Nell
ing, one OF the farm hands. Still moro
evidence was found against him. A blood
stained handkerchief has been found In bis
room secreted among some muslin. The
muslin vas placed In his room the Friday
before the murder by Lucy Atkinson, the
dead girls sister, and at that time the
handkerchief was not there. The handler
chief was perfectly new.
An Insessigation To-Day
brought out the fact that Melting had pur.
chased two such handkerchiefs q short
time previously. The blood on II 10 not
plentiful, and looks as II II might hsvs
come from q bleeding nose or Q scratch.
other persons have also purchased hand.
kercbir OF the same description recently st
the same store.
The family scout the idea that Mailing II
the criminal. A correspondent today
questioned Lucy Atkinson and several
other young ladies with regard 10 Scllins's
conduct.
Sometimes when I was alone" said
Lncy, "or with another girl, and no mea
we're near, he would talk vulgarly."
Ni.s AIsitt, an intimate friend of the
d,nd g,rl SID the same thing Of ofSslling
Jsrob SsiliDg Is man fifty years OF age.
al out five feet ten inches In height, spare.
~ built. with q brown mustache and
goatee, sPrinkled with gray.
His Eyes sre very Restless
and bis face seems 10 partake Of thsir mo-
biiity. lie Is general utility man on the
farm, chops the wood, drives the cows
home and does odd Jobs sbout the heuss
or fields. The correspondent spoke 70 him
to-day and found him cool and perfectly
seifpossessed. He willingly showed whsrr
he bad been working III the aitsrnoou and
what work he had done while Ada WAS
murdered. Only two or three suspect him.
Those remaining shout the farm on the
kins0R had left f3r oxford, were Lucy end
Louis Atkinson. Tom Conkling, one of ths
farm laborers, nd Jake Melting, another
lsborer. Before tinner Lucy rode sway 70
visit some frie Dds, leaving Ada alone 10
the house. W ale the men OF the farni
we're at work In the fields Ada prepared
dinner for b. ,rself and the men. Alter
dinner Tom Csnkling and Louis went out
into one Of the corn fields fully mile
few rails IN the fence surrounding the
orchard loc itsd In the rear Of the house.
Aner the asraes CsshllsR Was Hsss1
10 be wear ing . pair OF bloody Trousers, bat
be had b en assisting Mr.. AtkiDson IN IN ,
morning TO mark pigs. SsliIng hsd bioDf
| on his sb iTt, but hs explained this circum.
stance b saying that he he'd cut bis hsnd
with an AZ while ssverine atxig. and Louis
Atkins -, brother 70 the murdered girl.
corrob mated bis story. feliing. however.
was NJ Acer TO tho house than AMI. one slss.
pres - doubt, snd remained at work o,
usufl The bood On his knifs, hs says.
Vas caused by tbs iset that In the mornins
he kad helped the others 70 marx pigs
Tas case 10, tberefoss, stiD mystsyy.
| LAyAYETIH, JHS.. BSDtsmbsr D.-Thl
lAystery surrounding the murder Of Ada
Atkinson. bas been
| DseDeosl ~ thS DasssvesJ
/ Of Q nav handkerchief covered With hlood
In the attic Of the barn. II vas idsnuhsd
by merchant In Oxford - sold By him.
bot a. be sod many otbsn Of the ss9s
kind, DO clue 10 afforded. Tso more bloody
hsndtercbiefs we're found to-day hid len 10
NJ. Atkinson's buggy sest
RaJr RssagnsttSs.
WnHIsGros, September 30.-Ths rssis
nstion Of Judse c. Ray, the lsv clerk d
the PJs,ofioe Department, which w
handed In some time aRo. hss not yet besr
accepted. The Postmaster General Do
ferrsd action until bis return. when Is Il
said he will sccept the resignation and sp
point friend Of his from Indians 70 fll
the vacancy. Il II under,tood thai
a position With similar duties VII
be tendered Judge Ray In snothsi
department. There 10 no rupture 10 thl
friendly relations which exist bstween tne