Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-10-03
An Indiana Horror.
G. W. FLEEGER, A. A. G.

LAFAYETTE, IND, september zi-
No more frightful or mysterious crime
was evercommittedt than the murder OF
Ada, the beautiful 5-year-old daughter
of the sturdy and wealthy farmer,
Cephas Atkinson, living two miles from
Oxford. Mr.. Atkinson and his wife
had gone to their farm al Atkinson
station, on the Cincinnati, indianapolis,
st. Louis and Chicago railroad, and
left at home their two daughters, Lucy,
young lady about Is years of age, and
Ada, not yet Is, bright and handsome
girl. About two o'clock yesterday
afternoon the eldest sister mounted her
horse and rode to Oxford, where she
remained until nearly five. When she
returned she went through the lower
part of the house, calling her sister by
name, then ran up Stairs and threw
open the bedroom door There, welter.
ing in a pool of her own blood, lay the
body of the unfortunate girl. With a
wild CRY the sister whirled about and
fed down the stairs out of the house,
screaming at the top of her voice.
In the garden she was stopped by an
old man " no has been an attache of the
place for years lie held her and tried
to quiet her, and finally succeeded iu
getting from her an account of what
she had seen. A passing neighbor was
sent to Oxford and the alarm given
Crowds of excited people focked to the
scene of the murder A telephone mes
sage to Atkinson Station apprised the
father of the horrid death Of his daugh-
ter. Mounting his horse the Old gen
tleman spurred to his violated hearth.
The news was conveyed as gently as
possible to the poor mother, whose
health is already broken from grief at
the loss of her eldest daughter, Emma.
1t is thought she cannot survive the
shock and sorrow She was conveyed
home in a phaeton later in the evening.
Among those who FASTENED to the
scene of the tragedy were Drs. ii. q
Mcconnell and A. w. Wells, ofOxford.
& preliminary exam nation was made
as soon as tie crowd could be got out
of the room.
The examination revealed the fact
that there had been no struggle. The
bed was undisturbed, save in one place,
where it looked as il some one had been
seated or forced down upon it. There
was no blood upon the walls or furni-
turc, AID noae upon the floor, save
where the murdered girl lay, but there
it was plentiful Nothing was disar-
ranged. The body lay face down,
with the right arm doubled up under it.
The left thrown over the head. The
work was evidently done with large,
dull knife, for the woCnds, twenty y-tive
in ali, were al! Of them rolgh and jag
ged Probably the first blow was
made while the poor victim was en-
dcavoring to escape. 1t was fatal
blow. The jugular vein was served
and ihe large artery was cut, and great
torrents of warm lile-blood came pour
ing out, satprating her clothing and the
carpet. A cruel cut acrossthe abdomen
let the bowels protrude. 1t was most
sickening sight.
There was absolutely no clew to the
murderer Robbery was not the
N olive, for nothing had been disturb
ed Several geld watches and $500 in
cash remained untouched Several
theories have been advanced, but they
are all held to be impracticable. 1t is
shrouded in mystery. Only one arrest
has been made, but it is not deemed
imnortant Mr.. Atkinson offers 81 900
reward ard the county will offer $500.
1t is now believed that she was not
outraged Perhaps tie villain, held at
bay by tho poor girl, struck the fatal
blow and finished his heliish work by
horribly mutila;ing her body People
in the neighborhood Of the girls home
are intensely excited, and if the guilt
is fixed they would make short work of
the guilty party.