The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-21
The WATERFOWL Tragedy.

Tuy MYSTERY SURROUNDING THE MURDER or
MRS. CARLETON STILL rNpENEfi,ATED--A
PATHETIC SCInENT-susrlcioN POINTING
To THE HUSBAND.
BOSTON special 10 the New York
Herald saws: Mystery still envelopes the
Heath Of Mrs. Carleton, who was murdered
with a livingstone at her home, in Water
TOWN. SUNDAY evening, and all the efforts Of
the polce to dlSpel IL have been unavailing.
The scene OF the tragedy has been visited
bv large number of persons to-day, but
none except those entitled 10 admission
have been allowed 10 enter the house. The
curtains are all drawn. and the little groups
gathered about the door and in the yard have
rehearscd again and again the sickening
"details az the crime. and tried in vain one
nan the other 10 get some clue. some theo-
"a, or some motive for the brutal decd. hut
,i,i> far no Que has accomplished anything.
Rumor>. reports. aud stories of all kinds
hsyc gained currency regarding the muir
Icr. but the most 81 them are hut the fruit
1T fertile imaginaIions. The sclectmen OF
the town viii. it is understood. meet at the
csrbc>i practicable moment, and probably
note 70 offer large reward for The detec.
ton and arrest of the murderer.
one remarkable feature OF the case i The
f,et that the payins-StoDc used To commit
,be deed is very much Ike those used III
Go>tou. and there are none at all similar IN
~. in Wateriown. IL is safe to believe.
,lcrctore. thai the murderer, whoever he
49,. came there with the express purpose
~ committing the crime. aud brought his
b,rbaric weapon with him.
NJ IMAGINABLE REASON FOR THE CRIME.
Mr. Carleton was a lady Of amiahle tenn
,,c,,,ne,t. and so far a. can be learned had
~, or no enemies This makes the matter
ali tbe more strange and takes away almost
al, only basis on which a tenable theory
Or tie crime can bc founded. The single
.p.rcious circumstance connected with
IN, alair Is reported by Mr.. CLANCY.
r.iohbor Of the Carleton family.
lie .ays that last night, shortly BE-
fore the murder. he Saw man suing
IN the stone wall directly opposite Mr.
Iarleton's house. II was Only lew mo-
mcnts after this that Fanny, the hye-year-
old dauehter of Mrs. Carleton. came rush
ing over in her night-clotheS TO summon
him. Mr.. CLANCY cannot describe lhc
man. and therefore. while the clue may
amount n something. there Is Neiy mite
n,ohabilify that it Win The top OF the
.,aie I'm front OF the house, which i some
distance from the entrance, was marked
with blood in two places where me
murderer had evidently taken hold
in opon il. The gate orcn> inwardly'
hut The murderer could not have known
his. or was so excited that he did not no
ti,e il. and in trying to open il pushed II
outward. thereby partially Wrestling The
hinges off. In the hall large pool, OF blood
that had soaked into The carpet were stu
visible this morning. The chairs, also,
were slightly spatiercd. ON the walls were
bloody niger impriutS, and it Is very GER
tain that the murderer IN striking MS We
finn followed her from the door to the foot
Of The stairs. distance Of fully tWeiNeleet.
COMMENTS on Mr.. CARLEToS's ACTIONS.
The strange actions OF Mr.. Carleton, the
husband Of the murdered woman. are the
Suhices OF much uniayOlable comment by
parties who were present at his home last
nioht. where he arrived at late hour. In
.tead of being helped into the house by
tyyo gentlemen, is stated in the first re-
mort. If appears that he walked quietly
N INTO the house. was told oil The
murder. and instead OF appearing
frantic. asking 10 see his wife and
cpdeayoring 10 find out some particu-
lars Of the tragedy, he went into the par
Tor. sat down on the sofa. and apparently
cried. The feeling OF those members OF the
family who were present may he judged
from the fact that not 4 soul stayed
in the house with him over night,
but all left. some friends taking the
children. The report that he had
not lived with his wife for some months
j, incorrect. He has been in the habit
of occasionally staying IN Boston over
night. but on such occasions he would
usually send 4 message home stating his
purpose From the fact that the window
overlooking the door was found open it is
surmised that. hearing the dOor-bell ring.
Mrs. Carleton opened the window, saw a
man with an envelope in his hand. and
thinking # the not unusual message from
her husband. went to the door only to
meet terrible death. The poor lady's
friends all say that she would never have
gone to the door unless she first knew who
WAS there.
PATHETIC INCIDENT.
4 most pathetic circumstance connected
with the affair was that Of little Fanny
Carleton, who is bright and pretty crea-
ture o. tive years. When she fell over the
body in the dark entry she thought that
her mother was sick. and, running mp
stairs in her nght-dress and bare feet,
brought down bottle OF soothing
syrup. which She implored the dying
=. woman TO take. Finding that this was
poi wanted, she fastened down to the
\ htchen and secured dipper Of cold wa.
! FIR. Both bottle and dipper were after
fsvards found lying in pool OF blood. The
%hildren Of the murdered woman are to-
= day IN charge Of Mr.. CLANCY. The affair a,
whole has resemblance to The famous
Bcll murder in Boston, and the mystery
surrounding il promises so far 10 be full!
a. deep and impenetrable a. that.