Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-01-05
MURDEROUS Mystery.
No Positive Clue to the PerpstratoT, but
Several Persons Suspected OF tho
Crime, Among them Il Lover
and Sister


and Sister
One of the most mysterious and b.uta al
Of Connecticut's many MURDERS occurred
il Strattord, Conn, last Saturday Eight
Or Sunday morning and IS :erpeHing the
local authorities, who have called TO their
assistance the assistant >tate attorney for
Fairfield county aid Detective Wood, who
figured in the CraDer Investigation. The
victim Was Mrs. Phu,be Brush, %hu
separated from her husband, William
Brush. ard was since divorced from him,
and who was receiving the attentions
of Henry Freeman, OF Mci!len. At four
O'Clock Sunday afternoon her dead body
Was discovered by d party "ho intended
| to invite her to- 4 Now Years eve watch
meeting in tie Baptist church. Her head
| bore six distinct wounds from IL bloody
| axe found in the room where the body
| was and her head had been nearly seycrod
| from her nacll by terrific slanting bow
under lec lefo ear by the same instrument,
| whic!, was bcfou,ed with blood and hair.
| The arrangement OF the room showed
that she had partially prepared her Saiur-
day night supper and had sat down to
knit. the knitting was still i'll her hands
and the lamp burned on tho table. There
was nothing in the room to give :: clue t.
The murderer. Numbers Of letters were
there from Henry Freeman, who had prom
iscd to marry her, worded in extraragaEt.
ly fond language. On the table was her
picture, addressed to him, but the sup
posed letter in the envelope containing hel
picture had been extracted, supposedly
after tio murder. Nothing WAS Iound i'll
her corrcspondcncc TO indicate pres"rt
hostility among her correspondents. Onc
| letter showed that Freeman had former >
been Jealous, but Freeman has established
an alib, apparently to the satisfaction ct
the investigators. There is no evidence
that the missing husband has visited Strat
ford recently, although he is suspected,
| Boston White, au admirer oi Mrs. Brush 5
sister, Della Gilbert, who quarrc!ed with
Mrs. Brush, is claimed to have an aiib.
| Della Gilbert formerly lived with Mas
Brush, and they have not been on tha
mott friendly terms lately. She was ab
sent from her homo saturday night long
enough to commit the murder, alii The
authorities think she may be the guilt j
party, bat 10 motive for the crime On hti
part clearly appears, although jealousy j:
alleged. The yuunIs On Mrs. Brush
head we're SO slight, considering the na
| turC of the Instrument, ti4at 1t IL Thought
probable they were dealt by Il woman.
Della Gilbert tells contradictory stories
aud Oh a sleeve of 4. Sacqua worn by iei
Saturday night are stains which 4 Bridge
port microsccpist says ae bloo!. She
washed the sacque Sunday or Monday
but says this was that She might have
something suitable to wear at I'll ;Nler:tl
No one has yet heen arrested.
The Brush house stood in Il lonely place
in the woods. Frank LalIy and Mici'ae
Hickey passed the place Saturday night,
saw Eight burning and heard a woman
voice cry "Oh ~ ',s,cc, rs if in pain, but
they did not investigate. Tnerc is 4 more
or less apochry;'lal story that a man &c
se;nbIing Mrs. Brus!l's diycrccd husband
was seen about The house on Saturday
This man woyo dark shirt. striped pants
and q slouch hat. iio is beia., looked for
Mrs. Brush wa; poor, and only revenge OF
| Jealousy csy,,ld have boen the motive fol
murder. Freeman, the lover, did not at
tend Mrs. Erush's funeral, which is con
sidcGcd suspicious when his many ardent
VOWS of love are recalled.