The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-09-03
a WICKED WOMAN.
She Murders Her Neighbor and Then Takes
Her Own Life,

She Murders Her Neighbor and Then Takes
Her Own Life,
ST. LOUIS, Mo Aug. 29.-About A o'clock
yesterday afternoon Mrs Growther was found
dead in the smoke house on the premises of
her son-in-law. John H. Lehman, at O'Fal-
Ion, ILL.,, bathed in blood, with her throat cut
from ear to ear and bloody razor by her
side. Surgical aid was Immediately sum
moned and her throat sewed up and she was
made as COR portable as possible
There seemed to be no motive for the
dreadful deed. but two hours later it was
discovered to be the sequence OF crime
still more horrible and chastity. Mrs. Cor
mac, highly respectable widow lady, and
sister of Hon. b. J. Vancourt, was found
lying murdered III the garden adjoining her
residence, bali a mile east of town. Her
head and face were dreadfully beaten aud
clothed with gore. A terrible wound ap-
peared in her breast, and file was found
near by, also blood-s stained a piece of iron
kettle and club. both of which seemed to
have been used with terrible effect in the
tragedy. AS il was known some jealousy or
bad feeling existed on the part of Mrs
Growther toward Mrs. Cormac it was sus-
pected there was more than a mere csinci.
dence between the murder and the at
tempted suicide, and on closely questioning
Mrs. Growther she confessed to having killed
Mrs. Cormac.
1t seems Mrs. Growther's little daughter
had done chores for Mrs. Cormac, and a
dispate arose in the afternoon between the
women about the payment of money for the
service. Bad blood already existed; still
more angry feelings arose and Mrs Growther
IN her passion, seized the weapons at hand
and stopped not until Der victim lay dead at
her feet. She then hurried away, and in the
reaction of her feelings attempted her own
life
Three sealed but unaddressed letters. said
to have been written by Mrs. Growther. are
now in the hands OF the Coroner, and they
will probably be read at the inquest, and
it is thought they viii throw some light
upon the affair and reveal the cause of the
terrible deed.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 29.-Further Information
from OFallon, H., is to the effect that Mrs.
GTowtber died between Q and 10 O'Clock last
night, after repeatedly stating that she killed
Mrs Cormac, but without giving any reason
for committing the deed. 1t seems to be
well known, however, that she entertained
bad feelings toward Cormac growing out of
jealousy, and that she had several times
threatened to kill her
She was woman OF forty-eigh years. aud
the wife of Thomas Growther, coal
miner and had been divorced from two hus-
bands before marrying Growtber, and had
lived very unhappy life Mrs Cormac
was a widowed sister of B. J. Fanceurt,
owner and operator of the coal mines near
O'Fallo1. and q politician of some note, aud
was q Sery highly esteemed lady. who lived
8 retired life a short distance from town;
and it doesn't appear that she was aware
that Mrs Growther was her enc my. John
q. Lehman, the son in-laY of the suicide
says be never knew OF any trouble between
the women, and regards the affair as very
mysterious.
lnquests we're held on the bodies of Mrs.
Cormac ard Mrs. Grcwther this morning.
and after taxing considerable testimony the
jury returned verdict that Mrs Maria Cor
mac was murdered by Mrs Frederick Grow
Their, and that Mrs Growther committed
suicide by cutting her throat with a razor.
TIE letters of Mrs. GroTther in the hands OF
the jury were addressed to her father,
Christian Obst, and declare that she
was about 10 kill somebody, but
mentioned 20 NAME and asked forgiveness
of her father and brothers IN a general way,
which bore evidence of an unsound mind.
The husband testified that she was of IN.
sound mind, and often threatened 10 kiln
him, herself, and some one else whom she
did not name. Another witness believed
her to be insane. Mrs. Growther was buried
this afternoon, and Mrs. Cormacs funeral
will take place tomorrow morning.