Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-07
HORRIBLE DOUBLE MURDER.

j. T.. Wilson and Wife, an Aged Couple
of Winnetka, Slain by Unknown Assas'
sins-Robbcry Undoubtedly the Motive.
! CHICAGO, Feb. 15.-The little village OF
| Winnetka, situated on the Northwestern
| Road about sixteen miles northwest OF tins
| city, was thrown into a tremendous state OF
excitement Wednesday morning by the dis
covery that at some time during the night
before the residence of Mr.. j. l.. wilson
and his wife, wealthy and respected citizens,
had been entered, and the aged couple bru-
tally murdered by parties, so far unknown.
Mrs. Wilson had been an invalid Tor
some time, and every "Wednesday a girl liz
that town has been in the habit of calling
there and attending to her wants while the
old gentleman came into tho
as was her custom, last Wednes-
day, she found the blinds were all down
and an air of quiet that was even unusual
prevailed. Rolling up the curtain to
admit light, she was appalled, to see Mr..
Wilson lying behind the stove, while great
clots of blood on the wall and floor around
him spoke only too plainly of a horrible
crime. She Immediately ran out for
help, and several neighbors followed her
into the house again. A hurried glance
around the room showed that but few
things We're disturbed.
The old gentleman had been shot twice,
once in the mouth and again through the
lungs. In addition to this, the fact that
nine of his ribs were broken and bruises
were found Oh various portions OF his body,
it is evident that the perpetrator of the
tiendish crime, finding that the shots were
| not sufficient to end life, finished his dead
ly work by jumping upon the PROSTATE
form and stamping out what breath re-
manned.
Visiting the room upstairs which the
invalid wife had occupied, it was found
that the same state of affairs existed there.
| She was lying on her bed, dead, with sew
eral stabs in her body, while the position
of the remains showed that, weak as she
was, she had made frantic efforts to protect
herself from the murderous stabs of the
assassin, there being blood spattered Oh all
four walls.
Mr.. Wilson, it is said, was quite wealthy,
and always kept a large sum of money
about the premises, dong his banking bust
ness with a firm in this city. The girl who
found the remains, a is familiar with the
place of conceaIment for the old mans
money, says it is all gone, and other indica
lions make the motive one of robbery.
Both of the victims made an exceedingly
vigorous defense, and probably the wretch
was nearly covered with blood when he left
the place. In this the tragedy more
closely resembles the Burdell and Ma
than horrors than any similar event of re-
cent years. AT dusk Tuesday MI. Wilson
entered a butcher-shop and informed the at
tendant that he wanted something extra
fine, as he expected to entertain a particular
friend. Other indications within the house
point to the possibility of a guest having
stopped there, but nobody in the town saw
a stranger either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Mr.. Wilson was the owner of much real
estate in Chicago, and wa reputed to be
worth from $780, 900 to $500, 600. He was
a cousin of eX-President Franklin Pierce.