The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-01-31

A Recently Married Couple Horribly Butcha
cred in Their Humble Home near st.
Louis, AIO.-The Crime ShrOuded in Mys-
tery-The Generally Accepted Theory OF
the Tragedy.
ST LOUIS, Mo, Jan. "a
About five O'Clock yesterday afternoon
Justice Lippeman, residing in the vicinity
of Trenton, Mo-, walked hastily into Chief
Harrigan's office and reported that q newly
married couple named Bodicker had been
murdered in their bed in log cabin four
miles south of Fenton, in jefferson county,
Mo. In December last Bodicker married a
young girl in this city named Josephine
Glatt, who lived at 1904 Hickory street.
The young couple Immediately moved TO
a log cabin on the High Ridge road, a few
miles south of Fenton, where her husband
had rented land, which he intended to cul-
tivate in the spring. They were esteemed
by their neig ghhors, and to all outward APP
pearances the honeymoon in the log cabin
was as happy as the young folks could de-
sire. Both were industrious, and were in
fair way to gain the better things OF the
world in the future
Yesterday morning a resident of the
neighborhOOd, named Thomas Harrington,
had occasion to pass along the High Ridge
road, which runs past the threshold OF the
humble cabin. On reaching the home
of the young couple he noticed the
gate, which opened on a pathway lead
ing to the door, wide open. There
was suspicious silence about the
house which caused him to stop, and
on looking at the gate more closely be no
ticed some bloody marks which seemed to
have been imprinted with a wounded or
bloody hand. A second glance at the
cabin showed the front door open. He hal
lOed to the occupants, but there was no
answer. Fearing that something unusual
had happened, he determined to invest
gate matters. The cabin was divided by n
partition into two rooms-a kitchen and bed
room. The tchen door, which was ajar,
was on the north side Of the cabin. On enter
ing Harrington was Mortified to find the
dead body of Bodicker lying on the kitchen
floor literally chopped to pieces. He shud-
dered at the sight and ran to neighbor's
named Mrs. Ford, where he reported his
bloody discovery. A man named Stock,
who was present, volunteered TO go with
him and make a further examination OF the
cabin. The two men entered the cabin and
found Bodicker lying in frozen pool Of
blood.
His head was so mutilated and hacked
that it was barely recognizable. The floor
of the cabin was a mass of CONCEALED blood
and brains. He was lying on his back with
his head toward the door and his feet di-
rectly under the stove, which stood near the
center of the kitchen. The body was robed
only in night clothes, and life had left it
several hours before. The men pushed
open the door leading into the bedroom
and their horror was increased twO-fOld by
the sight that presented itself TO their
view. Living on the nOOT beside the bed,
was the body of Mrs. Bodicker, bathed in
blood from head to foot.
Her throat had been cut from ear TO ear
. and the head only hung to the body by Il
strip of flesh. The body was hacked and
chopped in a frightful manner, and a
ghastlier looking object than her dead body
clothed only in night garments whose
whiteness could be seen only here and
there in the blOOd-soaked garment, could
hardly be imagined. The bed-clothing was
satura ted with blood, and the walls
bIotched and stained with brains. The men
attempted to place the body in the bed and
found that it was frozen to the floor, the
hair and limbs being meshed in blood.
Turning away from the siCkening sight
Harrington noticed a bloody trail leading
from the room across the kitchen and out
toward the road.
He followed it until he reached a spot in
the middle of the highway, which gave
every evidence that deadly struggle had
taken place. A portion of the woman's
bloody night garment was found on the
ground, and the ruts and cavities of the
country road were stained and filed with
blood. The trail again turned and led
back toward the house, but the back track
was of a different character. The ground
looked as if a body had been dragged over
it. On further examination the men found
that Mrs. Bodicker's body was covered
with earth, showing that she had been
dragged from the road back into the house.
The next discovery made was that n trunk
which stood in one corner of the room had
been forced open by some bloody imple-
ment and rified. Bloody finger-marks were
imprinted on the cover, and what was left
of the contents of the trunk were heCked
with gore. The shirt which the assassin
wore when he committed the deed was
found rolled up in one corner OF the kltch-
en-. The sleeves and breast were saturated
with blood and the murderer, after wash
ing, evidently put on one of Mr.. Bodicker's
shirts which he found in the trunk.
Outside in the yard a blood-covered ak
oh ha m q
was committed. 1t was sharp and deadly
and an examination showed pieces OF flesh
and hair still adhering TO the blade. The
tracks Of the murderer we're plainly dis
cernible around the cabin, as the ground
was soft and muddy Tuesday night ard did
not begin to freeze until early yesterday
morning.
A probable solution of the mysterious
crime has been accepted by nearly all the
neighbors. Tuesday evening, it is sup.
posed, a tramp came to the cabin and asked
for lodging, and pallet was prepared Tor
him in the kitchen. During the evening his
eye rested on the trunk and learning the
habits of the young people believed that II
contained money and valuables. After the
couple retired he concOcted his devilish
plan Of double murder. After being as
sured that husband and wife we're sleeping
soundly, he rose from his impromptu bed
and searched around until he found the ak.
He then stole into the bedroom of the
sleeping couple and dealt crushing blow
on the head of the man. The noise awak
ened the young wife and she started up IN
alright. The murderer then struck the
woman, but she partially evaded the blow,
receiving it on the shoulder, and leap.
ing up grappled with the assassin, and in
the struggle reached the door, where she
broke away and ran into the road.
The murderer pursued aud finally over
took his victim in the public road. There
he struck her a second blow, knocking her
bleeding to the earth. She continued tC
struggle, and while on her knees he almost
decapitated her with a blow on the neck
He then dragged the body into the house
and threw it beside the bed. BodickeT,
still showing signs of life, had walked to
ward the door that led into the yard
when the murderer met him and dis
| patched him with a couple OF blows. He
| then forced the trunk, taking what valua
! bles he could find. He next procured some
water and washed himself, taking of his
| bloody shirt and putting on one that be
| longed to his victim and left Harrington
| and Stock spread the news in the neighbor
| hood and all yesterday afternoon the cubiI
| was surrounded by a horrified crowd ol
| country people. Two or three parties were
| or anized and started out 20 search thC
woods in the vicinity. Chief OF Police Har
| rigan ordered couple of mounted men t
| the scene.
| The Legal Status of Telegraph Messages
| (4frAQo Ian