The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-18
BEAUTY AND GUNPOWDER.
A Pennsylvania Farmer Shoots a NeighbOr
at His Wifes Bedside.

Mr. CARMEL, Pa. Sept 17.-Ten years ago
Simon Hessler and his young bride began their
married life together on farm at Brush Val
ley, about four miles from here. Two ehildren
were born to them, the farm yielded them COM
Portable living. and they seemed to be happy.
The only rift in the current of their lives was
latent jealousy on the part of the husband The
young wife was handsome in form and feature,
and fond Of the admiration her beauty attracted.
The husband found no tangible reason for the
jealousy he felt, nor ground on which to base
his suspicious, but despite himself, it gradually
Increased, and embittered what otherwise might
have been calm, contented existence, Lately
his jealousy lost the vague indefinite character it
formerly possessed and concentrated itself on
the son of a neighboring farmer named Mccoy,
who was frequent visitor at the house, and
who always happened to be present at the social
gatherings of the neighborhood which Mrs
Hessler delighted to attend. Even then, how
ever. the husband found no excuse 10 give ex-
preston to his jealousy His wife and Mccoy
seemed to be very friendly but beyond that he
could discover nothing on which to base an ac-
cusation of any kind. The apparent lack of
cause for his suspicious, however. did not serve
to remove them. The more he pondered over
the subject the more firmly they rooted them
selves in his mind He was inclined to believe
rather-in the skill in deception of his wife and
the young man whom he looked upon as her
lover, than in their innocence. He at length de-
terinined to test. his wife's fidelity. Saturday
morning he told her he was going to Bloomsbury,
and that he would be unable to return before
Monday Bidding her good bye with a smiling
face, he set out on his journey. In Bloomsbury
he completed the business he had assigned as his
reason for going there. and started on his return
home, where he arrived abont II O'Clock at night
Putting up his horse and wagon in the barn, he
stole noiselesely to the house, where light was
burning in his wifes bed chamber Before start
ing he leftunbolted a small window opening in
the cellar of the house. and through this he
stealthily crept. Removing his boots, he noise
essly assembled the stairs and went up to his
wife's room. With sudden turn Of the door
knob he threw the door open. and for a moment
stood upon the threshold. His wife was in bed
undressed, with the bed clothes partly turned
down, revealing the upper portion Of her form.
At the bedside sat Mccoy. One
Of his hands casped both Of Mrs.
Hesslers while the other was tandery
laid upon her forehead, playfully brushing back
the hair that fell over it The sudden opening
Of the door caused Mrs Hessler to spring up in
the bed and Mccoy to leap to his feet AS he
did SO he encountered the livid face and blazing
eyes Of the insurated husband whose hand held
revolver aimed at his head Before Mccoy
could move a report rang ont and he fell to the
floor with bullet through his temple AS he
lay PROSTATE and helpless Hessler leaned over
him and nred an0tner DulleL INTO MS D0uy. me
screams of Mrs Hessler and the sounds Of the
pistol shots aroused farm lahorer named
Hrsch, who ran into the room and was about to
raise the bleeding body from the floor, when Hes
sler threatened to kill him if he offered Mccoy
any aid, and the man fed from the room and
alarmed the neighbours. Hessler was quickly
placed under arrest and surgical aid was OBJ
tanned for Mccoy but it was useless. and he
died within an hour. Hessler was held for trial
for murder in the first degree. Mrs Hesser is
prostrated by the shock, but she stoutly asserts
her innocence. and claims that Mccoy enter
tanned no feeling towards her other than friend
ship. She accounts for his presence in her room
by saying that she was i'll.