The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1884-09-18
THE SECRET or AN OLD sHArf.

i Z
Foul onadruple Murder Commit cd Many
Years Ago brought to Light by the sIerest
Accident-rho Story Told on the Lid of
an Old Tobacco Box.
BEAVER GLEN, W. YA.,s September II.
me clearing up of anDd and forgotten
murder mystery was effected here yester-
day In a most remarkable manner About
the year 1865 several abortlyc attempts
70 sink coal shafts along the river were
made. One of these shafts was near this
place. 1t had been sunk about twenty
iive or thirty feet and abandoned soon
after Wild stories OF unearthly sounds
coming from It's depths were circulated.
but died out and were forgotten. The
| lamiy living nearest to tue abandoned
shaft was that of John Ireland,
who lived iu q cabin In ravine, q1ar.
ter Of q mile away. Ireland was reported
TO be well of, as wealth went IN those
days IN mountainous regions. Que of
the men concerned In sinking he shaft,
lfa Eompkins, hung about the neighbor-
mood, spending much OF his time at Ire
land's. II any suspicion of his feelings
towards lreland's rather pretty wife ex-
isted, no one seemed to remember ID.
One day, after an alleged absence from
the neighborhood, Toinpkins reappeared
at neighbours, saying ne had lust como
from the lrc'aud cabin, where he found,
thethreeschlldren dead lon the floor ami
ireland and his wife missing Then
bors visited the cabin and saw evidences
q terrible struggle. Mrs. Ireland was
found IN the woods a short distance
away, bound TO a tree AMI gagged She
appeared to- be greatly exhausted, al
though now 1t Is remembered that she
presented no evidence OF having engaged
Ii the struggle. She declared that Ia the
night her husband had killed the chill
dren, and that she was afraid to cry out
lor rear that he would kill her Alter
killing the children lie attacked her, but
at her frantic prayer, spared her lie,
bound her to tree aud then disap.
peared. She declared that he was
UNDOUBTEDLY CRAZY.
AS Ireland never returned, her story was
believed, and in course OF time the
tragedy was forgotten. A year after ire
lanI's Disappearance Tompkins and Mrs.
Ireland were married. Quarrels were
frequent, and one morning, four years
ago, the woman was found dead in bed,
Heart disease was said to be the cause.
There was no outward evidence OF foul
play, ard so the matter ended. Tomp-
kins left the country and has never been
heard Of since.
Yesterday party Of boys were at the
old shaft and one of them accidentally
dropped his watch into It, A leafy limb
was procured and the atmosphere in the
shalt thoroughly stirred, so as to drive
out foul air. Then a torch was nader
and, with the aid of rope. the young
fellow WIS let down. In CROPPING about
IN the debris he was Mortified at findinga
skull and made an outcry. lie was
drawn UP and the authorities were
notified. They investigated and dis
covered portions of the skeleton
Of man. IN the search for something
that Would furnieh clew, an old copper
tobacco-box was found and In it, badly
scrawled, was a history of the murder Of
the Ireland children written by Ireland.
lie declared that he had been attacked .by
Tompkins and his wife and left for dead.
lie revived sufficiently to see tile murder
Of his children, but could render no aid.
Afterward he was seized and dragged to
the shatt-hole aud thrown ia.
The story seems Incredible, but James
Wagner, an old resident, says thathc
Identifies the tobacco-box as one betOng-
ing to Ireland. lie says that the writing
IS that of Ireland The theory is that
After being thrown into the shaft, Ire-
and revived, and, knowing he must die,
wrote history OF the crime. Evidently
fompkins bound Mrs. Ireland to the tree
70 avoid all suspicion. IL is now said
hat Tompkins killed his paramour be,
ore he fled.