Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-10-16
mUgDE n MOST FOUL.
a Woman Murdered bv Her Husband
and SONS al Troy, Ind.

On the sth inst ri Troy, Ind., C small BAN
let about 40 miles from Evansville, two boys ON
the farm VI man named William Baker, while
drawing water from a cistern discovered blood
In the water. An investigation followed and
the headless body of a nude woman was dis
covered. The head was found In a thicket
near by. The body was still warm. There Was
bullet hole In the hand aud deep cash be-
low the ehouldeT blade as though done with an
axe In barn near by was fourd pool OF
blood covered with straw. This, VITA be-
spattered wall indie lted that the murder had
been committed there The body and head
were taken TO Troy and were identified as the
remains OF the wife Of Stillwell HendershOt a
farmer, living IL miles east OF Troy. The news
rapidly spread, and man at CaGnelI0n noticed
a vaise marked "F. Ii. Henderson,, Golconda,
Ill.," in the express office, which had been
billed ut Troy. This aroused suspicion aud a
search warrant WAS secured ard the vaise
opened and the clothing Of the murdered wom-
| an found. Among the lot was a small shawl
clottt with bloLd,
posse OF men at once went TO the home OF
Henderson, and arrested him and his son
William Frank an elder son, refused to be ar
| rested and an additional force had to be sent
| for him. He was brought 10 Troy the next
morning. he asserted that his brother William
| murdered their mother, and that he and his
| father knew nothing OF 1t. Their preliminary
| trial was held and the weight of the old man
| Hendershots evidence tended TO festen the
| crime upon himself and Frank
The trouble arose from the refusal of Mrs
Henderson, to sign away the farm, for which
| she held a deed IN fee simple. The men desired
10 dispose OF the property. About noon OF the
| 10th, a number Of citizens procured u rope and
| made an assault uDon the premises, but were
| held In check by the sheriff and his posse
| several hundred people surrounded the c0ur
house all day and threats were made. A
the close OF the preliminary trial VII
| liam, the youngest son, was discharged ant
| Stillwell Henderson, and Frank the elder son
were held over and reminded 10 Jail.
| ABOUT 1880 on the evening Of the 10th,
| mob OF masked and unmasked men, humber
| ing about 500 In all, citizens Of Troy an(
vicinity. surrounded the jail at Troy, over
power, d the guards and took out r. NJ. Hen
dershot. They walked him To the scene %
his crime, anu after allowing him few mo-
ments TO pray, hanged him to a cross bean
In the barn. be begged plteously for hi
| life, and finally, when hope was gone, mad
a full confession, saying that his father sho
his mother in the head, and he then chopped
her head off with an axe. His father, tn
younger brother, and himself then threw TN
body into the ctstern, and covered up tn
traces of their crime. The trouble he sal,
arose about a woman whom the eldest Sol
was to marry. The mother opposed 1t, as 1
involved the property. the family was 81
route TO wedding at Grand View al til
time of the murder.
After hanging young Henderson, the mo-
recognized aud started for Cannelton, abou
seven miles distant. where the father an
younger brother were taken for safe keepiDg
intending 10 complete the work OF justice
They are very orderly but determined. The
passed through Tell City at o'clock at nigh
and two more criminals will probably swim
| before DAYLIGHT.