Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-09-05

The Curious C.:ie.s,oh in the Hands OF
the New Orleans Authorities.

about a room full of painful, mystic
rious, and murderous history. 1t is
piled up with awful stories. Nearly
every article it contains tells a story OF
blood. In fact, it is no place Tor any
thing good that belongs to anybody
that is any account"
"This long naedic-like concern, that
is rusty now, camc here long before
my time, and the record of ii is lost.
But it was the instrument used by IL
young fellow, in the years away back,
to kill his aunl with. The aunt was
wealthy and elderly; he was poor
and young. So he just chloroformed
her II night, autt being u sort OF
medical student, showed that quietly
through her heart. nearly hiding the
outward end beneath the skin and coat
ing it over with a i~lcsh-colorcd paste
that rendered detection wcll-nigh i'm
possible. Discovery followed, and he
fled, first to Texas and then over Che
Rio Grande.
Here's another old relic, this ugly
looking blundcrbuss. Many years 100
the stiffness OF Il beautiful moonlight
night in the early s%prinytime was sud-
l ~SAAy OAOhCL III IlC ttCtulLS VI luc
French market by the loud report Of
firearms. The po,lct dashed up to the
| spot to find a ur,.,t Italian, two live
ones, and the weeping wife of the de-
ceased, None oil them were armed,
only the dead man; he wore a long
sharp knife. They placed the Two men
under arrest, but the wife declared
their innocence claiming that both
were particular friends of her husband.
No conviction followed, but one OF the
Italians shortly after disappeared,
and was never heard OF again. The
morning after the murder that blum
delbuss WAS picked up in the gutter.
1t had done the work of the night be-
fore.
This slung-shot as big as a mans
clenched fist still has blood on it of
somebody's cracked skull. 1t was
found on BarracNs street one morning
lying in 4 pool OF blood that ran out Of
someone. No one ever knew vino the
unfortunate was or what became of
him or who had used this murderous
instrument.
''This long, broad butcher-knife,
with its edge dullcd aud nicked from
striking against the ribs of the murder
er's victim, is covered now with bloody
rust, but was keen and pointed and
had Il sheen one bright Sunday mora
ing in the past. IL was put to cruel
use-tho slaughter OF IL man who was
running from his fierce pursuer. 1t
lies there on top OF other knives, hate
tul to touch and to the sight. 1t will
be removed some day, perhaps, and all
traces OF it lost.
"Ihis little thing is Il single-barrel
Remington, but it severely wounded
one man, and then the shooter COM
mittcd suicide with it. The sword-cane
attached TO it is the weapon that he
iirst attempted to use. but his friend
took that away from him.
Here is the slung-shot that Joe
Martin almost beat the life out of MIR.
Stafford with; this tho revolver that he
shot Corp. Duffy with, and these the
skeleton keys and cnloroform after
ward found in the room.
''Here is Il bundle of axes that were
used by the negro Alexander in cutting
his wife to pieces on the Stanton plan
tation, about nine miles below Ai"iers,
After h. had tinisaeu his work vi cut
ting her up as he would u cord OF
wood, lie threw her into ditch and
walked oil.
"This ~ugiy-looking s!un.-s!,ot, made
OF three heavy bolt nuts tied together,
was taken from the negro Noel Bern
ard, who WAS discovered lying in wait
in another mans house. 1t would split
a persons skull open ut one blow.
tsEnrn iS u SbaIt lo,ln,; ,i,,,, ,...,.
fire arms gathered up i'll Que house
after the enactiny of 4 terrible tragedy.
They were found in the different rooms
during the search for The one that had
been used i'll the preparation OF the
deed. 1t WAS fm'n'l. 1t lies in the
corner with two chambers empty.
Neither missed It's mark.
"This is the Sykes knife, found in
the alley opposite the window OF the
room in which she lay the morning of
the killing of Kate Townsend. 1t will
never wash of, for it is part of the rust
that has corroded the long sharp
pointed blade. 1t is kept in q red
scabbard, and locked up in the little
safe in the property clerks room.
"ln the same %pigcou-holc, and lying
by it's side, is u STRAIGHTFORWARD knife,
still comparatively bright and new
looking. There are Il few dark blolches
on it, but its scabhard has preserved it
we'll. 1t is the Eloi knife that commit
ted the murder for which he hanged a
year ago.
THAT tlat-iron has Il story, too. and,
if it could talk, would divulge the par
ticulars of a murder, the mystery Of
which has never been unveiled. A
very beautiful young girl was found
n bright morning lying in her bed
dead. Her skull was crushed in, and
the tlat-iron lay near by.
"This piece of split board is a recent
receipt. 1t was used no longer ago
than June 30 by Il negro woman, said
to be one Mary Wilson. She struck
her supposed husband. Ike Wilson,
over the head with it, fracturing his
skull, aud he died the second day ut
the Charity hospital.
''Ihis narrow-b!adcd concern. was
sharp once upon IL time, but it is dull
now. 1t was used to cut a woman's
tongue off. Yes, this old room is full
OF tales of crime, and no one can tell
what sort of an instrument Il murderer
will use."
Some day before long the regular
two-year sale will occur, and the room
will be somewhat cleaned up, and the
clearing will moi hurt it in any way.
The style, get up, and character of
customers who usually attend property
clerk auction sales are a curious MKT
ure of the different grades and classes
of mankind, and arc worth a view to
the casual observer.-NeU Orleans
| Times Democrat.