Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-04-11
KILLED AND BURNED.
TERRIBLE FATE OF a MAN AND WIFE
NEAR NORTH PLATTE, NEB.
Butchereu, Dismembered and Fed to the
Fire-The House Then Destroyed.
Fatal Encounters-Crininals
Captured-Details.

NORTH PLATTE, Neb., April 9.---This com
munity was startled by the report that the
house occupied by William Bascomb and
wife, situated three miles northeast Of town,
on the north bauk Of the North Platte river,
had beea destroyed by fire, and Mr.. Bascomb
and wife burned 20 death The sheriff
coroner and q number of citizens at once
repaired to the scene OF the calamity Very
soon Iumor5 began to be current on the
street that arson and murder, and not acci-
dent, was the cause. The public pulse throbs
under the news, and should any definite clew
to the perpetrator or perpetrators be found,
the chances are that Judge Lynch viii be
invoked.
The coroners jury has been in session for
twenty four hours, and though secrecy is
maintained, many things relating to the de
ceased and his relations to his neighbors are
becoming known. The day preceding the
night of the fire Mr.. Bascomb had received
notification from Washington that certain
case before the United States land Office had
been decided in his favor. He did not seem
elated by his success, as it seems he had been
threatened that his life would be taken and
house burned which is now fulfilled. The
persons who made these threats are now un
der strict surveillance, and it more than prob
These facts are known: Mr.. Bascomb had
not retired, and when found he had three
shirts ON his person, as we'll as pants and sus-
penders. Blood was found on The shirts, and
doctors with whom we have conversed state
emphatically that it was undoubtedly ante
mortem blood, and right here is where the
mysterious part comes in OF Mrs. Bas-
combs body nothing was found but the two
pelvic or hip bones, with two or three of the
lower vertebra attached, and further, that
the bones found were burned to degree
that does not seem possible in an
ordinary house fire. One theory is
that Bascombe was killed by a
blow with some blunt instrument, perhaps u
slungshot. There is no idea as to how Mrs.
Bascombe was killed, but that when the deed
was done an effort was made to dispose of
the bodies that Mrs B. was cut up and an
attempt made to burn the body, but that
process was found to be too slow. Then the
few bones left were put ON the bed with the
body of her husband and the house fired. 1t
is believed that the whole terrible truth will
be ferreted out. The honor and good name
of the people of this county are at stake,
and Justice of the strictest kind will be-
melted out to the guilty.
The coroner's jury is still in secret session
just how many and how important facts
have been obtained could not be learned
Strong suIp;cions, with lack as yet of con-
irmatory racts, are entertained A CORE
spondent visited the scene, and noted with
others some blood stains in the stable, on the
Manager and posts and walls Sufficient blood
was secured to determine positively whether
human or otherwise If found to be human
blood it Will be a link in the chain of circum-
stantial evidence that will be almost certain
to bring within the clutches of the law the
fiend who perpetrated the diabolical crime of
murder, mutilation and burning of victims
The testimony in the possession of the jury
will perhaps be made public in the next
forty-eight hours.