The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-10

these fanclful names they plotted their drama.
Looking about for victim, they settled on q
young girl, Marie LIE Dent, cousin of theirs.
Her body found one morning in a field,
stabbed to the heart, and with the carotid artery
severed For time the police were unable to
solve the mystery, as it was evident that neither
robbery nor lust was the impelling motive of
her murderers Suspicion at last rested on
these boys, and they confessed when arrested.
The manuscript of their drama was found,
and commenced thus:
1--WE had arrived at the age of sixteen like
young men brought up in luxury and idleness.
We had vegetated in the world, meeting with
only trouble and torment. We were scarcely
fifteen years old when we already loved
woman with all her seductions. We loved her
with passion to such point that If separated
from her we should have died of grief and de-
spalr' The sequel of the story is that "Great
Serpent and effect Deer" resolved to murder
the young girl, who is the heroine and said to be
In love with Great Serpent" She had caused the
TWO friends to be jealous of each other. The
two cousins thought first of hanging Marie lie
Dent They had bought a new rope for the pur-
pose. But they then changed their minds and
borrowed revolver to blow Maries brains out
with Finally they decided to be more roman
tic and more savage, and to accomplish the
crime with knives They had bought at the
fair at Arras two large knives They had
leather sheaths made for them, and for ten
days before the commission of the crime they
wore these knives in belts. proud" they wrote,
ito feel ourselves armed" At dusk on May q,
Great Serpent" and "Fleet Deer overlook Ma
RE LIE Dent just as she was passing through the
woods on her way home to her parents farm
Fleet Deer threw himself upon the young girl,
put his knee upon her chest and stabbed her
seventeen times. Great Serpent" meanwhile
was watching to give the alarm in case of any
passerby. The body of the poor child was dis
covered next evening bathed in blood the throat
gaping open and the head neacly severed from
the body. Such was the deed in all its brutality
thus carrying out the crime entirely as traced
out in the ''Drame Horrible But here the
reality ended. Instead of taking their own lives
after having left the unfortunate Marie prey
to the worms and ants, as described in their
story, they went home and would have pre-
served their secret had not the vigilance of the
police led to their arrest. They were sentenced
to fifteen years hard labor and their parents to
pay 4,O0Of to poor Maries father
THE remains of Mrs. Mary c. Leffingwell were
recently cremated at the Buffalo crematorium,
being the seventh cremation that has been
made there since the enterprise was undertaken.
The incarceration was in accordance with the will
of the lady, who thus sought to further popular
ize this method of disposng of the dead. Her
will was peculiar in more than one respect, as
the following excerpt will show:
Il very earnestly request that my body be
crernated. if such measure be not too incOnven-
lent and costly. | consider that the sum of 5000
for this purpose would be justifiable expendi-
ture, because each example of this custom helps
to break down the existing prejudice against it.
Lay my ashes in plain, Sc aled urn inscribed:
Ashes OF Mary c., wife of Alfred Lefhngwell,'
date, ard words Immortal life to be placed
wherever my husband may decide. Should Gre
nation for my body be impracticable then de-
sire that it may be buried most inexpensively.
The whole funeral expenses should DO less than
$500. | should prefer no casket at all, but sim
ply a winding sheet, if it may be SO called, of
flannel, perhaps, color darkest maroon, blue
or invisible green, but not black to envelope
wholly the body, after it has been dressed as in
life. Lowered into its last resting place, it
should be then first covered with considerable
depth of fine. thoroughly dried earth or ashes.
All this that dust may return to dust as rapidly
as possible Should my friends be so much
shocked by such departure as this from ord
nary custom as not willingly to accede, but great
ly to object to it then let there be light casket
preferably of wicker and certainly of something
as unsubstantial as thianest plain pine, with no
outer box
On the occasion of the funeral ceremony the
1Rs5v. T. t. Hnsmer, lifetime friend of Airs Lief
fngwel, read one of Whittters poemsappropr-
ate to the character of the deceased lady, and
then followed few sentences from the Bible.
After this the mourners joined in prayers. and
the remains were rolled into the incineratng
room. The deceased for years had been an active
worker in Henry Ward Beechers church, and
was teacher in the Sunday school.
A JEALOUS husband killed his wife and at
Conn, a few days ago, after he had informed ar
A. l.
thing permitted in tho case of the lad in
Illinois few weeks ago. who killed his Sweet
heart an innocent girl of fifteen after he had
informed several of his bloody intentions. The
fellow who is contemplate enough to declare
his intention of killing any one deserves to be
imprisoned. whether he be Joking or not
good many tragedies might be averted by the
prompt arrest and Imprisonment of such per-
sous, and no officer Of the law does his duty who
does not make an arrest when he comes into the
possession of such knowledge.
SOME Of the newspapers over in England are
abusing Mr.. Beecher scandalously One of them
drops into rhyme thus:
1.-THE devil went out one day
In search of an inlpous preacher
And he wash very long on his way
Before he collared old Beecher."
Little things like this, however do not hurt
the Brooklyn pastors feelings in the least He
only laughs when he sees them, and says they
are as mothers milk compared to paragraphs on
which American papers had tried to tfesia. him
for twenty years IL is nothing ! !;,;s 5eiae
trained to readiness for any emergency in life,
and, given the man, the American newspapers
can do it,
THE income derived from the Chantilly estates
Due dAumale amounts to 500, 900 per year, and
all this is to be devoted to the preservation and
Improvement of the property. The value of the
gift is put at $7000r000 There are 1000 acres
of woods, lawns and fields belonging to the es-
tate. The whole domain of Chantillv was con-