Morning journal and courier., 1886-07-10
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.


friends here and elsewhere, by whom she was
highly esteemed. Mr.. and Mrs. Wilcox re-
sided in Fair Haven in 1872 and Mr.. Wilcox
was employed galvanizing iron in the shop
formerly the Fair Haven gas works. The
firm sold out the business and he then re-
moved to Kansas and engaged in farming.
He was a depositor in the Townsend Savings
bank of 81 400 when it closed its doors and
the dividends from tho bank have been
drawn and sent to him by e. G. Rice, the
artist, the last a few weeks ago. He is much
respected by all who knew him and was 9
member of the St. John street M. E. church
of this city in 1879. During his residence in
Kansas he has had reverses. A prairie fire
burned his barn and horses and recently {
large number of hogs died. His wife whe1
on her way from this city to the West to joir
her husband narrowly escaped death in 6
railroad accident one hundred miles this side
of st. Louis She was in one of four real
cars of the train, which went down steeI
embankment. The Mcpherson Transcript
says:
Last Monday morning reports were circu
lated through the city that man had beer
murdered, and different points were named
as the place at which the murder was com
mitted. The reports were caused by the
sudden departure of Sheriff Tolle and the
county attorney early Monday morning
About daylight Monday morning some
the sheriff and county attorney and
told them that a woman had beer
killed in Battle Hill township the night
before and that they were needed.
They proceeded to the place, eight miles
north and two miles west of Canton, where
these facts were developed:
A young man by the name of Denham,
and well known in and around Canton and
Galva, and who has been stopping in Galva
for about six weeks, made the statement at
Galva last Sunday that he guessed he would
go out and get even with Wilcox. There
fore, about ten O'Clock Sunday night, he ap
peared at the residence of Charles Will
to be kept all night. AS the family
had had some trouble with him before and
as he was armed with shotgun, they re-
fused, whereupon he proceeded to force his
way into the house and thrust his gun into
the doorway. Mr.. Wilcox seized the barrel
and tried to wrest it from him but did not
succeed, but did succeed in locking Den
ham out. Denham then went around to
the window and breaking open the
shutter put his gun through the win
dow and fired the charge, which en-
tered the right breast of Mrs. Wilcox,
passed through her lung and came out at
her back. Mrs. Wilcox got up, walked into
the bedroom and fell. Mr.. Wilcox then
went into the bedroom, placed pillow I'M
der Mrs. Wilcox's head and laid down in the
corner out of range of Denham's gun. Viii
cox's boy in the meantime had put the light
out and Denham could not see where to fire.
He, however, continued firing into the win
dows until he had fired five charges, when
he walked away from the house a short dis
lance and stood watching for chance to
get another shot at Mr.. Wilcox. The
boy had slipped out of the back door and
had succeeded in arousing some of the neigh
bors who came and Lit light and found Mrs
Wilcox in dying condition. She died in
few minutes after being found.
The neighbors Immediately commenced
searching, but to no avail and the murderer
was not found till nearly noon, when Sheriff
Tolle found him hid in the grove about forty
rods from the house. He hurried the muir
derer into spring wagon and started with
all haste for this city fearing violence.
Quite number of the men present followed
till their horses gave out and gave up the
chase. The party arrived in this city be-
tween three and four o'clock in the after
noon. The prisoner was taken to tae court
room and given some dinner. He ate
hearty meal and quietly lighting a CT
Jar answered very coolly any questions
asked him. His only regret seemed to
be that he did not kill Mr.. Wilcox too,
which was his intention. He stated
that he would have killed Mr.. Wilcox
in the morning as he was passing
through the grove had not Mr.. George Rob-
inson been with him and directly in the way.
The weapon used was an English breech
loading shotgun. The charge that killed
taI 49, 11,ol oh
every one of which passed clear through her
body When taken he had in his ammuni
ton sack twenty-five shells loaded, partly
with buck shot and partly with bird
shot. He also had seven empty shells
beside the five that he emptied into
the house, a clean pair of socks, clean
collar and loading apparatus for his gun
completed his outfit. The deed seems to
have been premeditated and committed with
forethought, though he seems to have had
some slight provocation. He rented Wilcoxs
farm some two or three years ago, over the
settlement of which they had some trouble
and Wilcox gave Denham a beating. Anoth-
er reported cause is that Denham and Wilcox
coming from the same place in England,
Wilcox made such reports to Den
hams people to cause them to dis
own and disinherit him, and when Denham
returned to England during the past winter
his people would not recognize him and he
to America swearing vengeance on
the whole Wilcox family. Denham has
worked as a common laborer in this county
for two or three years. and at one time
caused the arrest of George Drew, of Canton,
for stealing some money. Drew was acquit
led as the evidence developed the fact that
the money had been won in gambling instead
Of being stolen.
Since his return from England he has
stopped at Galva and has seemed to have
plenty of money, and has talked considera-
bly, about the way he has been abused by the
Wilcox family. He has never shown any
sign of being inclined to violence though he is
rough and vulgar and fond of yul-
gar sports He is short in stature, and was
commonly called Shorty" He waived ex-
animation and was taken to the Salina Jail
Monday night, the sheriff starting with him
lbout ten o'clock. Fears were entertained
hat a mob would attempt to take him from
he sheriff and hang him, on Monday night,
which caused his hasty removal to Salina.
Struck in the Eye by Horsewhip.
Mr.. William Rankin, of the firm of Beers
& Rankin, the Chapel street druggists, is at
home in Seymour suffering from badly in
famed eye caused by being struck with
whip lash. Mr.. Rankin was standing in
front of his store talking with Prof. A. NJ.
Loomis, who was on horseback, when the
latter's horse started suddenly and Prof.
Loomis, as he raised his riding whip, struck
Mr.. Rankin accidentally a very severe blow
in the right eye.
Personal.
Mr.. Frederick B. Mallory and family go to
Rye Beach, N. H., for a stay of several
weeks.
Rev. George F. Pentecost of Brooklyn, N.
Y, is said to have come out strongly for
prohibition.
Constable M. R. Enscoe has just returned
from weeks vacation trip to Mauch Chunk
coal region.
Ex-Auditor Edward Mccarthy sails to-day
IN the City of Chicago, to spend few weeks
n Ireland and France.
Mr.. Robert Morgan and wife are sojourn-
ng in Portland, Conn, for the summer, Mr..
Morgan returning to the city daily.
Mrs. Hill, wife of Henry L. Hill of the
First National bank, will with her sister
pend the summer at the Highland House,
Westfeld.
Professor johnson T. Plat, his wife and
Attorney Miss Alice Jordan will spend
portion of the summer at the Sherman cot
age on Money Island, one of the Thimbles.