Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-05-06
A TERRIBLE DEED.
Probable Murder or Little Maggie
shelienborger nt Nebraska city.

The murder Of Little Maggie Sbclcnbarger
ON the morning of April Goth creates great eX.
element, She was the daughter OF Lee shcl,
lenbcrger, II years OF age, and was found In
the cellar OF her fathers house, her throat cut
from ear TO ear, She lived only few mo
mcnts. Shelenbenser Ia farmer living three
miles south OF Nebraska City, His wife told
the girl Ia clean or the cellar stairs and then
went TO the barnyard. The girls mother was
at the stable, according TO SheIlenbcrger's ac'
count, and he himself at neighbours On re-
turning, within ten minutes after the girl had
been seen by the mother he started down the
cellar on an Grand. Hearing noise he asked
his wife for light, she having just returned
from the bnrnyard, and proceeding 10 the 9TH
er end OF the cellar from the stairs found tho
dying child, with butcher knife, covered With
blood, close at hand. On examination by Dr.
Larsh II was shown that the girl had received
four cuts, one commencing from the left side
across the throat, scvcrlng the windplpe
aud the left carotid artery, while another com.
meucei on the left side, scyering the right
carotid artery and passing the first cut one
inch below In cutting the windppc, leaving a
section OF II entirely severed Of about an inch
being under the chin, and the other on the
neck. No other marks Of violence were found
on the body. When found she was lying In o
large dry goods boz In the cellar Of the house,
which was used as q cupboard Her body was
half In the box, her lower limbs and arms pro
truding outside NJ 4 resting on the ground,
while large aud bloody butcher knife was
not far from her right hand and wedgcd In be
tween the two boards that had been laid
down as walk. The head was resting against
the inside Of the box, the bottom OF which was
filled with blood. IL was strange that tho in
side top Of tho box showed but little blood,
but the outside top was probably spatterod by
the squirting blood, while the walls, two OF
three feet from the box, were spattercd with
blood strongly indicating that n struggle must
have cnsucd before little Maggie was put In
or got In that box In which her life expired.
Her father says her eyes were still open, and
that there was slight pulsatlon In her throat
when he found her.
The coroncr's jury, though In session all
day, did not reach verdict and adjourned
until next day. The circumstances point 30
strongly TO the father, stcp-mothcr and liyear
old brother OF the little girl that all have been
arrested and are now In jail The child has
been much abused and cruelty treated by her
parents, particularly the stepmother and 1t lie
the general belief that the latter knows much
more about the horrible deed than she cares TO
tell The cblld's body, on investigation, was
covered with welts, bruises aud discoloratlons,
which is very damaging 70 the parert. The
citizens are very indignant and at one time
when the officers refused TO arrest the parties
because OF the suspicious circumstances only,
Il was feared that the people would take the
law into their own hands so high did public
feeling run. II is not 10 be wondered at, after
one locked at the mutIlated and beaten re-
mains Of the unfortunate little one. Since the
PARTIES arc under arrest the excitement hai
greatly subsidized.