The Osceola times., 1886-02-20
A TERRIBLE CRIME.

RufIain at windsor. ILL.,, and Bound,
Gagged and Hanged to n Cherry Tree--
Timely Rescue by Brother OF the VIC
tiin--The Young Lady In Precarious
Condition.
WINDSOR, ILL.,, Feb. l4.-Miss Georgia
Aldrldge, daughter Of H II. Aldridge, OF
this village, had narrow escape Friday
evening from being hung by an unknown
villain. She was left at home alone, her
father and mother having gone to church
About nine O'Clock, hearing disturbance
at the barn, she stepped outside to see
about it. She was seized by the scoundrel
in waiting. His evident object was to
outrage her. A fierce struggle ensued in
which the lady tainted from sheer ex-
hauston. Her assaiant then gagged her
BY thrusting Il corn cob down her throat
and binding it to its place with vail.
Her hands were pinioned and heavy
bricks tied to them. Her apron was torn
into strips, aud with the strips used with
the strings as halter, she was hung up
to limb of cherry tree, hei
feet being three inches from the
ground. In this condition she was
left hanging TO the tree. She must
have been hanging there some twenty OF
thirty minutes when her condition was
accidentally discovered by her brother,
who was on his way to his own home, a
block further on. Hearing noise as of
some one in distress, he entered his faith
er's yard. He was Mortified to find hang
ing to the tree the apparently lifeless
body of his sister. 1t was quickly cut
down by him and carried indoors. Her
body was cold but the presence of very
feeble pulse assured him that life was not
yet extinct. Physicians were quickly
called, and active restoratives applied
After two hours rubbing and applications
of hot irons she began to show
signs of reviving. In the moments of
reviving she would shrek: "Oh,
that man! That man! III die irst God
help mel" All day she laid in stupor
betwixt life and death. Her nervous sys-
TEN had received such shock that 1t may
be days and weeks before she will regain
her right mind and be able to give a clear
account of her trials. She must have
been hanging by the neck for several min.
utes. On the floor of the room which she
occupied was found note evidently writ.
ten by the would-be ravisher after he had
hung her to the tree and before heI
brother discovered her. The letter Is
addressed to her father, and with the foul
words erased, of which there were many,
reads as follows
Old DIR. AIdridge. your daughter 10 dead. I
believe did not Kill her. I said would be
even with you and watch my chance long
time and now think am mighty nigh even
with You. Maybe you think that every
body is afraid OF you and your upstart son.
am not AFRAID OF the dew himself. | did
not go to scare her TO death. When ]
lifted her up she was dead. She was scared
to death. Tdid not kill her, but let her go.
Dr. Aldrdge, look out, Some men are dan
gerous. Good.by. You can not find me. I
will be far of, so remember me. ] will lay
for you and some other folks In this town.
No name was signed to the letter The
object of writing 1t Is almost inexplicahe.
II must have been done by the fiend in
the moments Of excitement following the
killing. No arrests have been made.
Strong suspicious are directed against
Windsor man. The evidence, while
strong, is purely of a circumstantial
nature. 1t is important to hear
the young lady's account that
she may give when her mind is
restored. In this particular, the present
case resembles the Emma Bond affair.
She can only give detached circumstances
connected with the assault. Windsor has
fairly famed with indignation because Of
the outrage. There is an ntl-iorse-Thei
Association, which Is kind of a vigilance
committee. A meeting was called for last
night to take the outrage into considera-
tioD.
Miss Aldridge Is young lady, aged
twenty and is highly respected.
She Is of retiring disposition and sell
dom goes out In society. Tuesday night
she chose to remain at home and read to
going to the church festival that attracted
her parents. Being at home alone and
unprotected made her an easy prey. The
house in which the outrage took place is
in a thickly settled part of the town, and
it is a mystery that the scene could have
taken place without alarming the neigh
bors.
At ten o'clock last night Miss Aldridge's S
condition was very much worse than 1,
was in the morning. She lies abed in a
semi-comatose condition, and grave fears
are entertained that she will not recover
from the shock, She no longer has her
intervals Of returning consciousness
She no longer recognizes her friends al
the bedside. Knots of men stand on the
street talking over the remarkable case.
Considering the length OF time the vic
tim hung to the limb of the cherry tree in
the nights cold air, 1t is indeed wonder.
ful II not miraculous that she still lives
Perhaps 1t is only explainable on the
ground that her body swung against the
tree, which does not stand quite vertical,
and that II partially supported the weight
Of her body, that would otherwise have