Huntsville gazette., 1886-02-20

Young Lady Set Upon BY vindictfvo
Ruffain at Windsor, ILL.,, and Bound,
Gagged and Hanged to Cherry Tree
Timely Rescue BY a Brother Of the Vic
tim--The Young Lady In Precarious
Condition.
WINDSOR, H., Feb. 14.-Miss Georgia
Aldridge, daughter of HI. H. Aldridge, Of
this village, had narrow escape Friday y
evening from being hung by an unknown !
villain. She was left at home alone, her e
father and mother having gone to church. K =
About nine O'Clock, hearing disturbance
at the barn, she stepped outside to stS
about it. She was seized by the scoundrt 2 \
in waiting. His evident object was. = o
outrage her. A fierce struggle ensueoa 9 =
which the lady tainted from sheer e. e z
haustion. Her assalant then gagged = z :
by thrusting corn cob down her th,
and binding it to its place with =,
Her hands were pinioned anf
bricks tied to them. Her apror
into strips, and with the E
the strings as haltes-g special bargains
to a limb of aid colored Hose Urshs
feet being threa Taffeta Gloves in i II
ground. In ttdll stock of the best maI q
left hanqinc.stantly on hand.
have heelfal care will be taken in fIling ore
thirty minutes when her condition was
accidentally discovered by her brother,
who was on his way to his own home, q
block further on. Hearing a 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 a 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! I'll die first! God
help mel" ALI day she laid in a stupor
betwixt life and death. Her nervous sys.
tenn had received such a shock that it may
be days and weeks before she will regain
her right mind and be able to give 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 her
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 Dr. Aldridge. your daughter is dead.
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.
lam am not 10 % AFRAID OF Of the @ devil himself. I did
not go to scare her to death. When ]
lifted her up she was dead She was scared
DR.. Aldridge look out! Some men are dan
gerous. Good-by. You can not find me. I
will be far off so remember me- l will lay
for you and some other folks in this town.
No name was signed to the letter. The
object of writing it is almost inexplicable.
1t 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 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 nti-Horse-Thicf
Association, which is q kind of a vigilance
committee. meeting was called for last
night to take the outrage into considera-
tion
Miss Aldridge is young lady, aged
twenty-four, 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
N a thickly settled part of the town, and
It is mystery that the scene could have
aiken place without alarming the neigh.
oors.
At ten o'clock last night Miss Aldridge's
condition was very much worse than 1t
vas in the morning. She lies abed in q
;em-comatose condition. and grave fears
ire entertained that she will not recover
rom the shock. She no longer has her
intervals of returning consciousness.
;he no longer recognizes her friends at
he bedside Knots of men stand on the
treet talking over the remarkable case.
Considering the length of time the vic
i'm hung to the limb of the cherry tree in
he nights cold air, it is indeed wonder
al if not miraculous that she still lives.
'erhaps 1t is only explainable on the
round that her body swung against the
rec, which does not stand quite vertical,
nd that it partially supported the weight
4 her body, that would otherwise hass
aDged entirely on her neck.