Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-02
THRILLING D0UBLECRIME
, MAN OF FIFTY KILLING THE
WOMAN WHOREJECIED HIM.

WOMAN W 40 Rt,J EC1ED HIM
Inward Pursued by an Angry Crowd,
cram to the Edge of a Brook Miie
,wav. Took Dose CT Strychnine,
ana Died.
From tAs NeiO York sun.
NEW HAVEN, March 20.-The town OF
0vford. about 10 miles northwest of this
cfty. probably the oldest and best-known
country town IN Connecticut, was the
scene of a thrilling double tragedy to-day.
lanes Andrew, farm laborer, killed a
woman who rejected his offer OF marriage,
and afterward committed suicide by pol
son. James Andrew, who worked az nired
man for various parties in Oxford ana
was about 80 years old, has recently
been paving attentions TO Miss Elsie
NJ. Williams, a pretty and refined dress
maker. who resided with her mother and
a Younger sister Miss Williams was
about 40 years OF age, and was daughter
Of the late Nelson B. Williams. For sew
aral years past she has worked out in
vcaIl-to-do families OF oxford and adjacent
towns, and has thereby managed TO sup
mort her mother and sister, who are IN
straitpuad circumstances. Last week she
made an agreement to work Tor her sister,
Mrs. 0. c. Osborn, to-day. and early this
morning went thitber. During the early
mart of the morning she worked in COM
pauv with Mrs. Osborn and her family,
and seemed unusually cheerful.
AtabOut 10 O'Clock a knock was heard
at the door, and with a joking query as
10 who could be there so early in the
morning, Mrs. Osborn arose and went to
the door. She mad no sooner opened it
and perceived that the visitor was An
drew than she shrank back atirighted at
the strange expression on his face. He
did not seem TO notice her at all, but
hastily strobe into the room and inquired
Tor Miss Williams. Hardly waiting tor
an answer to his query as to Miss Viii
Iams' whereabouts, he rapidly walked
into the sitting room, where sne was Sit
ting. Approaching her he blurted out;
"ElsiP. want to ask you once more if
YOU will marry meW
The "once more" in his question was
ominous OF trouble, but Miss Williams
did not seem to notice it. She laughingly
replied in the negative, hardly raising her
eyes from her work. To her amazement
Andrew grew very passionate. He eX-
citedly referred to her previous refusals
Of his suit, and urged her to change her
answer. Shrinking back in afrrigAt, Miss
Williams told him that her answer was
1nal.
she had hardly got the words out of her
mouth before Andrew darted into a sort
81 closet or cellarway opening into the
room. He quickly reappeared with an
AK. Rushing up to his sweetheart, who
was petrified by fright, he shouted:
Then, il you won't marry me, I'll kill
you"
Suiting the action to the word, ne
whilled the ak over his shoulder and
brought IL down, blade foremost, on Miss
Williams head with crushing force.
Maddened by the sight of blood, which
poured from the wound, the now thor
Oughly-infuriated mailman struck a sec
ond blow on the head of his prostrate
victim, and again cut deep gash. Be
lore the members of the family could
break the spell Of horror which held them
bound to the spot the murderer had
darted from the house. Miss Williams
lay gasping on the floor in the midst of a
rapidly forming pool OF her own blood,
and the spectators of the awful deed were
too muca transtiXed with terror to render
her any assistance.
In the meantime the murderer was at
large, and as yeSnO alarm Of his appalling
act had been given outside the house in
which the deed was committed. AS soon
as Mrs. Osborn ana members of her
family could collect their thoughts a
messenger was dispatched for Or. Lewis
Barnes, medical examiner OF Oxford. BY
a strange combination Of misfortunes be
happened to be away from home, and the
nearest physician was many miles away
n Seymour. A fleet messenger was sent
10 him and DR.. f. w. Pulford responded.
BY the time he reached the scene Of the
tragedy Medical Examiner Barnes was
Just entering the house. The doctors
made an examination of the terribly
wounded woman and found two wide ana
deeu scalp wounds. The woman was in
a cOmat0se condition, and doctors quick
Is ntOrmed her sister, who was almost
crazed by the sudden blow, that Miss
Williams could not possibly live.
In the meantime the alarm had been
spread through the town. and almost the
entire male population turned out TO
ayenge the crime. The news that the
doctors pronounced Miss Williams in
lurles fatal wrought up the crowd to a
pitch OF fury, ana it was evident that
lynching would be the immediate fate of
Andrew If the avengers could lay hands
on him. Almost every one OF the villagers
mad some notion OF where Andrew was In
nldlng, and the party speedily decided 10
separate and search in all directions.
After long search, news was received
that Andrew had been seen going toward
brook which flows through the town
about nalf mile from Mrs. OsbOrn's res
ldence.
BY this time the searching party was
largely augmented, and on every hand ,
determination was expressed OF instant
IFnchng Of Andrew il he was caught.
AS the party neared the brook q shout
arose from those in the van. and hastily
c'osiugup, the stragglers soon saw An
dew stretched out at iuli length on the
3ank Of the brook corpse. BY his side
lay an empty bottle labeled ''sulpbate OF
s.Iy chime" and in broken glass near
al hand were a few drops of some bitter
LA.LLun LLmn