The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-11
DIED TO SAVE HER HONOR.
ANOTHER HORROR IN NEW JERSEY.
Annie Leconey Foully Assaulted and Her
Throat Cut From Ear to Ear-Rob-
berry Added to Murder-NIiscel.
Ianeous Crimes of n Day.

CAMDEN. n. J., Sept. ga most brutal and
horrible murder was committed this morning
at Leconeys mill on the old church road two
miles beyond Merchantyille. Annie Elizabeth
Leconey, the twenty y-eight-year-old niece and
house-keeper of Chalkley Deconey, the miller,
bad her throat cut from ear to ear by a brute
who first attempted to outrage her, and who
after the murder, added robbery to his more
fendish crime.
At an early hour this morning the occupants
of the house arose, and Annie Leconey pre-
pared breakfast for her uncle and a colored
farm hand, named Garrett Murray. They ate
about o'clock, and went out in the fields to
gather melons to take to market. The niece
remained alone in the house, waiting for an
other colored farm hand Frank Lingo, to come
to breakfast This Frank Lingo, who is
suspected of the murder, is a man abo ut fifty
years Of age. He had worked on the farm as
day laborer at irregular intervals since last
June, and was engaged by Leconey to help
gather the truck to-day.
The miller worked busily in the field with
Murray until after o'clock and wondered why
Lingo did not put in an appearance. Shortly
after o'clock Lizzie O'Donnell. girl residing
on a neighboring farm, came running down
into the field with horror depicted upon her
face and cried: "Oh, Mr. Leconey, come up
to the house quick. Annie has been murdered.
! saw her on the floor with her throat cut"
The miller ran up to the house followed by
Murray. On the way the O'Donnell girl told
him she had gone to the house and, opening the
door, was horror-stricken at seeing Annie lying
ON the floor with stream of blood running
from cash in her throat By the time the
miller reached the house his neghbOr, William
Larring. who had also been alarmed by the
girl, was there. The sight that met their gaze
ID the dining-roOm was most horrible one
Lying on her back on the floor between an
old fashioned settee and the stove was Annie
LecOney, her head resting on the cushion of
the settee, which had suddenly been dragged
off onto the floor during a struggle. Her
throat was cut literally from to and by
the side of her head was a keen-edged butcher
knife with sharp point and blade seven
inches long, with which the foul crime had evil
IDENTIFY been committed. The cushion on which
the girls head had lain and the carpet were
soaked with blood. The life fluid had soaked
through the floor seams and trckled down IN
little pool on the cellar floor. 1t was evident
that there had been desperate struggle. Miss
Leconeys clothing was nearly torn off. The
attempts of the brute to felonously assault her
and her struggles against this probably caused
him to take her life.
After committing the crime the man went up
stairs and ransacked the bedrooms for money.
From Mr.. LecOneys room a pasteboard box
containing 500 in bills was taken. Underneath
the box was wallet containing $240 and two
bars of silver and currency, but these were not
disturbed. The murdered girl had all her saw
ings, amounting to $426, in trunk in Mr.. Le-
coney's room, but the trunk was not unlocked
and the money was found intact.
Lingo was arrested this afternoon while at
work on the Harm farm, about a mile from the
scene OF the murder. He made no resistance.
Upon arrival at the Leconey residence he was
searched, but nothing of eliminating character
was found on him. He is married and
has family. He is known to have
left his home at o'clock this morning
to go to work on the Harm farm. He arrived
at the farm at 6:15 o'clock and had not left
there until the time of his arrest. Detective
Burr is of the opinion that Lingo is not the
guilty party.
The murdered girl was of pleasant disposi-
ton, of exemplary habits. and very popular
among her neighbors. Her parents resided at
Waverly o., and her body will be sent there
for burial. She acted as housekeeper for her
uncle, Henry Leconey, who ran the mills. until
his death early last spring. He left an estate
said to be worth $4,000, and his niece had a
claim against it for seven years service as
housekeeper. 1t is said that Charley Leconey
disputed this claim of his niece on the estate,
but so far as known they never had a quarrel.