Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-07-18
IN HTS Shirt Sleeves.

had discovered the body, and il
their fright had thrown their axes
down and beat hasty retreat t(
the village, where, under great ex
citment, they reported the matte
to the authorities.
All BrOundfeld was excited owe
the terrible news. Never IN tn
history of the town had such
tragedy occurred. The woman wa
we'll known in the community as
young widow whose husband haC
led somewhat reckless life, bu
| who had left her well provided fO
at his death, which occurred afte
two yers of welded life.
As was most natural with th'
added attraction Ofa snug fortune
the pretty young widow was quite
popular, and it was rnmOred tha
she had a dozen suitOrs.
But this is in the nature of Z
depression. have introduced yOr
to the wOman-dead, and the prin
cipal object of this story is to un
ravel for the reader the mystery o
her death.
The mayor, five cOunciImeD, tht
town marshal and perhaps fifty
citizens OF Brounfeld, after they
had heard the stories of the two
laborers, followed them to the spot
where the body lay.
1t was a fitting spot for a murde
The sandy road, arched by meet
ing trees that shut the sunligh
out, led abruptly to vere'
bridge, which spanned a bleak an'
sluggish stream, and just fft'
yards from the warter, IN a clumI
of bushes by the roadside, til
body lay.
Why did the murderer leave
there! was the question we inyolur
tsrily asked ourselves as the whit
face and staring eyes met our gaze
Why did he not seek to cOncea
his crime by throwing the body /
the river?
The woman had been strangled
the print of human fingers wa
visible on her white throat. Th
fingers of the right hand wer
closed tightly, until the blue nail
seemed to pierce the bloOdles
PLAN. Evidently she had not die
with Outs struggle.
"LOOk ~ cried one of the men
pointing to the closed hand, AM
we saw for the first time that /
held a little tuft Of coarse blacl
hair.
"This may be a clew to the mu1
derer," said the mayor. "JuStlc
Brown, you will hold the inquest
Had we not better remove the bod,
at once to Brounfeld?"
The justice assented, and w
formed little funeral procession
and bore the dead woman to th'
town.
The two labOrers who had dis
covered the body were held as wit
nesses, but the inquest devleope'
nothing, except that the wOmal
was fond of taking long walks il
the afternoon, and that on tn
evening preceding her death sh
had been seen leaving her hous
by a colored woman, who testihe
that she saw a man, who wore n
coat, Join her in the little town par
and enter into conversation wit
her, Here the witness lost sigL
of them and thought nothing
the incident. She could not descT
be the man in his shirt sleeves, fl
she was not near enough 20 disti
guish his features. She Temembe
|, ed, however, that he was t.
. man, and seemed to have a sti
or walking cane in his hand.
Who could have committed t
crimei Robbery was not the obje
for the woman's purse, contain Il
seven dollars, was found by b
side, or rrather a little satchel whi
she carried suspended from b
neck.
My business kept me in Bronl
field week after this event, b
when lett they we're 10 nearer
solving the mystery of the murd
than they we're when the body W
! found.
| remember how, month
Iterward, as / lay on my bed il
distant town thinking it over, t
testimony of that cOlOred won
at the inquest recurred to me al
set me to thinking.
She had spoken of a man"w
his coat off" who had stopped
woman and engaged her In cow
sation in the park. Had they To-
ed upon this as clew and follow
itupI