Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-26
COVERED WITH CLAY.
Scenes at the Funeral of the Victim
of the Wilson Farm Tragedy.
THE COUNTRYSIDE TURNS OUT.
Thousands Follow the Murdered Woman's
Body to Perrysville.
FAULK AWAITS THE END OF THE WORLD

brothers. The dividing line is so finely
drawn that ofttimes it can scarce be located.
Such was the impression given out yester-
day. Every road in the southern end of the
county was lined with people, all in their
best attire. Some wore somber hues, but
bright colors predominated in the. eager
| throngs.
The day itself was bright and full of sun
shine. Even the discolored snow glistened
IN the MONDAY rays. and the grass-carpeted
meadows where they appeared above the
| snow shone as right and green as in June
The air, though crisp, was not cold, and one,
without knowing the all-absorbiug topic of
interest, would have thought the crowds
were hurrying to the races or a fair.
All Eyes on the Wilson Farm.
The whole countryside was out, and
American curiosity was written on every
face They were out to see the
new, no matter what it might be-
anything from revival. to a race
That day the course lay toward the
Wilson farm, where the little house, perched
| away on the hilltop, WIS the Mecca of all
| the travellers. They wanted, If but for
moment, to glance at the remains of the in
nocent victim of one of the strangest crimes
the country has ever known.
AT 2 o'clock the funeral service was to be
pronounced over the mortal remains of Mary
Ann Faulk who was murdered by her hus-
band, William j. Faulk, the religious
maniac, on the afternoon OF Friday, Janu-
ary %. The house and the surrounding
yard wore deserted, lonely look despite the
great throngs Of people who crowded each
other for admission.
The boiy was laid out in plain black
coffin, and by those who knew her the lace
was sand to have a perfectly natural appear
ance. As the gaping wounds were In the
back, they did not show. Standing at the
head of the coffin were two figures in black,
who attracted as much attention as the one
in the garments of the grave. Their heads
were grayed by almost four score years of
life, and they wept in sorrow for their lost
daughter, for the aged couple were Mr.. and
Mrs. Kettenbaugh, the parents of Mrs.
Faulk. But their weak, nervous move
ments and tottering steps told that the
separation would not be long one.
The Little Children's Sorrow.
For time three other figures kept watch
above dead mother They were the three
little tots from the school house in the hol-
low, who only yesterday received the first
intimation of their mothers death. When
the Youngest one, who was locked up in the
house on the day of the crime, was told he
was motherless, the poor little fellow lisped
out: Eyes, know papa shot mamma"
The other two wept SO bitterly that they
were taken away, where loving friends tried
to comfort them.
A choir OF sweet voices sang several
hymns, and then the pastor of the Lutheran
Church led in PRAYER. He spoke afterwards
at length on the virtues of the dead woman,
and referred sorrowiully to the mania which
led lovin.: husband to end the life OF .
pure and faithful wife. He spoke altogether
in English. 80.
When the service closed the dark burden
was borne to the hearse and long line of
carriages containing relatives. friends and
| curiosity seekerssmoved to the Perrysville
cemetery. There another immense crowd
| had collected, but of course were not al
| lowed to view the remains. Still they
crowded and pushed to get a sight of the
grave and the black cloth-covered box that
| contained the unfortunate woman's BODY.
| The services at the grave were conducted in
| German by the pastor of the Perrysyille
German Lutheran Church.
A prayer was offered, tears were shed, o
score or two ot handkerchiefs futtered in
the wind, and as the throng moved away
the clods covered up forever one chapter of
I William Faulk's mad crime.
Waiting for the White Hosts.
Faulk's mind again wandered yesterday
after brief spell of reason. He paced up
and down his cell in the county jail, quoting
passag es from the Bible, interspersed with
the prophecies of old George Knauff When
the officers Of the jail approached him, he
exclaimed:
Prepare yourselves for the END of all
things. This is last day, and soon you will
hear the tramp of the hosts. My Mary is to
be buried to-day, the prophecy will have
been fulfilled, and the world will come to
an end. l shall soon meet my dear Mary
| again, and she will forgive me for shooting.
She will know that L had 10 do it to COM
| plete the prophecy"
| sAs the day wore on without any intima-
tion of an approaching crisis, Faulk be-
came more and more uneasy. He paced
| restlessly up and down his narrow cell, NUT
| tering to himself, and again and again ex-
| claiming, "The end of the world is ap-
preaching; the prophecy is fulfilled" Every
time one OF the heavy iron doors closed 10
with clang, or the rattle of vehicle on
the streets broke the sombre stiffness of the
| Jail, Faulk would start to his cell grating
| expectantly, ready to welcome the white
robed hosts. AS the silence settled back
become despondent, and he would recon-
mence reciting the Scriptures, as if seeking
| for confirmation of his hopes in the inspired
passages, and would pray for strength to
maintain his personality as Napoleon, the
son of the Holy David" :"
An Inspired Funeral Sermon.
Faulk told Warden Berlin that the
clergyman who oficiated at his wiIe's fun
| eral would receive from Jesus Christ all the
| power that He had when He was on earth
| and those who attended the service would
| hear the greatest sermon ever preached since
! Jesus Christ died.
Faulk was very nervous last night, and
wasgreatly worried by the fact that the end
of the world had not come in accordance
with the prophecies upon which he had re-
lied so IMPLICITLY, and which had stained
! his soul with his beloved wife's blood, made
his children orphans and inheritors of their
fathers shame, and placed him in felon's
cell.
Faulk always bore an unusual reputation
| for kindness 10 and affection for children.
! The little ones vino studied their primers
in the white schoolhouse in the hollow near
the Wilson farm. were always delighted to
see the stalwart and big-hearted farmer COM
ing down the road. Faulk would smile at
the children, and call them by name, for be
| knew nearly all of them, and as he patted
them on their curly heads, he would reach
| in the capacious pocket of his big coat for a
bright red apple, which was grown in the
orchard where last Friday he shot and
killed his wife.
The Allegheny police are still hunting
for the false prophet, George Knauf. That
is, if he should happen to stray into City
| Hall, preceded by a brass band, the front