The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-04
CRIME OF A CHICAGO FIEND
Woman Slashed in a Manner More Hor-
rible than Ever Jack the Ripper Did.
Broom Handle and Covered with Shreds of
Clothing-Her Nephew Confesses.

CHICAGO. May "A murder, the shook
ing details Of which SAVIOR more of uncivil-
ICED butchery than has been known for
years in Chicago, was committed between
8 and 6 O'Clock this evening. In the home of
Michael Walsh, at No. S44 WASH
burn avenue. His wife. Bridget
that rivals for cruelty and horror
the fates of numerous victims in the London
Whitechapel district. Her slayer who. from
the evidence 30 Ear in the hands of the police.
must have been man. succeeded in cover
ing hiscrime long enough TO make his es-
cape without leaving single clew BY which
his identity could be established. At the
usual time yesterday morning Walsh left
home to 60 to work. He is q teamster, In
the employ of j. V. Farwell x Co., and
usually went out early in order to have his
team in readiness. AS he passed through
the kitchen where his wife was washing
dishes he bade her good bye in accordance
with custom he had for long time fol-
lowed. In the same kitchen where no had
bidden her happy goodbye but few
hours before. he beheld the terrible evidence
of her death and in an adjoining bedroom
found her remains mutilated and torn as
though that fsnd of fiends. Jack the Rip
per. had changed his field of operations
from London to Chicago. The remains
were hidden beneath q pile of rags.
Contrary to his expectations. Walsh re-
turned home q few min utes sfter 'olook.
He tried the front door. but found it
locked. He went around the house to q
rear door leading to the kitchen. There
was fire burning in the stove. the even
ing meal had been partially prepared and
the cooking utensils were in their
accustomed places. But. scattered
over the floor, were little scraps
of paper. and Walsh stopped to
examine them. They were pieces of news.
paper. and without giving the matter
second thought he started in search OF his
wife. The bedroom was partially dark
lowered. He raised them and ex-
amined what he took to be q
pile of rags. The first piece
of cloth he lifted was stained with blood.
and it was then that suspicion of bis wifes
death crept into his mind. With one hand
he threw the pile aside. and there on the
blood-etained carpet was the body of his
wife. Sixty-tive gashes, varying In length
from half an Ipch to q foot, told the story
of q death that had come only after q viO-
lent struggle as was shown by the dIsar-
rangement of furniture and the spattering
OF blood.
slayer had so horribly disiigured the corpse
that even Walsh himself could hardly re-
alize at first that he was gazing on the
dead body of his own wife. From the
crown of the wOmans head to her feet
there were cuts IN every conceivable di-
rection. The wounds were most numerous
on her breast and lower limbs.
where the flesh was ripped in places and
hacked until the skin hung In threads.
Along the upper part of her right leg was
blood oozed In little streams. Along either
side of this wound was row of smaller
eashes. that had been made with an idea of
regularity. They were of uniform length
horribly artistic finish to the
work. Over each eye was q deep cut. an
other beneath the right eye. another along
the left cheek and still another on the
immediately over the heart. was a pair of
long-bladed scissors that had been driven
into the flesh. Immediately under
them 1--we, was small round hole
but there was no trace of powder burns. A
broom that had been carried from the
Kitchen into ths'bedroom had been broken.
and the handle was thrust through
Trunk from 1se sosn ower ns so the
throat. Pieces of vital organs had been
torn Off and carried along by the
blunt end of the wood and the mouth was
filled with mass of blood and flesh. The
terrible force for the wonan's body was
fearfully torn and portions of organs
were left lying on the floor. All
of the wounds, it was evident, had
The edges of the gashes were rough and
nOtehed. as if the body had been cut 10y
forward strokes. AT the lower part of the
trunk was this especially manifest. where
the flesh was cut and torn.
For moment the sight of his wife's body
so unnerved Walsh that he was unable TO
act. Recovering himself he notified tho
police. In the room where the remains
were was a narrow bed. and on this
there were three pillows covered with
blood. On the wall, too. were great
splotches and the bed clothing stained.
The rags that had covered Mrs. Walsh.
among which was the clothing she had
worn in the morning. for her BODY was
nude when found, were also dripping with
blood. The police made hasty survey Of
the situation.
LATER--withln four hours after the MUIR
der Mrs. Walsh's self-convicted mur-
derer was arrested. He was Thomas Walsh,
of No. 1i3 Washburn avenue, the dead
woman's nephew. When he was taken to
the station. house Walsh acknowledged
that he was the guilty party. He said
that they had been drinking beer
and that ho had made an improper pro-
posal to Mrs. Walsh. whereupon she
slapped his face. He drew o knife and
stabbed her. and tho sight of blood sud-
denly drove him insane with tho result
that mangled and tore the poor woman as
related above.