The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-04
A CHASTITY MURDER
A Woman Literally Cut and
Hacked to Pieces.
RETURN OF THE HUSBAND HOME
the Body-The Murderer Appreciated
He Confesses His Crime.

CHICAGO, May ga murder that rivals |
for cruelty and horror the fates of the |
numerous victims in the London White |
chapel district, was committed between
and o'clock this evening in the home of
Michael Walsh, at 944 Wasaburn avenue.
The victim was Mrs. Bridget Elizabeth
Walsh. Walsh left his home for work as
usual this morning, leaving his wife
following her customary occupations.
Walsh returned home few minutes after
6 O'clock found the front door locked and
gained entrance to the house through the
kitchen. The fire was burning in the
stove and the evening meal was partially
prepared. The appearance of the room at
trscted Walsh's attention as being pecu-
liar, and he started in search of his wife.
He searched through the house,
end not finding her, began to fear
Jome harm had befallen her. Noticing
strong and dissgreeable odor from
the bedroom he returned there and made
more minute examination. The room was
partially darkened and the window cur
tains were lowered. He raised them and a
pile of rags met his gaze. The first piece
OF cloth he lifted was stained with blood.
He then threw the pile aside, and there on
the blood-stained carpet was the nude body
of his wife.
THE STORY OF DEATH.
Sixty-hve gsshes, varying in length from
half an inch. to foot, told the story Of
death that came only after a violent
struggle, as shown by the disarrapgement
of the furniture and the splattering blood.
Not satisfied with killing his victim, the
slayer had so horribly dishgured the corpse
that even Walsh could hardly realize he
was gazing on the dead body of his own
wife. From the crown OK the woman's
head to the feet were cuts in every con-
ceivable direction
THE WOUNDS.
Wounds were most numerous on the
breast and lower limbs, where the flesh
7 was ripped and hacked in places until the
( skin hung in shreds. Along the upper
I part Of the right leg was a cash over a
loot in length. Along either side of this
wound was 8 row of small gashes made
with uniform length and evenly arranged,
as if to give horribly artistic finish to
the work. Over each eye was a deep cash,
another beneath the right eye, another
along the left cheek and still another on
the neck, under the chin. In the left
breast, Immediately over the heart, was a
pair OF long bladed shears that had been
driven into the flesh. Immediately
under them was small round
hole resembling bullet wound, but
there was no trace of powder burns. A
broom that evidently had been carried
from the kitchen into the bedroom had
been broken and the handle was thrust
through the entire length of the woman s
trunk from the lower portion to the throat
THE VITAL PORTIONS TORN OFF.
Pieces Of the vital organs were torn of
and carried along by the blunt wood anC
the mouth was filed with mass of blood
and flesh. The broom handle had beer
thrust up with terrible force, for the
womsn's body was terribly torn and por
tons Of the organs left lying on the floor
All the wounds were evidently inflicted by
shears. Edges of the cuts were rough anC
notched. At the lower part of the trunl
was this especially manifest where TIT
flesh was cut and torn.
THE HUSBAND UNNERvED.
For moment the sight of his wife'
body so unnerved Walsh he was unable t
act Recovering himself he notified tn
police. Upon arriving the police examines
the room where the body was found and OF
g narrow bed were three pillows coveret
with blood. On the wall also were grea
blotehes and the bed clothing was stained
The rags which covered the body, among
which also was Mrs. Walshs clothing
were saturated with blood.
The police made a hasty survey of tn
situation and started to search for the per
petrator of the outrage. Their effort
were rewarded, for within foui
hours the self-confessed murdere
was arrested in the person
( of Thomas Walsh, 143 Washburne avenue
the dead yoman's nephew. When tn
prisoner was taken to the station he &C
knowledged he was the guilty party, an
said he and Mrs. Walsh had been drinkln
together and he made an improper pro
posal TO her, whereupon she slapped hi
lace. he drew a knife and stabbed mel
The sight of blood suddenly drove him in
sane, with the result he margled and tor
the poor woman as related above.