Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-06-22

Photographed by johnson, Sioux City, Ia
having once been suspected of the crime
has aroused the prosecuting attorney of
the county to a vigorous search for him,
while the superstitious country folk there
abouts for miles around are making pill
grimages to the cemetery to see this Won
derful manifestation of supernatural
forces, for such it seems to be.
The gravestone, says the New York
World, marks the spot where lie an old
German couple named Schultz, who were
murdered in their own home in the mid
die of the night. They lived short dis
lance from the town and were staying
alone in the house at the time. The old
man had brought home a few days before
a considerable amount of money, which he
had taken from a bank on account of the
panic. In the morning the old folks were
found, their heads split open with an az,
and there were evidences that there had
been a struggle. The money was gone.
The murder created a great sensation on
account of it's fearful Details There was
nothing to indicate in any way who had
committed it, but the neighbors suspected
that the murderer might have been w. S.
Florence, hired hand who had been in
the Schultzes' employ until a short time
before A few weeks after the murder
Florence left that section and went to Ne
braska. AS soon as he had gone the stories
began to gain more currency than ever,
and the result was that detectives were
employed by the county authorities to
hunt him down. He was found and taken
back to Cherokee county. The grand jury
examined him, but for want of evidence
discharged him. He promptly disappeared
and has not been heard of since.
About the Same time that the grand
jury Was engaged in the investigation of
this case the relatives of the old couple
had plain marble headstone placed over
their grave. The grave is in little coun-
try burying ground on the side of hill,
within sight of the house in which tho
murder was committed. Before many
weeks strange stories began to be told
about it. At first they were whispered
| about the neighborhood, and the supersti-
| tious people of the countryside shook
their heads wisely and often gathered in
groups at the roadside or at the village
blacksmith shop. It was said that the
tombstone was slowly but surely develop.
ing human lineaments, just as photog-
rapher's plate, under the action of chem.
tcals, develops the lines in the negative.
The face continued to grow more and
more distinct and to be more and more
talked about until it attracted the atten.
ton Of the authorities. They inspected it,
and the most unprejudiced were compelled
| to admit that they could see the features
OF man. A marble dealer was taken 20
see it. He declared that the features were
being developed as a result of exposure to
atmospheric influences of the rust and
veins in the stone. He said it would con-
tinue to grow palmer.
This prediction has now been verified.
The picture on the slab has become dis
tinct to even the most casual observer, and
today there is not person who knew
Florence that does not declare that the
features show startling resemblance to
his.
What is equally prophetic is the fact
that since the picture has been developing
on the stone and the suspicion has become
general that Florence was the murderer
there has developed evidence not known at
the time of his examination before the
grand jury that points to the conclusion
that he was really guilty. Florence has
dropped out Of the world apparently. tt
lssupposed that he has heard of the strange
Developments and got as far away as DOS
sible