Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-08-29
To Be Continued.
GREAT MURDER CASE.
Mystery of a Millionalre's Death May
Be Solved.

The grand jury at Hannibal, Mo-
which has been in session investigat.
ing the Still0 I'll murder, has made a
report to Jadge Roy of the court u
common pleas, returning true bills
against DR.. Hearne and his wife
charging them with murder in the
first degree
The arrests of the Hearnes We're the
first intimation to the public that in
dictment mad been returned. Both IN
dictments are for murder in the first
degree. The news soon Travelled over
the city ana there was great excite
ment, although the action of the
grand jury wits almost, if not quite,
universally commended. Tie prisoners
were taken to Palmyra in a hurry,
where they We're placed in the county
Jail. 1t is supp sed that the grand
jury has considerable important evil
dence in its possession that did NOT
come to light in the dispositions taken
in the libel suit Of DR.. Hearne for
100000 against the San Francisco
Chronicle. The indictments and sub
sequent arrests give general satlsfac-
tion.
The Stillwell murder, now one Of
the most widely known crimes in the
history Of the west, vas committed in
Hannibal, Mo-. on the night Of Dec.
20, 1883, and was followed by a sue
cession of fomances in which the
widow always played prominent
role. Amos ]. Stillwell was a pork
packer, who had made his fortune.
Mrs, Fannie c. Stillwell was his Sec
ond wife, and by this marriage there
We're three children. Dr. j. G. Hearne
was Mrs. StillWcI,'s fayorite physi-
clan. At the cotoner's inquest on the
day after the murder Mrs. Stillwell
testified that she and her husband
had attended a progressive euchre
party not far away from their home,
and had returned about midnight
They went directly to bed, and soon
afterward she was awakened and saw
an eyil-looklng person standing at the
foot of her husbands couch. She was
in another bed in the same room with
two Of the children. She heard a
whlrring sound as the murderer
whirled an aX over MS head and she
ducked down under the bed clothes
She tainted and knew no more for
some moments. Then she alarmed
the servants In the house and went
across the street To the henie of some
friends They returned home with her
and found Mr. Stillwell dead. His
body lay partly out of bed The head
and upper part Of the body hung over
the bed and the toes were on fhe
floor. The left side of the face was
exposed. showing n gaping wound,
made by an AK, four inches long. A
nocketbuok from the old -entleman's
trousers, at the foot of the bed. was
but n bag OF lewelry and
silver on the dresser had not been dis
turbed. Or. Hearne was notified BY
telephone and came promptly, only to
find Mrs. Stillwell in an eplleptic fit.
He took charge of her. remaining with
her the entire night, ann punching that
she could not be seen III her present
condition. The coroner's jury after
two weeks session decided that "Mr.
Stillwell died from the effects of a
blow from an ax in the hands of
person unknown After the funeral.
which the widow was unable to at
tend, she went to Battle Creek. Mich,
accompanied by Or. TIearne and some
% the family. Mrs. Il. II. Stillwell.
her stepdaughter-in-law was one Of
the party, and Ii was on this trip she
claimed To see things that made her
Of Or. Hearne and her hus-
bands stepmother A little less than
4 year after the murder DR.. Hearne
and the widow were married, causing
talk In the city Of Hann.-
bal. They did not live happily and