Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-12-12

The victim, Amos j. Stillwell, was
one of the wealthiest as well as the
most prominent citizens of Hannibal
1t will be remembered, that Mr.. and
Mrs. Stillwell attended a party at the
home of ex-Mayor w. A. Munger on
the evening of the night of the MUIR
der; that they left the Munger home
between II and ~ O'Clock accompanied
by DIR. Hearne. The doctors daughter
was also among the guests at the
party. She was not ready to leave
when her father departed and was
later accompanied home Shortly at
ter II o'clock by Mr.. L. P. Munger.
DIR. Hearne was at home when they
arrived and opened the door to ad-
NIT his daughter.
Within two hours following the ad-
journment of the party Amos j. Still
well was a corpse, having been Drained
with his own ak.
The story of the deed was told by
Mrs. Stillwel before the Coroner's
jury as follows:
81 was awakened by hearing Mr..
Stillwell say, Fannie, is that your
was not fully awake when | heard him
say, 'Who is there?' l raised up and
saw a dark figure,as 1 thought, crouch
ing at the foot of the bed. saw Mr..
Stillwell raise in bed. The figure
sprang and raised something in his
hand as if to strike, and l buried my
| head in the bed clothes. l only saw
the figures back and could not tell
who it was. He then sprang and ran
toward the top of my bed, and I could
not see him. Two chairs were at the
side of my bed to prevent the children
falling out, SO that could not g very
well. After awhile 1 felt that l must
get some one there. I got up and saw
Mr.. Stillwell lying on the side of the
bed. When he spoke l only saw his
head raise as the pillow prevented
me from seeing good. When I dis
covered Mr.. Stillwell's condition / ran
to the girls room; we had a candle
in the room but it gave but a small
light. / unlocked the door between
my room and the next room; the girls
unlocked the door to their room; /
told them what had happened and
they lighted the gas; the smaller n
began screaming; I did not lock the
door of u room leading to the hall
before we retired as / was working
with the baby, which was coughing,
and fell asleep, forgetting to lock the
door as was the custom; / think the
man VINO struck une piow had q largo
hat drawn over his face; he seemed to
be a large man; the cook and I went
into the and l took the children;
she carried n and I the other; 1 told
her to stay in the room with them and
lock the door; then / anne out and
ran down stairs ;both front doors were
open; when we went to the party we
closed both doors; l supposed Mr..
Stillwel locked the front doors when
we came in; when I ran down stairs l
crossed the street to DR.. Aliens first;
rang the bell and he was so long COM
ing that / rang all the bells near there;
/ did not hear the man leave the
house; when l first saw Mr.. StiIlwell
he was lying on the side of the bed;
Jacob Korner came across the street
with me; we went upstairs and after
wards lighted the gas in the hall, and
sitting room by that time Will Deague
arrived; he tried to telephone Rich
ard Stlllwell and DIR. Hearne; in the
meantime Mr.. Allen>had arrived; the
ladies took me mp stairs and that was
the last I knew"
This Is the story of the woman who
now stands jointly charged with DIR.
Hearne with the murder Of her hus-
band and who is now on trial for her
life here. When DIR. Allen and Mr..
Deague, arrived at the Stillwell home
in response to Mrs. Stillwellis request
they found Mr.. Stillwell dead and his
body cold. The body hung from the
side OF the bed and was almost
sprawtng on b hoor.
Investigation was Immediately in
a~ugurated by the coroner's Jury, but
not the shadow of a clew was obtained.
Then the public began to analyze the
Widows conduct on the night OF the
murder, and suspicion soon grew into
q firm belief that she could throw