Evening star., 1896-08-05
Scene of the Tragedy.

nailed. SO that they are not even open dur
ing the day time. Monday night while the
body Of the murdered man was still in the
house and his widow was only few hun
dred feet away. under guard and medical
treatment, the men who found occasion to
go on the road were for the most part
heavily armed. Several of them volunteer
ed. to remain with the body over night, and
the house was we'll protected, for all the
watchers were prepared for another visit
from the murderer. The affair has COM
pletelyS unnerved them. This Is probably
because the village has been such a quiet
place, ard nothing of this kind had ever
happened before within recollection Of the
present inhabitants.
Sad Scene.
Yesterday morning the scene in the vii
lage was sad one. The body of the muir
dered man lay in a coffin in the front room
Of the home that had been an unhappy one
for long time, and during her lucid in
tervals the wife could look from the house
of Dick Swami. where she was under
treatment, and see the window of the room
in which the terrible deed had been COM
nhtted. But the sight did not affect her.
The only thing that seemed to give her the
slightest trouble was mention Of the let
ters that had passed between her and Mat
thews and then she never failed to become
hysterical. Soon after breakfast time the
aged parents Of the dead man went from
their home to take a last look at their boy,
who had been so foully dealt with. Their
grief could not be concealed, and the
mother was not able to stand the ordeal.
She was obliged to return home, and Is
now almost frantic.
With the exception of the discolored face,
the dead man presented fairly good ap
pearance. On the wall of the little room in
which the body lay hung large crayon
portrait of the wife who Is now suspected
of completely in the crime. while near it
was framed cabinet photograph of the
Hebrew pedder with whom she eloped
about five years ago. Why Jim Irwin ever
allowed that picture to remain there no
one of the mourners could understand.
The man had caused Jim considerable trou-
BILE by taking his wife over in Virginia and
keeping her there for more than month,
but then Jim loved her and was always
willing to forgive her wrongs. There had
been child born to them then, and Jim
thought 1t was his duty to sacrifice his
own feelings in order that things might be
up to make a good woman and not have
blighted life.
Had Pleaded With His Wife.
1t is known that he had pleaded with his
wife. Emma, to give up her suspected re-
lations with George Matthews. He knew
all about the letters. for his brother had in
tercepted several Of them, and one Of these
love epistles from his former partner was
many days ago. His wife had been in the
habit of sending Nellie to the post office
each day at mail time. but on this occasion
Postmaster Tppett overlooked Mrs. Ir
wins letter when Nellie called, and later
on he asked the husband to take 1t home.
He did take 1t. but not to his home. In
stead. he took 1t over tp his fathers home,
and there had his aged father decipher the
contents of the letter, which contained
many endearing terms. If Jim said any,
thing to his wife about this letter the
neighbors heard nothing of 1t. 1t is be-
lieved, however. that very little. If any,
thing. was said. and certainly there was no
trouble about 1t. for this would certainly
have been heard.
The General Belief.
II Is believed here that the taking out Of
the way Of the husband and father was
planned long ago. soon after the death Of
the child George. to whom Mrs. Irwin re-
ferred as George Matthews boy in the let
ter to him, in which she said, Baby
George sends kiss to papa" George was
only two or three years old when he died in
April last. and soon after his little body
was laid at rest in the burying ground at
the Newport Catholic Church the wife ad-
vised her husband that 1t might be well for
him to attend to his religious duties and
get back in his church. He had had so