Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-05-08
A YOUNG GIRL KILLED.
Cruelty Put to Death in the
Suburbs Of Washington.
ALMOST IN SIGHT OF HOME ELSIE KRE
CLIO LOSES HER LIFE AT THE
HANDS OF A FIEND.

mas ever DlackeneQ the pages OF
history, was committed i'll the
middle of yesterday afternoon
near the outskirts of Mount
Pleasant. So hideous was the
crime that the whole city rang
with it a few hours later, and
wherever men gathered could be
heard CHASTITY threats against the
bestial perpetrator of the deed
The victim was Elsie Kreglo,
an innocent country girl, IS
years old, the light of an humble
country home, whose only diver
sion it was tosee that her fathers
COWS did not stray too far from
reach. The murderer no one
knows. Apparently foiled in
his original purpose he slashed
great gaping wounds in her
white throat and lett her bathed
in blood to make his escape from
the pursuing hand of vengeance
The deed was perpetrated with
in hearing and almost within
sight of the girls home. Her
screams were plainly heard by
her parents, and when they
reached her side she still lived,
but died without telling who her
slayer was, if, indeed she knew.
She died in the waters of a
little stream, whose babbling she
had listened tc for years, wash>
ing away her life's blood as it
flowed. Tender hands lifted and
laid her on the grassy bank, but
awed by the majesty of the law,
they dared go no further, and
for three hours the body lay
there awaiting the coroner's ar
rival.
1t was about 3 o'clock when
cries were heard by the Kreglo
family. Annie kreglo rushed
down from the home on the hill.
Just ahead of her was a colored
boy named Will Thomas, who
works for the Vollens family,
neighbors of the Kreglos. The
boy arrived at the scene first,
closely followed by Annie. Elsie
was then standing in the creek,
leaning upon the bank. which
rises about four feet above the
creek.
Seeing the colored boy she
family uttered the words "Help!
help" but could say no more.
The poor girl then fell back into
the creek, stream about three
feet wide with about six inches
of water. The father and moth
er, who had been alarmed, i'm
mediately appeared, and it was
found the child was dead. Poor
Elsie was lying PROSTATE in the
creek with her throat gashed
most frighttully. The sight was
APPALLING. The parents and Sis
ter were orror-stricken and for
the time being powerless to act.
When Will Thomas arrived at
the creek he saw the form of a
man disappearing through the
brush up the winding path that
leads west from the scene of the
crime. He was unable to tell
whether the man was white Or
colored, as he could only see his
back through the brush.
On the opposite side of the
creek, and not five feet from
where the body lay, was found a
portion of the undergarments
worn by the girl. No examina-
ton of the body was made, as the
outward indications told too
plainly the object of the assault,
and that the girl had fought
bravely for her life.
The body was taken from the
creek and placed upon the bank
nearby, where it remained until
the arrival of Coroner Hammett,
three hours and half later.
On the north side of the creek
is steep precipice, reaching to
the brow of the hill, fully 70 fe It
from the creek. All the way I'D
the hill could be seen foot prints
of the girl, and at the summit it
appears that she had been seized
and dragged bodily down the
steep declivity. The briars had
been broken down i'll the path
made by the murderer and his
victim. In several places there
is evidence of a struggle. A
calico bonnet was lodged in the
briars not over 10 feet from the
ridge of the preciplce.
She must have been prevented
from screaming as they strug-
gled down the hill, otherwise
help could have been summoned
and her life possibly saved. She
was evidently at the edge of the
creek when her throat was cut.
In the agony of death she doubts
less attempted to reach the path
on the opposite side, and could
only lean on upon the bank
where she was found.
She was dressed plainly in
calico, the waist being a mixture