The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-09-26
A Jealous WOman's
Cruel Revenge

Nancy Jones' "a syery body called her
had been brought up 20 tba age Ct %
by widowed mosher Owing 10 her
masculine looks and department all the
young men gave her vide berth. II
WAS said she had no womanly feelings.
and the hea Of her ever falling IN love
was laughed 10 scOrn. And yet. only "a
few days after saw her the FIRST time
rhat very thing happened. There came to
the town Of Strntford rs an cmploye OF
the tank, young man named Charles
Fletcher, and NJ their very first meeting
which was n business affair. the young
woman Was Bmitten with his good looks.
Fletcher waA . years old, and although
natterod by the young woman's prefer
ence for him waa not ready 10 fail In love
with hsr. Indeed. although In time he
escorted hsr about and WAS "A frequent
visitor at her house, he denied that his
intentions were serious She. however,
Was determined 20 have Fletcher for a
husband. and became 50 Jealous OF him
~ 30 excite public rb1iculs. In time he
resented her bondage and sought TO break
with her. and # was this action which
caused tho tragedy am about 10 relate.
When the young woman became thor
oughly convinced that she had lost her
lover. she insisted that he visit her upon
certain evening to have a last talk"
Fletcher had ben guyed and ridlculed by
his fellow employees until he hated the
name Of the woman. He was willing to
see her once ard have Il over, but not
willing that any OF his friends should
know he was going 20 the house. He
pretended 10 call elsewhere to mlslead
lngly said next morning he gave the name
OF party h. had called upon the evening
before. Twenty hours later he was under
arrest for the murder Of Nancy Jones
and a hundred men were searching for
her body.
Fle,cher's story was straight and clear,
hut unfortunately II served TO convict
him. lie had gone cut TO Fern Castle" Z"
"a the young woman had romantlcally
named the few acres with fs cottage. and
had been cordially received. Miss Jones
confess.Il freely that she foved lin but as
willingly declared that since he was un-
able TO reclprocate, they would part as
friends and continue 10 respect each other.
Supper was served. and while being
....f,.a ,,ra, R,. So Jorr.satgr Mice lanes
made use Of several singular express
Ions She announced In abrupt manner
that even II her life were threatened she
was not afraid-that II she were found
dead people would know who had an OBJ
Ject In removing hcr. and other things OF
the sort. II wes plain that she was talk
! Ing for the benefit OF the servant. and as
she would offer Fletcher no explanation,
he concluded that she had an attack OF
hys,eria and was trying to throw 1t of.
| Soon after dark the domestic asked
leave to go into town. The request was
granted. and in the presence Of Fletcher,
| Miss Jones said to her:
You may never see me alive again,
Sarah, but II any one tries 10 murder rue,
shall fight to the last
Such language startled the domestic
and she decided not to leave the house
but tbs spinsier laughed at her fears,
and bade her run along. Soon after her
departure. Fletcher and Miss Jones start
| I'd OUT for a walk. 1t was summer even
Ing. and at Miss Jones suggestion they
crossed two or three fields instead OF go
ing along the paths. At the edge OF a
forest where they stopped TO rest for a
few minutes, the woman suddenly utter
ed several sArieks. and when chided by
Fletcher. she claimed to have stepped on
a snake. They returned home by differ
ent route. and at 10 o'clock he left her
house and walked into town. They part
ed with a hand-shake and kind words,
and she walked a short distance with
him. The girl Sarah returned home
about midnight and went TO bed. When
she got up in the morning she discovered
that her mistress was not in the house
in fact her bed had not been slept in
during the previous night. Thinking she
might have been called away unexpect-
edly, the girl raised no alarm until after
noon. Then the story she told resulted
| in Fletcher's arrest. At first everybody
secuted the idea OF murder, but in a day
or two all were satisfied with It. Fletcher
| had lied TO conceal the fact that he had
| gone to the house. The domestic had
1 overheard her mistress say that ner life
was In danger. She evidently stood in
great fear OF the young man, but was
determined not to call for outside help.
| When they came TO the motive, gossip
said that Fletcher had betrayed the
! Young woman who insisted upon mar
riage as a reparation, AS he was not
willing. he had murdered her 10 escape
exposure and scandal These goSsips lied
shamefully. but they were searching for
motive for the crime, and were bound
to hnd one.
| The domestic's story was singularly
corroborated. Several people had noticed
| the couple walking together. a farmer
| had heard the young woman scream for
help over by the woods. A light shawl
| belonging to her was found in ditch
| and her handkerchief was caught on
bush near the woods. She had always
kept at least elOO in the house, and was
possessed OF considerable jewelry. Money
and jewelry were found to be missing
and the contents of her boxes were tossed
about. Fletcher had not been under ar
rest twenty-four hours before they had
made out fair case against him, but
there were just two requisites lacking to
lay him by the heels. The money and
jewelry were not found upon his person,
and a general search of the country for
miles around had failed to secure any
trace Of the body OF the murdered woman
The young man had left the village at six
O'Clock in the evening and walked two
/ miles and a half. He had returned short
/ =. ba Gould prOVa by