The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-12-04

klncald, together with the solemn hOWlln9
of the two big dogs, soon attracted many
people from the surrounding neighborhood
There was nothing mysterious about this
murder in the minds of the many who
gathered at the foot of the hill near the
sparkling brook at Cat Swamp many long
years ago Every one of the people seemed
to know, Or thought they knew, just who
had done the awful deed.
But how strange!
See, the very same black jug is clutched
by the murdered woman's rigid fingers
Surely it has not been 'y that white hand
all through that lonely route from the
hovel, down the cart road, all the way
through Wild Cat Swamp.
All, how nicely the people saw through
their flimsily concocted plot
Their first intention was to yet the
murdered woman's rem aims to the railroad
of train of cars which they intended
should pass over the lfeless body and grind
it into so many pieces that none but the
guilty wretches themselves would ever
know who it was that the cars had killed
near Wild Cat Swamp.
But why did they abandon poor Mary at
the bars near the brook by the wayside?
We will tell our readers why they did
this.
Mary was murdered after IL o'clock on
that eyentful night, and it being early
autumn daylight got there sooner than
later on in the season, and when they had
gotten this far the eastern horizon began
to Tighten up preparatory to the glorious
advent of the orb Of day, when the mid
night murdereTs were batlied from their
first intentions Of conrealing their hellsh
nights work, and dropped the cold body
of the once pretty Irish girl, and FASTENED
ba * to the laird fastness Of the dismal
swamp. But why did she hold on to that
old blac'- Jug?
Now, see! One of the tito Of human
fends was non compass mentis or very much
on that order, and Black Carolines intellect
never was above a mules. She long since
died yonder at Cherry Hill hlmshouse.
She has been at the writer's home many
times and very much herein written came
from the tongue Of Black Caroline herself
to the writer.
don the body at the bars then it was that
"Muley" John ran to the howell way back
in the Greary swamp for the black jug and
when he came back he pried her rigid
fingers open and placed the Jug handle
therein, so that when she was found the
suppostion would he that she had died
from the effects of alcohol and that the
Commissions all over her face and body were
caused by falling in her drunken wander
ings, so "Muley" John told his idiotc
sister and fiendlike paramount
The inquest was held and he who pre-
sided has but recently stepped off the stage
and the tracks Of the hearse wheels are still
visible yonder in or city OF the dead.
refer to the grand old John Rankin who
was then Magistrate and summoned the
jury that sat at the inquest at Cat Swamp
to inquire INFO the cause Of Mary Pritch-
ards death The facts brought out at that
tribunal were enough to hold "Muley'
John and the two Cad Pritchard s without
bail fog the Upper Court.
Just al this point we shall deviate for
season from the main story. But we are
in the very same locality and surrounded
by the same dismal swamp and yonder are
the two old novels that Jess and "Muley'
John Pritehard called their respective
homes, and perched on the topmost branches
OF many scrub trees throughout Wild Cat
Swamp is that doleful bird, the Whip-poor-
will, singing in cuncert with the weird
katydid. Now, you see, by this, that the
shades of night were On.
An agonizing scream, Ii tile girl runs
from one Of the novels enveloped in flames,
her terrible screams soon attracted those
drinking and making merry in the hovel
above, and Red Caroline staggered to where
Hti N!li' "t' f'bS1 chhViihS WIG
most excruciating pain that ever mortal
suffered Every particle of hair was burned
from her head. together with the scanty
clothing that she wore. The dear little
suffering soul breathed her last in few
minutes This was Red Caroline's and
Henry Pritchard's child. And this dis
tressing accident occurred only a short time
before the last murder. These victims were
all three buried at the old swamp, the
mounds are one, two and three, all tragic
deaths from that one miserable home,
within one year from first to last.
Now we must gather up the chain of our
main narrative and link it up to the end
The first thing that we do in connection
with the trio OF blood-thirsty PritchaId's,
we shall arrest and land them safe in the
Elkton Jail.
They were tried at Elkton.
But retribution came in mild form,
when the RIM leader 'Muley" John only
got fifteen years, when his neck should
have been stretched right in the midst of
Wild Cat Swamp Red Caroline got five
yaars anh Sin,nIa rnd nply not ono