The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-11-06

Just how and why Ned CHM murdered
Henry Pritchard at the above place many
years ago.
Now as all these articles are concerning
the old Turn Pike, and the people living
adjacent thereto we must take our readers
about one mile up that old thoroughfare,
and, after having reached that point, will
ask them to turn half around to the left,
which faces them North, and at this very
junction perhaps, there is an iron monster
speeding live freight up or down that mag
ni6cent rail road, the p, w. Il B.
About one mile beyond you see this pub
lie road beginning near where we now
stand, and leading off in the direction in
which we are looking. 1t takes us right
over into old Cat Swamp. Come and we
will 20 over for little season.
Now we do not purpose to give dates or
seasons, but simply the facts connected
with these terrible homicides, enacted near
the old Turn Pike close up to the Delaware
line in old Maryland, my Mary land, "
This narrative opens forty five or forty-six
years ago. The scene is as have described,
on the North side and near the p. w. & B.
II. r., and between Cat Swamp and Iron
Hill
New houses have sprung up near where
many of the old one then stood. One old
dilapidated cot still stands as a monument
of human blood that was shed near the old
structure. Owls, bats and hobgoblins in
fest every nook and corner Of the old tum-
BILE down building, and old residents say
that when darky passes that way after
the shades of night have set in he does it in
a lively trot with his hat in his baud and
his eyes directed toward the lurid house of
blood.
some of our characters who will play a
very prominent part in this bloody drama.
Ned CHM, who murdered Henry Pritchard,
was a middle aged man who feared neither
God, man nor devil, He was large and
honey man, and his sinister looks were re-
pulsive in the extreme. He was an inc
brate and when in his cups was menace
to the community in which he lived.
Henry pritchard, whom he murdered, was
quiet, inoffensive man, who lived very
near to Ned Ginn's log hovel. Henry
Pritchard's wife, Caroline, and Men Ginn's
housekeeper, whose name was also Caroline
Pritchard, were very intimate, and this
beauty, which was not very great, was
entirely different; for Henry's wife was
blond, and Ned's househeeper was as prom
inent brunette as ever cracked an old clay
pipe stem, and the way the good people OF
I'VE olden time distinguished the two
apart was by calling Ned's women BLACK
Caroline and Henry's Red Caroline.
These four characters will serve us for
the present. On the morning of the day of
the murder Ned had slapped his house
keeper in the face, and she had told him
that she intended to report the matter to
her brother Henry. Mel told her that he
would do the same for Henry if he said
anything to him about the slapping.
After CHM ate his breakfast he told
'Black Caroline that if she was not at
home when he came home that night that
he would see the color of her hearts blood
that very day. She knew where Ned was
would be in condition to carry out his
hellish threat.
Yes, she unused after he had left, he is |
going over to that hell hole on the Turn
Pike to gamble and drink whiskey all day
again 1t appears that Ned was jealous of
the dark beauty and young man who was |
then making his home over at her brother
Henry's. The mutterings of the cruel
monster had long been heard below the
surface, TO be sure, but the terrible volcano
was growing which would be properly de-
veloped that very day, and when he did
come home and find her over at her
brothers. that served as a spark to ignite
the well filled magazine OF wrath that
slumbered in his cruel breast
Yes; Ned CHM had put in nearly the
entire day over at John Smiths, who kept
and sold "rot gut" whiskey on the old pike
and on the Delaware side OF the canal
feeder, about two miles and half from
our little city, Elkton. Late in the after
noon Ned was seen by the Prichards stag
gering home. Soon he climbed to the ton
of the fence which surrounded his old
howell and began to shout and gestculate
with his old hat in his hands for Black
Caroline to come home.
But that poor, frail creature feared the
burly monster and did not 90 to him. He
was seen to get down from the fence and
pass into the cot and reappear with his gun
in his hand aud direct his lettering foot
steps towards Henry Pritcherd's. On came
the brute until he reached the fence which
inclosed the Pritcherd home. In Chamber
ing over the barrier he lost his center of
gravity, and he fell on the Pritcherd's side
while his aintlocl went back to the other
side. He lay for little while. then got
up and repossessed his gun by reaching
through the fence