Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-11-02
MURDER IS RECALLED.
Strange Sights and Sounds Observed in
House Where Crime Was
Enacted.

La Crosse, Wis, Oct. 90 Special. J.
A strange light, disclosing the form of
whitehead woman fleeing from an IN
seen pursuer, muffled Shrek sound as
of crunching and swapping Of bones,
silence and darkness. These happening
IN the Old house, the scene of the muir
der Of Blanch Montgomery, with increas-
ing frequency, are the cause Of much
wonder and no little speculation. on the
part OF the people of the town of Scott,
Monroe county.
That something strange and weird is
taking place at different times, is vouched
for by some Of the most truthful and
influential citizens. The husband is now
doing life sentence at Waupun, for
cracking her spinal column and breaking
her neck over the back of q chair
Lights Seen in Abandoned House
c.. Griffin, an influential citizen, states
that he has seen light at the house.
through enc of the windows, also that he
observed the form of a woman moving
about the room, at times crouching as
though IN the act of hiding or trying
TO escape some pursuer unseen by Mr.
Griffin. Mr.. Parker states that he also
saw light in the place on a dark night.
lie was at some distance and upon APP
proachlug to investigate the light disap-
peared. Ernest X. Smell also states that
there is something wrong at the house,
but he, like the others, insists that there
must be some natural explanation for it
all.
"sit Up, or I'll Kill you'll
1t was on a Decoration day. Nav 80.
1903, that the murder was committed.
MI. and Mrs. Montgomery drove to War
rens, returning at about 6 O'Clock in the
evening. Two hours later she was found
dead at their home. According to the
testimony, the face and person of the
deceased bore evidences of an awful
struggle 1t was shown by witnesses
that Montgomery and his wife had quar-
relied OH the way home. There were
found, In two places by the roadside.
evidences of a struggle, near one OF
which was found a lock of woman's hair.
Shreds of clothing also bore evidence of
trouble. Others saw the team on the
run, reco~nized the couple and heard him
say, Sit up. or [ will kill YOU" Still
others noticed the wife's physical condi-
ton, her disheveled hair and other indi-
cations of i'll treatment
On the trial it was stated that after
the trouble on the road the woman was
Killed at home by having her neck
broken over the back of chair in which
he had seated her. The motive shown
for the murder was the desire to collect
policy of insurance amounting to $4,000,
which she had made over to him q short
time before.
Claims Trial Was Unfair
Montgomery was always hard drink
er and very quarrelsome. After the muir
der he was taken to Tomah for eXamna-
ton. Here he would have been lynched
had 1t not been that the officers protect
ed their prisoner too we'll He now con-
tends that he did not have a fair trial
or fair examination.
The house where the strange phe-
nomena are occurring is midway between
Warrens and Norway Ridge. The citi-
zens of that portion Of Monroe county
are to investigate the case thoroughly.
Meanwhile the timid take another road
iNhen TRAVELLING nt nirht