Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-04-04
A Woman S Way

Harry Shelton passed Il vacation al
Wolverhampton. where he met Awna
Saunders, who was poor Somehow
she heard that Shelton had some mon
ey. Her father was supposed to be
rich, but was insolvent she resolved
to marry Shelton, and he resolved to
marry her. Both succeeded. When
the secret was out they tried to make
the best of 1t.
SHELTON rented a modest house and
moved in, and for few months the
couple made the best of things. Then
the woman's blighted ambitions made
termagant of her.
One morning, after the newly mar
ried couple had been occupying the
house about nine months, Shelton ar
rived home after having been out all
night. He had passed the night at the
village inn, going to bed at 10 O'clock
and getting up at 6. He admitted that
his absence from home was on ac-
count of quarrel. Ten minutes after
entering the house he issued forth and
|
not within and that there were evil
dences that she had been murdered.
OF course there was instant excite
ment. Among the numerous people adj
mitted to the house was an understood
man of middle age who had reached
the village the evening before and was
| supposed to he government official Of
some sort What was found in and
around the house resulted in Skeletons
arrest. In the family bedroom were
evidences Of terrible struggle. There
was blood on the walls; there was
blood on an ak lying on the floor; there
was lock of the wife's hair that had
been pulled out by the roots; there
was blood on the stairs and in the hall
and on the back door step. A body
had been dragged over the grass and
dirt to the river, distance of over 100
feet.
The police and others saw all these |
things, but It was afterward remem-
bered that the little stranger seemed |
more interested than any one else. |
well the previous evening. The hus-
band could show that he arrived at the
White Swan at o'clock, played bill
lizards until 10 and then went to bed.
Unfortunately for him, he had been
given a room on the first floor, and 1t
would have been dead easy for him to
have opened the window and stepped |
out He could have gone home, COM
mitted the deed and returned without
anybody being the wiser.
The little man went with the officers
to examine the room at the hotel, and
here again it was seen that he was
more critical than the officers. Mid
way between the house and the river
was a sandy spot The officers follow
ed the trail across this The little man
did more. When the officers retired he
took plaster casts of some footprints.
Then he returned to the house and
quietly possessed himself Of a wOm-
ans shoe. When Harry Shelton was
removed to Jail there was not person
belonging to the village that did not
believe him guilty. Two days later,
when arraigned for examination he
was promptly committed to the assizes.
OF course the river had been dragged
for the body of the victim. Not being
found after a days search, word had
been sent on downstream. A thou
sand people perhaps looked for the
body along the banks as far down as
Bridgenorth, but 1t was not to be
found A woman's dressing sack with
one of the sleeves torn out was dlscov-
cred hltched to bush and was identi-
Hed as belonging to the missing wife.
Skeletons lamentations and protesta-
lions had no effect upon any one save
he little man. Although perfect
stranger, he promised his aid. He left
me village within week and was not
Jeen again until just before the assizes.
de employed counsel for the prisoner,
Ind 1t was whispered about that the
counsel expected to clear him. :
Bets were made that the jury would
convict him without leaving the box.
( was referred to as the crime Of the
lecade, and people Travelled hundred
niles to be present at the trial. The
,uzzle In the case was that no body
lad been found. but that matter was |
Explained in several ways. The popu-
ar belief was that it had sunk to the y
'ottOm Of some deep hole and been
aught on snag.
The prosecution made out a strong d
case There were peo- ,
lie who swore to hearing Shelton y
hreaten to murder his wife, and 9TH s.
rs that they had seen him skulking
a the streets at midnight Of the night s.
( the murder Not a witness for the
rown was cross examined. When the IL
was through. the defense be- u
an exploding its bombshells. 1t prov u
4 that the blood came from a sheep; u
lat the smear on the ak was the same; q
lat the weight dragged across the u
round was coal In q bag; that it was 81 81,
woman who dragged it; that no body ~
adj been cast into the river. AS q ~
rand climax Mrs Shelton herself was -
reduced and admitted that she had !"
ut up the job in hopes to get her hus- ~
and hanged. ~
1t was simply a good piece Of detec- % 90
We work on the part of the stranger. ~
Tho he was even Shelton never ascer- ~
ined He was some amateur who W W
as unattached and worked for the o.
IN Of It. In this instance he spent go
70 months time and f1O0 to carry
It his theories, and the fact that he
we'd human life by so doing was
)ubtless some consolation TO him. wi
ne wife was found a hundred miles
way. employed in family as seam .
ress. She had bought the blood Of a
,al butcher, and yet he was too thick all
l.. -.