The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-01-23
This Is a Murder.

This is Murder.
With the excitement on the reported
murder at Masonville at its highest point
there came story from Moorestown that
woman had been killed at that place
Inquiry proved that this was true. The
crime was committed at farm house on
the estate of the late Edward Strawbridge,
leading to Camden and Haddonfield.
The woman was Miss Florence w. Allin-
son, aged 80 years. She rented the house
and in summer took boarders, the majority
of whom were employees in the store
of Strawbridge 6 Clothier. Philadelphia.
Living with Miss Atkinson were some chill
dren she had taken from home.
Bessie Walker, five years of age. was
the only person at the house when the
murder was committed.
1t was about noon on Wednesday
when Miss Atkinson went to the
barn to feed her COW as usual. She
never returned. The little child playing
around the house saw a colored man enter.
She was dismayed at his appearance and
her first question naturally was "Where is
mammal" "Never mind her, was the an,
swer. run up in the attic and play
The child did as she was bid and the man
proceeded to ransack the house. While
he was doing this the child returned to the
room and told the man he must not ''muss
things up So" Having secured all he de-
sired. or fearing the arrival of somebody,
the fellow left the place He took several
articles with him, but the only one which
may prove clue was gold watch bearing
the words from Bert" He then went out
on the road, and disappeared.
In the afternoon Miss Anna Cooper.
who had been living with Miss Atkinson
for some time, but who had been to Mount
Holly on the day of the tragedy, arrived
home and was amazed to find Bessie alone
and to hear that Miss Atkinson had not
been seen for a long time. Bessie told
of the black mans visit to the house,
and this, with the disarranged condition
of the rooms which had been ransacked,
aroused the alarm of Miss Cooper, and
while she was questioning the child, Ben
jamin Funk, an oil dealer, same along.
Miss Cooper Immediately asked his aid.
He went to the barn and there discovered
the awful truth.
Finding all the doors locked and no an
swer to his calls, his suspicious were
aroused. After a brief search he found
small door, which had not been securely
fastened. Entering this he almost STUN
bled over a blanket covered form
Throwing aside the covering he was stag
gered by the sight that met his eyes,
There was the body of Miss Atkinson, the
head and clothing covered with blood, the
neck and face badly swollen and deep
purple, showing that she had been
strangled to death. A hasty examination
showed that the woman had been dead
some time, as her body was cold.
Of course it is mere conjecture what
happened in the barn. But the woman
was killed and the surroundings are suffi-
cient to give basis for conclusions. The
man either was in the barn awaiting his
victim or followed her. Her person and
her clothing told Of the struggle to save
honor and life. A stout cord, a leather
strap and the swollen, colored throat,
told of the strangulation; broken milk
stool, heavy club, crushed skull, were
unmistakable evidence that the brute,
frenzied by his passions. had beaten the
body even after life was extinct Having
completed his fendish work the man
covered the body with blanket and
heavy sack. Then he went to the house
and robbed it,
The child said the murderer was black
man and all the circumstances seem to
point that way, as the methods are those
which have been employed by negroes
more than once. The actions of the tel-
low seem to have been those of one ac-
quainted with the place, theory strength
ened by the fact that shepherd dog on
the premises raised no objection to the fell
low when he appeared on the place.
As soon as the murder was discovered
the alarm was given and attempts were
made to locate the murderer Large re-
wards were offered and the officials in all
parts of the surrounding country were
notified. The rewards consist of $500
offered by Mrs. Strawbridge, $500 by
Chester township and $500 by the
county. But the description of the 'fel.
low was too meagre to return very salts
factory results and about the only thing
to do was to arrest all colored men who
were supposed to have been in the neigh
borhood. This was certainly done and
there were no less than eight colored men
in custody at one time, but it has not yet
been made certain that either of them is
the man wanted