Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-10-01
AN ATTEMPT
AT MORDER
Continued from 1st Page.


face with her hands she not only shut
out the infuriated gaze of the man
that was trying to kill her, but she
protected her eyes and face from the
blows.
The poor woman fought heroically
and thus managed to avert the full
force of many of the blows, hut the
blood each time the iron descended
upon her skull flowed from fresh
wound and not only covered her own
body but left its tell tale stains on the
would-be murderer's clothes. The
floor of the room where the struggle
took place, with it's pools of blood,
presented horrible sight, ,attesting to
the desperate nature Of the struggle.
Mrs. Bendeld pleaded with her as
sailant. Once she said "Why you IL
kill me. " The reply, she says, that
Welliver made to this was: "That's
what iutend to do.
Soon after this Mrs. Benfeld heard
| the welcome sound of Mr.. Vognetz's
approaching wagon. Welliver heard
it also and it disconnected him for "a
moment. Mrs. Benfield managed to
escape to the door and ran down to the
front gate. Her assailant, still carry
ing the iron weapon in his hand, ran
out of another door and, by a circu-
itous route and leaping over the fence,
caught Mrs. Benfield in front of the
house and renewed the assault. AT
this spot three times he struck her on
the head with the steel tube. 1t was at
this iuucture that Mr. Vognetz appear
ed in sight and Welliver leaped over
the fence and ran away.
Hurley Benfeld at once telephoned
into Danville for Chief Mincemoyer,
who hurried to the Benfield farm.
Meanwhile the township constable and
citizens started out in search of the
would be murderer.
Welliver was found working in the
buck heat field. He disclaimed all
knowledge of the affair and said that
he had been working in the field all
the morning. He followed the party
to the Benfield farm, where even the
scene of the crime did not move him
and his protestations of innocence were
so loud as almost to disarm suspicion.
When officer Mincemoyer reached
Benfield's, Welliver had not been ar
rested and, along with others. sat up
on the fence, apparently by no means
the most concerned.
Officer Mincemoyer asked him how
he had gotten the blood stains upon
his clothing.
"Oh, :" was the reply, my nose
bled. "
The officer requested Welliver to
take him to the spot where his nose
had bled Rather reluctantly the fell
low turned TO comply, when a thought
struck him and he said
"Oh, you can't see the blood, COW
cred it up. "
The officer asked him why he cover
ed up the blood ana he replied that
that was his custom wien his nose
bled.
well, well go and see the spot any
how" the officer said. Welliver seem
ed to realize that he would have TO
comply and he went along. Before
they reached the field the officer had
the boy hopelessly tangled up. Final
ly, he broke down and made full con-
fessiou He went to the Benfeld
house, he said, for the purpose of kill
ing Mrs. Benfeld and that he would
have killed her had help not arrived
/ He said he wanted Ito get even with
/ her" aud concluded his confession
with the remark:
II don't want to hang for it, -
officer Mincemoyer brought Welliv-
/ er into town and placed him in prison.
Before leaving, however, he was tax
en- to the Benfield homestead, where
he was fully identified by Mrs. Ben.
field.
The two physicians found Mrs. Ben
field in pitiable condition. There
were fifteen separate gashes cut in her
head, indicating that many blows with
the heavy steel instrument. On the
top of her head the skull was laid bare
for the size of mans hand. Else
where from her forehead to the back
of her head the scalp was cut and
bruised over nearly every inch Of the
surface. 1t required 30 stitches to sew
up the wound and the hair had to be
shaved off the woman's head.
An unfortunate feature was, owing
to the woman's condition, it was not
deemed advisable to administer an an
aesthetic. She stood the ordeal brave
ly, however. The physicians found no
fracture or depression in the skull to
indicate any serious injury to the
brain and, if the woman overcomes the |
effect of the fright and schock, they
see no reason why she should not re-
cover. At last accounts she was do
ing as we'll as could be expected.
Arthur Welliver. the accused, is a |
son of N. B. Welliver, of Valley town.
ship.