Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-03-11
FOUL CRIME IN
DARK HOLLOW
ALGERNoN ETHERIDGE, PRoMl.
NENT CITIZEN, WAYLAiD AND
MURDERED AT LONG BRIDGE.
DIRECT CLUE TO MURDERER
Stick With Which Crime Was Commit
ted Easily Traced to Its Owner
Landlord of CIaymore Tavern
In the ToiIs-He Denies
His Guilt

Last evening Shelby's clean record
was blackened by outrageous crime.
Some time after nightfall a carter
was driving home by Factory road,
when, just as he was nearing Long
bridge, he came upon the body of a
man lying without movement and
seemingly without life.
Knowing that in all probability an
hour might elapse before assistance
could arrive in the shape of another
passer-by, he decided to carry his
story straight to Claymore tavern. 1t
was fortunate his horses were headed
that way instead of the other, or he
might have missed seeing the skulk-
ing figure which slipped down into the
ravine with a short cough, hurriedly
choked back. He could not see the
face or identify the figure, but he
knew the cough. He had heard it a
hundred times; and, saying to himself,
That's John ScoYille.' he whipped his
horse up the hill and took the road to
Claymore.
And he was right. A dozen fell
lows started up at his call, but SEQ
vile was not among them. He had
been out for two hours; which, the
carter having heard, he looked down,
but said nothing except Come along,
boys! I'll drive you to the turn of
the bridge
But just as they were starting SEQ
Vile appeared. He was hatless and
disheveled and reeled heavily with
liquor. He also tried to smile, which
made the carter lean quickly down
and with very little ceremony drag
him up into the cart. So with SEQ
vile amongst them they rode quickly
back to the bridge, the landlord
coughing, the men all grimIy silent.
"One flash of the lantern told the
dismal tale. The man was not only
dead, but murdered. His forehead had
been battered in with a knotted stick;
all his pockets hung out empty; and
from the general disorder of his dress
it was evident that his watch had
been torn away by a ruthless hand.
But the face they failed to recognize
till some people, running down from
the upper town, where the alarm had
by this time spread, sent up the shout
of It's Mr.. Etheridge! Judge Ostran-
der's great friend. Let some one run
and notify the judge
But the fact was settled long be-
fore the judge came upon the scene.
and another fact, too In beating the
bushes they had lighted on heavy
stick. When it was brought forward
and held under the strong light made
by a circle of lanterns big movement
took place in the crowd. The stick
had been recognized. Indeed, it was
well known to all Claymore men. They
had seen it in ScovilIe's hands a
dozen times. Even he could not DENY
its ownership, explaining, I lost it in
these woods this afternoon. I hadn't
anything to do with this killing
He had not been accused; but he
found it impossible to escape after
this, and at the instance of Coroner
Haines he was carefully looked over
and a small red ribbon found in one
of his pockets. He was Immediately
put under arrest and taken to the city
lookup"
A later paragraph:
THE detectives were busy this
morning, going over the whole ground
in the vicinity of the bridge.
They were rewarded by two impor-
tant discoveries. The impression of
foot in a certain soft place halfway up
the bluff; and small heap of fresh
earth near by which, on being dug
into, revealed the watch of the muir
6ered man. The broken chain lay
with it.
The footprint has been measured.