The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-05
MURDER COMES
FROM HATRED
FOR MARRIAGE
Mar, Who SIeu Sis
ter's Fionce Is
Misogan1ist.
By VICTOR LOWELL.

Madison, Wis, May 5.-Hatred OF
matrimony by two generations OF
the Farwel1s has led to the convic-
tion here OF Hartweil Farwell, rich
Dane county farmer and deacon of
the Congregational church at Wind
sor, for the murder of his sisters
| fiance.
Farwell warned his sister not to
attempt to marry. After So years
of spinster life, love came to her
and she announced her engage
ment. Farwell killed Philip Hous-
ten rather than have another we'd
ding in the family. The jury in the
case was out 81 hours, returning
its verdict late Thursday evening.
I've got plenty of money to pro-
| vide for my daughters; they don't
need to marry" James Farwell,
| father of the convicted man, often
i repeated to his family. The father
| died 10 years ago, but he handed
down the heritage of celebacy to
his bachelor son, HartweIl, who
became even moze bitter toward
Daughter Finds Lover.
A daughter who refused to abide
| by the wishes of her father mar
ried and was ostracized by her kin.
A son wed and moved away. When
James Farwell died only Hartwell
and Alice remained. Alice's love
affairs had been snuffed short of
the altar by her father. The best
years of her life were barren of ro-
nance. Then a knight who prom
ised to rescue her from this mo-
notonous isolation appeared on the
scene in the person of Philip Hous-
| ten.
| A casual acQuaintanceship ripen-
ed into love and Alice forgot the
creed of her father in her new
found happiness. The brother took
little notice at first of the growing
friendship.
He believed that his sister was
| Suddenly the truth confronted him.
Alice announced that she proposed
to marry Philip and move to a
farm her suitor planned to pur-
| chase with his savings.
Brother Drives Him Of.
| 1nfuriated at the thought of Alice
leaving the Farwell home to wed a
| comparatively poor man, Hartwell
| drove Houston from the house and
| forbade his sister to see him again
| Calm was restored to the house
hold; Houston had apparently de-
| serted the neighborhood. Then it
| dawned on the brother that his sis
| ter had been meeting her sweet
| heart in secret The married sis
! ter who had been cast out by the
family opened her doors to the cou-
| pie as a trysting place. At other
| times the two would meet in the
/ orchard.
! One day in January their tryst
was interrupted by the sudden ap-
| pearance of Hartwell. The broth
er had seen the two embrace. He
was furious Frightened, Alice
| fed to the house. A moment later
shots were heard When Hartwell
returned to the house he told his
sister that Houston won't bother
around here for a while" Alice
! believed her iance had simply been
driven away by the shots.
Three days later the sheriff came
! to get Farwell. Alice heard them
ask her brother about a charred
corpse pulled out of a flaming hay.
stack at Portage. Farwell reso,
I.lutely maintained he knew nothing
about the matter. Alice collapsed
Farwell Admits Crime.
| Farwell was brought to Madi,
son, where he broke down and con-
fessed.
Il had warned Houston to stay
away" he said. 81 was afraid hs
carried a gun, so l went armed
Then in a fit of insanity I sho'
/ him"
| Farwel1 told District Attorney
Lewis how he attempted to dis.
pose of the body and how it haunt
ed him.
| 81 hid Houston in the barn." h.
said, but the horses became rest
less. That night l carried the body
to the weeds on my farm, but
of leaving him there. The mex
morning l dragged him to the to-
bacco shed and wrapped him in ;
gunnysack. That night l put hin
| in my machine and went to Madi
son. I drove up one street ant
down another for hours. I was
daZed. All at once l found myself
out in the country. / saw a grouI
of haystacks on a deserted farm
| That gave me an idea drove
alongside one of them and wfthou
getting out dumped him on top and
| lit a match to the hay. Then
drove back home like mad"
Sister Is Star Witness.
| After confessing, Farwell decided
to fight for his freedom on the
ground of insanity. For a time the
attitude of his sister was a mys.
terry, but during the trial just clos
ed she was the star witness. 4
pitiful figure she was, too, having
aged fully ten years since thC
tragedy.
| The case has been one of the
strangest in the criminal annals o
/ the state.
WOOD MUST DECIDE.