Year: 1870

MANSFIELD, Ohio March IA, 1870


The inhabitants of this quiet town were
thrown into great excitement ON Saturday
morning last by rumor that one of the most
horrible murders on record in this State had
been perpetrated in their midst


The house is situated on the street running
at angles with the main street, on line with
the railroad, and in the rear of the United
States Hotel. 1t is double one story frame


building with an attic One side of the
house is occupied by family of negroes


and in the other dwelt the victim of the muir
der. The body lay in the attic, on entering


which most sickening scene presented itself.
On the bed in the right hand corner of the
apartment lay the unfortunate woman,
drenched in her blood Her wounds were
throat was cut from ear to ear; on the right
side of the neck there was a deep cash; on
the upper part of one breast was CHASTITY
wound, and there was deep cut in the right
side of the face, laying open one cheek from
the angle of the jaw and exposing the teeth
to view. In intlicting this wound the assas-
sin had thrust his knife into the victims
mouth, nearly severing the tongue, and
drawing it out by some means as it protrud-
ed from the between the lips, which were
drawn up and contorted as from agony. Be-
sides these wounds, any of which was serious
enough to cause death, the beast in human
| form had actually disembowelled the woman


A large incision had been made in her abdo-
men, from which the entrails, mangled and
| cut, gushed out. 1t is impossible to describe
the sickening horror of the scene. Blood
bespattered the room on the floor and on the
furniture. The bedclothing was dyed with
| the gore.


10 Io,,1 ,l,ox, Al, a..


fated creature struggled desperately for her
| life. The appearance of the room indicated
that her assassin had overcome her only after
a fierce and prolonged resistance Besides,
| the struggle was heard by and actually awoke
the negroes in the adjoining house, and the
negro man rising from his bed rushed to the
door just in time to see the form of the mur-
| derer leaping through the side window with


a bound and hurry off down the street. Why
he did not instantly give the alarm is not
clearly explained; but next morning the ne
groes mentionedthe circumstance to the neigh


bors, whose suspicious became aroused by
the fact OF the woman not making her ap-
| pearance as usual. Some of them went to
the door and knocked, and receiving no re-
sponse placed ladder against the window
| and entering the room discovered her dead
body lying on the bed as described.


DoU ioIlO 10 hiloWu VI IlG pOOI CICdUufc CX-
cept that she was a seamstress, named Mary
j. Limsford. She arrived here from Cincin-
natl some five months ago, and was reported
to be a widow, with one child. 1t is stated
that she had two suitors for her hand, one of
which she accepted, and that the marriage
ceremony was to have been performed on
Wednesday next. So far no clue has been
obtained to the murderer. Some persons
think that the crime was committed by the
disappointed lover, but there is no evidence
whatever at present to Justify the suspicion.
The tragedy has naturally created the great
est excitement and aroused the city authori-
ties to unwonted activity. A reward of
81 900 has been offered for the arrest of the
murderer, and it is hoped that he will be dis
covered before many days can pass. At the
present writing, however, the terrible affair
is shrouded in the deepest mystery.


"Mack," the Washington correspondent of
the Cincinnati Enquirer, thus lifts the veil to
show how the Government is robbed:


''No later than last evening was conyers-
ing with gentleman, whose opportunities
for correct information are not surpassed by
any living person, Gen. McPherson's Adiu-
tant General for three years-and reputed the
best officer of the kind in the service. Since
the war he has had command of the troops
on the Texas frontier. In that capacity he
got his best insight into the enormities Of the
army swindlers. He told me of sun dial
which had been constructed in one of the
frontier torts-a very plain article on gran
ite pedestal actual value of which he es
timated at Sl7. What do you think the Gov
ernment has paid for it i? He assured me that
he had gone to the trouble to examine the
vouchers in the department, and, said he, .as
I'm living man. that sun dial has cost the
Government $4,000 I asked how it was
done. 4 don't know said he, 1 only know
that every quartermaster and commissary
who has had anything to do with the fort own
a pair of horses, with silver mounted, mono
gram harness and splendid carriages and big
stone front houses He enumerated yarie.
ty of other abuses OF all kind"