Year: 1872

where he in company with two others had muir
dercd man, and he wanted Mr. Belcher to
carry him out into the country, offering to pay
him literally. He said his name was Henry
Schecle that he was sentenced to be hanged,
and that to day was the last day he had TO live.
Mr.. Belcher at this point suspected that the man
was insane, which suspicion was soon confirmed
by his earnest request to be at once conveyed
away or furnished with razor with which he
could put an end to his life. Mr.. Becher finally
told him, to paciiy him, that he might get into
the wagon, and, as soon as he had eaten break
fast, he would take him to a place of safely
The man objected to getting into the wagon,
possibly suspecting Mr.. Belcher'S plan, which
was to take him to the police Office, and said he
would stay in the barn.


About five minutes after Mr. Becher had en-
tered the house he heard noise in the barn
and going out found the man lying upon his
face in pool of blood, with his throat cut SO
deeply as 10 almost sever the head from the
body. A scythc, which had been hanging on a
string piece over the floor, was lying near the
body and was the instrument with which the
terrible deed had been accomplished. The
scythe was one of the usual pattern, hung upon
a.snath and quite sharp, but nothing except the
superhuman strengt induced by the wild fren-
.zy of insanity could have enabled the unfortu-
nate man to inflct such terrible wound
Death of course ensucd almost instantly.


Notice of the affair was soon sent down to the
city, and the body was taken by the police
authorities to the undertaking rooms of George
Sessions & Son on Trumbull street. Dr. J.
Marcus Rice was summoned as coroner, but he
decided that no inquest was necessary. He
made an autopsy Of the body, which showed
that the arteries and veins upon the front and
left side of the neck had been severed by cut,
extending from the right of the wind-pipe,
across and through it, to behind aud under the
left ear, and reaching backward to the spinal
column just below its joint with the skull. A
partially healed cut was found upon the right
side of the neck, extending from under the ear
some three inches forward A knife wound
was also found upon the inside of the left wrist.
This latter had been quite serious cut, as the
stitches with which it was sewed up still re-
manned. Both wounds had the appearance of



two or three weeks ago.


The man was of medium height and build,
and about thirty years of age, full faced and
with high forehead; his hair was dark brown,
and he wore a sandy moustache. He was clothed
in black overcoat, vest and pants, with no un-
dercOat, and wore handkerchief around his
neck.


Many persons visited the body during the fore
noon, and several parties thought they could
identify it as being that of jesse Herlord, car
penter who has been working in Whtinsyille.
His wife, who lives on Siegel street, was sent for
and even she was deceived, as she insisted that
the body was that of her husband, until tel
egram had been sent to Whidnsville and an an
swer received saying that jesse Herlord was ut
work there as usual.


The police authorities were quito confident
that the deceased was German and made in
quiries among some prominent German resi-
dents here TO see if any clue could be gained as
to his identity. From marks on his hands it
was thought that he was cigar maker. A
young German cigar maker who recently came
from Wcstfeld, Mass, was taken in TO see the
body, and he Immediately identified it as that of
Henry Scheele, a wood carver of WcstGeld,
Mass. As near as can be ascertaned, Scheele
has en'partially Insane for some time, and has
previously made attempts upon his own life.
The story of his insanity, as told by
the German cigar maker, Is that he
had been living in Westfeld for some
time, and while there he fell in love with a
widow lady who did not return his affection-in
~fact, she loved another. This circumstance had
such an effect upon him that he became partial
ly insane, and one day, about three weeks ago,
made savage attack upon his rival with a
knife. Some bystanders interiered and separ-
ated the two men, whereupon Scheele attempt
ed to commit suicide by cutting his throat.
This story accounts for the old wound found
upon the right side Of his neck, and it is proba-
ble his wrist was cut at the same time He re-
mained in Westfield for some time after the oc-
currence narrated above, having been seen there
as late as Monday evening Of last week.


There still remains some mysterious circunl-
stances to be cleared up. When he arrived on
the train Friday evening he was accompanied
by another man, who was seen with him later
in the evening, but has since been missing.
When Coroner Rice searched the clothing on
the dead body, only four dollars and five cents
in money was found, and couple of letters
written in German, one of them dated Westheld.
At the time of his interview with officer Sprague
he had in his possession a large sum of money,
ticket to Boston and other articles of less
value. 1t is strongly suspected that his COM
panion was some one who knew that he was in
sane, and accompanied him for the sake of rob-
bling him, which he probably did and then de-
serted him. How Scheele knew MIR. Belcher'S
name, and where he spent the night from the
time he started down Front street till he made
his appearance at the barn on Pleasant street, is
not known.


kilograms were forwarded on Saturday to the
chief of police in Westfcid and to the New
York address given, making inquiries in regard
to Scheele. The authorities at Westfield replied
that Scheele had no connexions living in that
town, but that it was understood he had
mother, brother and sister in New York. no re-
sponse has yet been received from the New York
telegram.


The remains are still at the rooms of Mcssrs.
Sessions Son, where they are preserved in ice,
to await the arrival Of the relatives of the de-
ceased. II no one appears to claim the body it
will probably be buried on Tuesday.


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