Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1884 — A HORRIBLE CRIME. [ARTICLE]

A HORRIBLE CRIME.

The Singularly Brutal Murder of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Willson, Near Chicago. They Warmed a Viper in the Person of a Visitor, Who First Robbed and Then Killed Them. A double murder of the most revolting character was recently perpetrated at Winnetka, Hl., a town of 600 inhabitants, situated on the lake shore, a few miles north of Chicago, the victims being James L. Willson, an old and wealthy settler, and President 'of the Winnetka Village Board, and his wife, a member of another family of early Illinois .settlers named Weare. He was in his 72d year, and with his wife, who was nearly ten years his senior, and crippled by paralysis, lived alone in a large.retired house. The crime was attended by circumstances of peculiar atrocity, and is surrounded by a veil of mystery that defies the efforts of the detectives to penetrate. From the Chicago papers we glean the following particulars of the terrible butchery: As mentioned above, the aged couple lived alone, and the crime was not discovered until several hours after its commission. Mr. Willson’s body was found lying in a cramped condition behind the stove in the sitting-room. The right hand was clinched and beneath the head, and the left arm raised as if to ward off a blow. He had been shot twice, it was found, onoe in the 'left cheek and once in the left side of the chest. There had evidently been a desperate struggle for life by the old man, as there were numerous bruises about his head, arms and legs, and the foot-fender of the stove and the back of one of the chairs had been broken. The postmortem examination revealed the fact that nine of the old gentleman's ribs were broken, as if his murderer had finished his deed by jumping upon his victim as he lay writhing in the agonies of death before him. But horrible as was this discovery„another even more blood-curdling awaited the neighbors, as they searched the house further. In an upper chamber Mrs. Willson was found dead in her bed, with her head beaten so that her features were almost unrecognizable. The flesh from her entire forehead was stripped from the skull by blow after blow, and the skull beaten in. Gashes to the bone were visible on her chin and cheeks, and the only arm which she had with which to defend herself was bruised from the shoulder to the fingers. The pillows and bolster, Which by their position showed that the old lady, though almost a helpless paralytic, had desperately struggled for her life, were saturated with blood. She was literally pounded to death, and about the bed and room lay the implements with which the fiend, in his murderous frenzy, had done the deed. At the foot of the bed lay broken and splintered the white-thorn cane which she was accustomed to use in moving about her room. The murderer had evidently beaten her with this first, and when ,he had broken it had seized a pair of iron firetongs, and continued the beating with maddened strength. These, too, were broken into no less than a half-dozen pieces over the old’ lady's head. Pieces were found scattered on the bed and about the room, some of them Covered with blood and having gray hairs torn from the victim’s head clinging to them. Beside the bed lay a sword in its scabbard, a cherished remembrance to the old- lady of her only son, who was a surgeon in the war and died of yellow fever before its close. The dents and blood on the scabbard showed how the murderer had completed his infamous work. The bedroom presented a horrible sight aside from the mangled corpse it contained. The walls at the side of the bed and beside the head board were thickly spattered with blood, and even the high celling and walls opposite, and some twelve or fourteen feet distant from the bed, were sprinkled with it also, as if, as was doubtless the case, the murderer’s weapon, as he swung it around for another blow, had thrown off the plentiful blood that had adhered to it from the previous one. All that is known concerning the murderer is this: The village had scarcely been alarmed when Neil Kaigue, who keeps a butcher shop not far from Mr. Willson’s house, furnished a partial solution of the mystery. He says that Mr. Willson came into his shop about 6 o’clock Tuesday night, and said: “Give me two pounds of your nicest, porter-house steak; I have a friend stopping over night at my house, and I want you to send over another jsteak in the morning.” It is next to certain that this “friend,” whoever he may be, is the one who committed the murder. But no one has been found who saw any one go to the Willson house on Tuesday evening. Mr. Willson took the steak home, it is supposed, and the three (Mr. Willson, his wife, and the guest) ate it for their supper. When the house was reached the next morning no traces of the steak, or of its having been cooked, could be found. A good-sized veal cutlet was found untouched in the pantry. The table stood in the center of the dining-room, with the cloth thrown over the dishes. Upon liftin&Jt, it was discovered that it was set for three. There were three plates, three cups and saucers, and knives. This showed conclusively that Mr. and Mrs. Willson had entertained some one at supper. The appearance of the sitting-room as it was found was suggestive of the manner in which the murder was committed. The table and chairs stood as if two persons had been sitting there talking. On the table, was an unfolded newspaper and upon it were Mr. ■ Willson’s glasses. On the table, also, was a portfolio containing some of Mr. Willson’s business papers. The supposition is that this was brought out by Mr. Willson during a conversation with his guest upon business matters. During the talk Mr. Willson may have revealed the fact that he had considerable money in the house, afld this may have suggested to the man there with him the idea of robbery, even if he had not previously entertained the purpose. It is supposed that, having determined to kill Mr. Willson to secure his money, the man drew his revolver and shot at him without giving any warning. It is thought that the first shot took effect in Mr. Willson’s jaw, and that as the two jumped to their feet the second shot was fired, putting a ball into his left side. After felling his victim to the fioor after a brief struggle, the murderer probably rushed up stairs and killed Mrs. Willson, as has been described, and then returned and finding Mr. Willson still alive stamped upon him, crushing in his chest. On the floor of the sitting-room were ton nd two cloth vest-buttons, which had evidently been torn from a broadcloth vest. These, without a doubt, were forced from the vest of the murderer during the struggle, and are regarded as important evidence which may lead to his identification. Mr. Willson was worth $50,000 to SIOO,OOO, and always had a considerable sum of money about him. Mrs. Willson was eccentric, and always bad from SSOO to $2,000 in the house for her own requirements. This money was undoubtedly the incentive for the orime.