A Horrible Tragedy

Bridgewater, one of the most staid and quiet townships of the county.with its fine farms and farmers, has been furuishing a number of sensations recently. Close upon the rniniature cyolone which played havoc on Sol. Tate 's fine farm, comes a horrible tragedy enaoted on au adjoiuing farm, tbat of Charles Gadd, who resides four miles northeast of Clinton, consisting of an attempted mnrder and snicide. Martha Miner, a domestio employed by Mr. Gadd was shot by her lover, Niles N. James, familiarly known as Sam James, while in her room at about 5 o'clock Tuesday morning. James immediately turued the revolver upon himself and bis death resulted iustantaneously. The tragedy was discovered by Mr. Gadd when he leturned from doing bis chores at the barn Tnesday moruing. Not fioding Miss Minej, whom he had cal led when he started for tbe bain, he agaic called her, with no response. Going upstairs to the room be called again and she answered iu a weak voice. He asked her if she was sick and she said ' 'yes. ' ' He asked hor where she was sick and the reply was "All over." He a6ked if she was too sick to get np and again the weak reply carne "yes." Opening tbe door a horrible sight met his ga'ze. Oa the bed fully dressed lay the body of James, with bis legs extended straight out, and writhing on tbe bed, covered with blood and ciad only in nndergarments was tbe nnfortnnate Martha Miner. Without stopping a moment the horrified farmer quickly ran aoross the road to his son's house to cali assistauce. Tbe neighbors qnickly came but little of the details of tbe tragedv could be learned. The girl was still oonsciou0 wben the neigbbors got there, bnt iu agony. A portion of her brains were oozing through a revolver wound in her temple. Her eyes were almost bnlging Erom her head and she was covered with blood. The walls were stained wi'h blood as if she bad attempted to grope her way abont the room, and the bed was literally soaked with it. She lay with her head on the shonlder of the dead man but writhing and struggling in great agony. She was asked if James shot her and she said that he did and that "it was the Lord's will that done it." She remained conscious for an bour, during whioh time she stated that James had been concealed in the house since Saturday night. It is supposed tbat the tragedy occurred while Mr. Gadd was at the barn, as no pistol shots were heard, and Mr. Gadd has a quick ear. The barn is some distanoe from the house. James' body was still warm. The revolver with whioh the deed was done lay between his arm and his side as it probably feil after he placed it close to bis temple aud pulled the trigger. It was a 32 calibre revolver and is believed to have belonged to the girl. Tbree chambers were eiupty, but only two shots completad the tragedy, the otber chamber, it is believed, Dot having been loaded. Martha JVliner was 28 years of age, aud had been ernployed by Mr. Gadd for about five weeks as his houekeeper. She was a good bousekeeper and seeins to have been well liked, the only thiug heard againts her being her iiifatuatiou for James. For several years she bad resided near the Gadds, ou a small farm, liviug alone with James. Her sisters objected strongly to this and the little property which had been left by their parents was divided among them. Martha is known to have had $300 in the bank four months ago, and all that can now be found of hers is about filOO. James is believed to have speut the rest. He was a big good-for-notbiug man, standing a f uil six feet high and with enorraous feet. He was a painter by trade. 20 years older than the girl, and had a wife and family in Ohio, who had left him on account of his dissolute habits. He didn't work ruuch, preferring rather to dissipate. For soine time he had lived alone in a shanty in the voods not far from the scène of the tragedy. James was about the Gadd house Saturday between 4 and o o'clock, and Mr. Gadd asked him in to supper. Atter snpper he and JNlartha walked down the road together aud he was not agaiu seen alive by any of the Gadd families. The gitl, however, stated before she became uuconscioas, that he had been concealed about the honse, without Mr. Gadd's knowledge, sinoe Saturday night. Sunday Mr. Gadd and the girl went to ohurch and the girl had two of James' shirts in the wash Monday. I Dr. J. L. Tnttle, of Clinton, was called to attend the girl. She was still alive at 7 o'clook Wednesday evening, bnt the doctor stated that if she lived 6he would be iusane. The bullet was removed from her left temple Weduesday, it baving passed alruost entirely through her head. A medical examiuation showed that she was not enciente, so that reason for the tragedy was absent. One peculiar feature of the case is the fact that the doctor thiuks two pails of water must have been tbrowu upon the bed. The woruau bad been freshly washed aud her hair was wet with water, as well as blooct. The bed was also soaked with other water aud blood. The water pitcher in the rooru was f uil of water and there was uo pail theie. How did the water get on the bed? A heavy club was also fonnó. in the room. Justice James Benbaru iinpanelled a corouer's jury made np of excellent jury material and au inqnest was at once held upon the body of James. Charles Gadd and bis son Charles L. Gadd, Dr. J. L. Tuttle and Alary Rodgers were sworn as witnesses and the jury rendered a verdict that James came to bis death by his own hand by sbooting himself through the right temple with a 32-calibre revolver. The curious may vainly speculate over the causes which led np to the tragedy. It is thought by some that instead of attempted ruurder and sui oide, it is a case of doublé suicide, each having shot tbemselves, the same revolver being nsed. Under this tbeory the girl ninst have first shot herself and then James must have taken the revolver and applied it to his temple. Botb shots were at the closest range and fired in abont the same relative position. The shot which killed James had gone a little farther back in the head and produced instantaneous death. Another theory advanced was that the giil, despairing of getting out of tbe clutobea of the good-for-nothing lover, had done the shooting. Against this theory is her statement that James did the shooting and the position of tbe revolver when found, which lay between James' arm and side as it probably wonld have fallen after the last shot. The girl, in the horrible sitoation in which she was found, was hard ly in condition fo carry ont a delibérate plan to put the bonus of the sbooting on James. le seerus to be the general ímpression that the tragedy was planned between the two and the girl's expression, when asked why James shet her, that "it was the Lord's will," is one of the main props of tbis theory. Stiii auother theory is tbat the gir] had fiually made a stand against giving James any more money, he having speut nearly all her property, aud that he shot ber in an atterupt to rnake her give up more rnoney. He was appareatly ready to leave at the time of the shooting, while sha was evidently jast gettiüg up. He was fnlly dressed, his coat bnttoned up and his hat on his bead when the shot enteied his bead. In his pookets were a comb and one cent, showing the low coudition of his excheqner. James was buried in Clinton at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, Rev. D. H. Rainsdall offleiating at the grave. The expenses oí the funeral were gaaranteed by an Ohio brother. He leaves a wife and two sons; the oldest l(i years of age, at Middlebury, Ohio.