MURDER AT WALDO!
ISRAEL BENSLEY FATALLY
STABED BY ENOCH YOUNG.
THE MURDERER ARRESTED AND
IN THE MARION JAIL.
THE CORONER HOLDING AN INQUEST.
Let the Law be Vindicated and Life
Protected.
It makes no difference in the case who was killed
at Waldo last evening; the fact that the law has been violated and a life
taken by premeditation is sufficient to call for a speedy punishment.
Again our community has been shocked with the fact
that a terrible murder was committed at Waldo last evening — that life
has been taken by a cool, deliberate murderer. It is the general
opinion that no time should be spared in trying the case and that such
men should not be allowed to exist. The circumstances, as near as
we could gather them, are as follows: It seems that a regular drunken
row occurred in Waldo yesterday, and a man by the name of Enoch Young
figured most conspicuously. He seemed to be bent on having trouble
and finally succeeded; had stirred up several 'musses', (which his appearance
this morning plainly shows), after which, with murder in his heart, he
went home, got a knife, and returned to where a crowd had gathered.
Young, with knife in hand, made some desperate flourishing moves and struck
a man by the name of Bensley in the breast. The wounded man
fell, and as he was falling, Young made a second pass at him and struck
him on the skull, breaking off the point of the knife, and Bensley
was killed almost instantly. This terrible affair occurred about
seven o'clock in the evening. The murderer was promptly arrested,
brought to Marion about 12 o'clock and lodged in jail. We called
at the jail this morning and sought to interview the prisoner--asked him
how the matter occurred and what he had done the deed for? and whether
he had any spite at the murdered man? He said: "Don't know
how it happened; I had no particular spite at the fellow; we were only
in a drunken row." Young, the murderer, is a tall, well-built
man, sandy complexion, with hair, side- whiskers and mustache of the same
color. He has been considered a bad, quarrelsome, drinking, loafing
man; doing nothing but occasionally trading horses; is about 28 years of
age; has a wife and two children.
Bensley, the murdered man; was about 45 years of
age; a farmer, or worked on a farm; was an industrious, hard-working, sober
man; he was a poor man, and highly respected by all who knew him.
He leaves a wife and five children, who have the sympathy of everybody.
Bensley
had worked hard all day yesterday gathering stone in a field and in the
evening went into Waldo for the purpose of getting his mail matter; and,
either going to or returning from the post office, his attention was attracted
to a crowd of quarrelling, drunken fellows, and through mere curiosity, |
he stepped up to the crowd to see what the matter was,
and while standing there, with arms folded, a peaceable and quiet looker-on,
he was fatally stabbed — murdered in cold blood — by Young, without
any apparent cause or provocation whatever.
Both families reside in Waldo and have the sympathy
of everybody for the mountain of grief that the murderer has brought upon
them.
The Coroner has been holding an inquest, and up to
going to press, we have not learned whether he has arrived at a conclusion;
but as fast as anything in regard to the terrible affair develops, our
readers shall be made fully acquainted.
The wives of Bensler (sic)
and Young are at present in a condition that makes this burden of
grief harder for them to bear.
The murderer, Young, sent for Capt. Scofield
this afternoon to consult him.
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