A woman murdered and chopped up her husband so she could marry a young man in Oswego County. Unfortunately, whoever buried the body parts did a lousy job at concealment.
A Husband Murdered
SYRACUSE, N. Y., Seps. 24, 1877. —The facts of a terrible murder at West Monroe, Oswego county, were developed last Saturday and today before a coroner’s jury sitting at Parish. Some six weeks ago Darius Van Auken, a former resident of Sandy Creek, disappeared.
Last Friday night the body was found buried in a swamp on the Potterville road. The head, arm, hand and one foot were buried in a hole about fourteen inches deep. The trunk was found buried about fourteen feet from the head, with a portion of the neck exposed. The legs and one foot were found in another hole a few feet from the trunk. The legs had been stuck into the ground endwise, and the murderer, on account of her haste, had only partially covered them. Some eight inches of the legs wore above the ground. The face was sufficiently preserved to enable friends to recognize the features as those of D. Van Auken.
Mrs. Van Auken is under arrest, charged with committing the deed. One witness today gave evidence that Mrs. Van Auken wanted to marry him, and said if he would have her she would put the old man out of the way. A woman also affirms that Mis. Van Auken stated she did not like the old man, and would be only too happy to marry a son of the witness.
A post-mortem examination was made, and a bullet hole and bullet were found in Van Auken’s skull. The bullet corresponded in size to the bore of a revolver which was found in the wife’s possession. The wagon in which it is supposed the alleged murderess carted the dead body of her husband to the woods has been found on the premises.
The reach of the vehicle is covered with dried blood stains. The wife and a stepson refused to give any testimony before the coroner today.
While being taken from Parish back to Pulaski jail the woman flaunted her handkerchief in defiance at the crowd, while the boy waved his hat in the same spirit. The examination will be concluded to-morrow (Tuesday).
Source: The Illustrated Police News. Volume 22, Issue 571. 1877-10-06. Illustrated Police News Publishing Company (Boston, Massachusetts), 1877.
