A FOUL MURDER NEAR HOPKINTON - Mr. Ned Kennedy 1871

KENNEDY

Posted By: cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 4/22/2016 at 23:36:11

Dubuque Daily Herald – Jan. 5, 1871 Page 4
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A FOUL MURDER
NEAR HOPKINTON
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A Man Butchered and
Concealed in His
Own Cellar
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The Affair Wrapped
In Mystery
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Mr. Ned Kennedy, who had been living for a number of years near Hopkinton, in Union Township, Delaware County, has been missing from his home for a number of days, but as he is an old bachelor of about 70 years of age, and lived all alone, he was supposed to have merely gone away from his home on business, or otherwise, and that he would shortly return. A number of persons having business with him have gone to the house at different times in the past few days, but always found the house securely locked, and seeing no signs of life within, would go away with the impression that another day would surely find the missing man at home, but would return the following day with the same result. In a few days it was observed that the cattle belonging to the premises exhibited and uneasy and wild appearance from want of food, and it was thought necessary to effect an entrance into the house in order to clear away the mystery – for it had by this time began to look somewhat mysterious.

Accordingly the house was forced open, but no clue was obtained until some of the party in search descended into the cellar, where a ghastly and decomposed corpse lay out before them.

Mr. Kennedy had been brutally murdered and securely locked up in his own cellar. It is known that the murdered man had in his possession a considerable amount of gold, having been somewhat of a miser, though it is not known just what amount is missing.

A coroner jury convened yesterday and rendered their verdict; the character of which we do not know yet.

No neighbor lived within a quarter of a mile of the house where the crime was committed, and the singularly retired manner in which the murdered man lived accounts for the fact that so little notice was taken of the supposed absence of Mr. Kennedy.