Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-19 00:00:00

HO RRIB LE TRAGEDY.

A WIFE CUT TO PIECES,

SUICIDE OF THE --HUSBAND.
A terrible outrage has been committed in our settlement
Living, as I do, near the scene of slaughter and being
acquainted with the circumstances and the, parties, I have
thought it best to give you a short sketch of the same.
About a mile north of me there is, (or was), living a family
by the name of Hurt, consisting of Hurt, his wife, his
wife's methe-, and four children. The other day Heil
went to the city for the purpose of ascertaining the truth
of the report in circulation, which was, that his wife had
succeeded in oh wining a bill of divorce. He came home
a little before sunset, went to the well. got a drink of
water, then picked up an axe and drove his wife from the
house. Overtaking her is the yard he struck her with the
axa on the back of hq• head. She fell to the ground and
he ties hacked her up in the most shameful manner ; cat
her right arm nearly off, and sunk the bit of the axe
several times in her back and sides. He then left her for
dead, and took after his mother-ir-law, who was running
through the field to one of the neighbours. She had got
so far off that he left her, went in'o the house, took some
fire, went up stairs and set the beds on fire. In half an
hour the
.house and everything in it was in ruins. Two
of his sons, yaung men, were present at the time, but dare
not make the least resistance. While the house was burn-
in,e, Hurt was seen going through the fidd towards a
thicket. About dark, some thirty of the neighbours c)l-
-ected around the burning ruins. Mrs. Hurt was found
in a potato patch, senseless. She was carried to a neigh-
boor's house, and it wee arranged to meet at daylight the
text morning, to hunt for Hur'. The search was short.
He went about twenty rods to the edge of a thicket, and
stabbA himself twice will a pocket-knife.. ,He was heard
c ying and moaning all night by some of the neighbours.
He had lost his lode in the grass, and had no other wee-
poa with which to finish the work of self-destruction. One
man was despatched to the city for a doctor. He had a
double-barrel shot gun with him, and, in leaving for the
city, he left the gun sanding under the shed. Hurt left
the thicket in the night, earn to the house, or where it
stood, polled off his right, boot, fas'ened it to a pole with
his handkerchief, and got water from the well to drink.
As soon as it was light lie saw the gun, and placing the
m'rzzie to his lett ear, he di-eharged the piece, as is sup-
posed with his toes. He was found lying on his back, with
his left arm around the gun. Hurt was a drinking, shift-
less, and evidently a desperate man. His wife was a hard-
working, iuitustrious woman. The family were left with-
out shelter, or a change of clothes. Mrs. Hurt had lived
in constant fear of her life for the last four years, and
seff:red a thousand deaths. The family formerly live in
ihe northern part of Ohio. Some fifteen years ago Hurt
killed a neighbour of his in a drunken affray, aue fled to
Canal,. She remaiued in Ohio until about four years
ego, when she received a deter from bins from Michie,an,
stating that ha hod land there, and waned her to sell rut
and join him. Her children heirig tux-:ono to come Wes-
she did so. Hart was in debt fur grog and board bill
when she foend him. She paid it, for she had about
1,800 do's. with her. She beught a place here; and not
seeing any reformation in the man, the secure] the title in
her owu name. Tory lived to;;: Cher as men and for
a short tune. He Caine near killing he two years ago.
She swore her life on him and applied tor a bill. Ha has
been living in the family ever since, a terror to them ail.
She employed Clarke & Brother to get a divorce. At her
request t wrote them once or twice in her behalf_ Knowing
her, as I did, (e'ag haviag worked for us several times,
when compelled ter fl e her own home) I informed them of
hertroubles, and they secured the diyeree, a,el her right
to the little property she possess d. But she is not here
now to thank them for it ; for I hive just learned that she
is dead, and is to he buried this evening ; her hush ind has
already hen buried. Thus ends 'he tragic scene.—Cor-
respondence of the lowa Republican (SohnEoa County.)