The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-26 00:00:00

Shocking Fratricide in West Missouri.

Two brothers, named John and Samuel M'Dowell,
together with their sister Eliza, came to London
(Missouri West) on September 2, to dispose of some
produce and make some purchases, and on their
return home the men became intoxicated. John's
wife was away picking hops when her husband
and his brother returned, and when she came back
they were both standing in front of the shanty.
They appeared to be very angry and high words
were passing between them. John's wife let down
the fence to get the cattle into the yard, when he
interfered, telling her it was too late in the evening
to let cowsin. She did so, however, and then fol-
lowing Samuel into the shanty, gave him his supper
and began to churn. Just then her husband rushed
in and angrily demanded why she had let the cows-
in at that time of night. Some hard words passed,
and John struck his wife on the head with his
clenched fist. This was what Samuel had antici-
pated, and to prevent which he had come that night
to•his brother's house. At the sight of the stroke
he entirely gave way to his passion, and rose hastily
from the supper table and bounded with terrible
ferocity upon his brother. With a heavy blow of his
fist he sent him reeling to the floor, then fell upon
him, and getting him jammed up behind the
door, began to choke him by grasping him with
his fingers at the throat. True to woman's
instinct, Mrs. M'Dowell interfered to save her
husband, begging Samuel in piteous accents
to desist from violence towards him, offering to
suffer any tortures he might inflict upon her rather
than see him harmed. Samuel then allowed his
brother to get up, ani the latter had no sooner
gained his feet than he called for the axe. Samuel
got it from him, and seizing it with the ferocity of a
maniac, hurled it over his head and threatened to.
chop down any one who would molest him. But,
watching his opportunity, Samuel again seized his
brother and forced him to the floor, and during the
scuffle Mrs. M•Dowell recovered the axe and hid it
away. Samuel then ran into a field and, stripped to
the waist, he dared John to come and meet him in a
fair and open fight. John again demanded the axe
from his wife, but she stated that she did not know
where it was. In a minute more the horrible tragedy
was enacted. Seizinga stick which had been used to
stir the fire, John rushed to meet his brother in deadly
conflict. He made one bound to clear the fence and
to get at his brother, but tripped and fell upon the
ground. Samuel bounded upon him in an instant,
and with great strength wrenched the weapon from
his grasp, and as he lay partly stunned by the fall,
and nearly mad with rage by the injuries already
received, Samuel lifted the stick and struck him
with all his might three heavy blows upon the head.
At the second blow John's wife ran up, threw her-
self between the two men, and implored. Samuel, in
the name of God, to spare her husband. The wife
lifted him up gently, and seeing, by the moon's
bright rays, his upturned eyes and ashy counte-
nance, and feeling that his pulse had ceased to
throb, turned upon Samuel M'Dowell and charged
him with killing her husband.. The, death of
his brother did not appear to disturb him much.
He 14 out in the bush all night,- like' a hunted
felon, every moment expecting the officers of justice
upon his track, and the fear of detection,,
instead of nerving him to elude pursuit, seemed to
paralyse his energies. On Sunday afternoon an
inquest was held on the murdered man by Coroner
Flock, when all who had any knowledge of the
circumstances were thoroughly examined touching
the matter. Dr. Moore, of London, made a post
mortenz examination of the body, and said that de-
ceased had sustained a great many hurts and bruises
in all parts of his body. The heaviest blows, he
stated, were inflicted on the mouth and nose. The
skull was not fractured, but death resulted from
concussion, which produced a rupture of the blood-
vessels of the brain. The prisoner was committed
to take his trial.

With regard to the wool trade, Messrs. Charles
Balme and Co., in their usual circular, make the
following reference to the auctions not concluded:—
" The continued active state of trade in the woollen
districts enabled our buyers to dispose largely of
their purchases in the June series, and they came
prepared to operate freely in these sales at former
rates, notwithstanding that so large a quantity was
again brought forward, and it must be taken as a
strong proof of the stability of the trade that nearly
300,000 bales have been sold within the past four
months at firm prices."
The telegrams from Greece state that the Govern-
mebt has contracted a new loan for a small amount
with the lonian Bank. -It is to bear 7 per cent. in-
terest, and will be reimbursed in the course of 15
years.