Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-03-07
Perrin, Upper Canada) Feb. 7.

PERTH, Upper Canada) Feb. 7.
MURDEHs.-lt becomes our painful task this
week, to revert to sub ject which for the honor
Of humanity, we would wish were buried in
eternal oblivion; mean the murder of the
Easily family. eve formerly spelled the name
ltIsby, when giving an account of this awful ca
tastrophe) When recorded the verdict of
the inquest, and the week after, when we gave
some further particulars our information was all
collected from what Thomas Easily, the husband
of the deceased woman and father of the deceas-
ed children, stated oath before the Coroner
Little did we then think that an affair, shrouded
IN mysteries which the knowledge Of men could
not penetrate, would ever come to lght-But
how Inscrutable are the ways of an all searching
God, from whose omniscient eye there is no hi
ding place-who will not suffer the guilty to es-
cape, out VIII render to every one according to
his works" What neither human wisdom could
iorsee, human prudence could accomplish.
has been brought about by the mysterious agency
OF an overrnling Providence. Easby's Youngest
son, child of four years old, was spared
This child and his father were the only survi-
vors of the family. Since the death of the mother
a respectable neighboring family took charge of
him, and, much to their credit, were nurturiDo
him with care and attention.. In his innocent
and thoughtless prattle, he would often relate the
manner father killed mother, his sister and three
when no one appeared to be listening-point to
the spade-teIl how his father struck his mother
with such an instrument, show now he flung Goals
among them to burn them. He also states, that
when the father made an attack on the little ones,
the Oldest boy (wbo we suppose was about ten
years old) cried out, ooh father! don't kill the
childrcD.' words TO that effect.
The story was whispered round the neighbor-
hood for some days Many were incredulous, not
supposing that monster in human shape could
he found with heart so caous as to perpetrate
this internal deed. Our very active Coroner Mr.
Maheson, hearing the report, determined without
further hesitation delay to make all possible
scrutiny. Accompanied by two magistrates and
medical gentleman he proceeded to the hut,
where Easily has resided alone, since the inter
ment Of his family. After inspecting the hot,
percelvng no in Jury done to it, and hearing some
additional testimony, being fully satisfied that all
could not have occurred, as stated by Easily be-
fore the inquest, they thought fit to commit him
for further examination On the following day
CTuesday last all the five bodies were disinterred
where they were infinitely examined by the med.
ical men Of the town, in presence of a numerous
assembly, whom the alarm had collected and
revolving to humanity 0! shocking to relate
such barbarous and brutal marks of violence were
on the bodies OF all as have brought full conviction
to the minds Of the medical gentlemen, that they
s0erc all murdered. The woman's head was cut
in five different parts, and the hinder part Of the
scnll was all broken to mortar. The bodies OF
the four children bore similar marks of inhuman
treatment The SOULS were fractured, and va
rious wounds inflicted OH the heshy parts.
Thos Easily was brought from the cell to view
the bodies of his family; and, while the feelings
of all around wore agitated at the dreadful scene,
he alone betrayed few symptoms of emotion or
concern. On being requested to handle the
fractured souls, he did so with apparent reluc-
tance.-When asked how he could account for
such and such wounds, his reply still was he did
not know.
The following particulars are related by son
Of Mr.. Tullis, decent and industrious farmer
who lives close by Easby's shanty. This young
man hearing noise and observing great blaze