The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-07-08
CINCINNATI, June Is.

CINCINNATI, June Is.
CONVICTION OF MURDER. At the term
of the Supreme Court which adjourned on
Saturday, the 18th, John Birdsell was con-
victed of murder in the first degree, and
sentenced to suffer death by hanging ON
Friday, the Oath of July next.
The murder was committed in March
the unfortunate victim was the wife of the
murderer. The principal circumstances
connected with the deed were these: Bird
sell had been for some days in state of in
toxication, but previous to the act had be-
come sober, and conceived that some per-
sons in conjunction with his wife were lay
ing plot to murder him. In the course OF
the day he complained Of this to a ply
stefan. About noon he took scythe and
wrapped it with linen near the heel, so that
he could hold it. He said he did not intend
to hurt any one, hut meant to cut the ropes
which were up stairs, prepared to kill him
and he went up stairs for that purpose
He also had his axe in the house under the
bed: It was about seven o'clock in the
evening when the murder was perpetrated
He had been walking about the house fol-
an hour or two, threatening his wife and
others. Finally he fastened the door, took
the axe and struck at his wife. in the pres
ence of his daughter, a woman grown
She seized the axe as he gave the blow
He then took up the scythe and struck at
the daughter, and she was compelled to
eeol hor own eufety by running out of doors
Several blows were inflicted on the deceas
ed with the axe, and her head was finally
severed from her body, adhering only by a
small portion of skin on one part, and of the
thoraX another. He made no attempt &c
escape but fastened the door and refused tc
let any person in.
The defence set up was insanity, and the
proof went strongly to show that his spells
of intoXication were always attended with
a fit Of partial insanity, during which, as
we'll as when intoxicated, he was abusive
and dangerous. After the verdict was rem.
dered, a motion was made for new trial
But the Court overruled it, being of opin-
ion that habitual insanity, produced by
habitual drunkenness, constituted no better
apology for the commission of crime thar
drunkenness itself. So far the wretcheC
culprt has eVinced no feeling of compunc.
ton or repentance.-Gd Gazette.
EXTRAORDINARY ANIMAL REMAINS
Some two or three years ago the newspa
pers from the southwest announced the
discovery, in the valley of the Mississippi
of the remains of some huge animal, such
as eye had never seen, nor ear heard of
and in comparison of which, even the Nam.
moth must have been but a pretty small
concern. The story was altogether toe
great for belief. But still it was true, a:
we had ocular demonstration Yesterday
gentleman having requested US to examine
some of the bones, now exhibiting in Thu
city. The largest is one side of an under
jawbone, which is twenty feet long, b,
three feet wide, and weighs 1900 pounds
There are variety of other bones, includ
ing ten or fifteen feet of the vertebrg, Of
back bone, which is sixteen inches in diane
ter, and the passage of the spinal marrow
nine by six inches. The ribs are nine fee
long, and the other bones in proportion
AS to the size of the animal which has lef
such extraordinary remains of its physica
structure, we are not sufficiently skilled il
OsteOlogy to determine. 1t must, however
have been of a magnitude of which we cal
scarcely form a conception; and in
geological point of view, it is much to be re-
GREETED that the whole skeleton was not ex
tracted from the earth in which it mus
have been for so many thousand years en-
bedded. But the labor of dis-embowellms
[ the bones now here, was herculean, as they
were buried seventeen feet below the sur
face of the earth; and the water made up
on the excavators SO fast, that a steamer
CINE must have been procured to discharge
it, The discovery was owing to one of The
bones protruding above the earth. Unit
the discovery of these bones, those of The
Mammoth were the largest of any land ami
NAL of which the relics remain.
~ Y CON- .4dye, tiSer.
PRovIDENTIAL ESCAPE. On Saturda,