The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-04-14
salem, Apri 8.
ATROCIOUS ASSASSINATION.

a kJCIOUS ASSASSINATION.
The painful duty devolves upon us If an
nouncing, that in our peaceful town, which
we had hitherto believed to be securefrom
the midnight assassin, and those crimes of
the deepest die which have 'occasi.naily
stained the annals of European nation. and
OF some parts of our own country, a murder
has been perpetrated SO horrible and afro
cious, that we should in vain searc, the
records of crime in any country for a case
exceeding it in enormity. The house of
JOSEPH WHITE, ESQ.,, one Of our most op-
ulent and aged citizens, was entered some
time in the night of Tuesday last, hy some
unknown person, who proceeded in dark
ness through several rooms and entries, to
the bed chamber of that gentleman and de-
liberately inflicted upon him, while In bed,
and doubtless unconscious ofharm, wound
in the head, and several stabs in tie body,
which must have caused his Immediate
death.
The murder was discovered little be-
fore g o'clock the next morning, by Young
man who resided in the family. On going
down stairs, being the first person I'D, he
perceived one of the windows open in the
back part of the house, and supposiug il had
been entered Ivy thieves, he proceeded to
Mr.. whites chamber to acquaint him with
the circumstance, when he found him dead,
and enveloped in blood. Only enc other
person, female domestic, slept in The house
that night, and their apartments being dis
tant from the scene of the murder, and from
the rooms which the assassin entered and
passed through, they heard nothing of his
movements. 1t is beyond doubt, that he
entered the back window alluded to above,
from the garden, by means of piece of
plank, which was found standing against
the side of the house, under the window. in
the morning. Several footprints of mans
step, we're discovered in the back yard, and
around the window, near the plank, when
first examined after the murder was ascer-
tanned. After entering this lower back
room, the assassin is supposed to have pro-
ceeded through the large entry, and up the
front stairs, to the old gentleman's bed
chamber, in the front of the second story,
and returned the same way. Some marks
OF blood it is said, were left upon the door
latches, &c. The body was found in bed
IN natural and undisturbed position; his
night clothes and the bed clothing drench-
ed IN blood. Ten stabs we're found on his
left side, in the region of the heart, of three
fourths OF an inch in width, and from one
to three inches in depth, accompanied with
strong mark OF violence on the temple.
The stabs appeared to have been inflicted
by small dirk, or some other sharp point
ed instrument. The blow on the temple
most probably was inflicted by a Ratchet,
hammer, or loaded cane either of which
injuries It was thought by the physicians,
were sufficient to extingnish life.
AS to the motives which could have in
duced the perpetlation of this horrd deed,
all IS mystery and uncertainty. Shadows
clouds, and darkness rest upon it, 1t ap-
pears certain, that plumber was not the Oh
lect, as there was money and other yalna-
bic property in the bed chamber and other
Partsof the building through which the muir
derer passed, and nothing was taken. What
other motive might have actuated the wretch
who could deliberately. and in the most bar
barons manner, take the life of a gentleman
IN the eaghty-second year of his ape, who
had Tor years been almost secluded from
the world, having long since retired from
the active cares Of his commercial pursuits.
IN which he was for long series of years
distinguished, remains to be divulged by
the operations Of on overriding Providence,
which seldom permits such dark and des-
perate deeds 10 be long hidden in mystery.
Not the slightest trace or clue to the de-
Velopment of this horrible and mysterious
murder has yet been obtained. The sole
and single purpose of the perpetr ator seems
to have been the taking of life. MOI money.
and nothing of value, was either taken or
sought for, though many valuable articles
and a roleau of doubloons were in the
chamber.
Tins far we copy from the Salem papers.
The Register of Monday says, that nothing
has yet been ascertained which can give the
least clue to the perpetrator or perpetrators Of
this horrible assassination" There are cir
cumstances, W CHI lead to the belief, that more
than one person was engaged in il, and the
opinion gains strength, that plumber was The
oOJect oil the assassins, but that something &C.
Cured which frightened them away before il
was ef1ected. Every effort is used to detect
them: The heirs have offered reward of
SlOoO; the Selectmen of Salem offer $500 !;
and Gov. Lincoln has issued his proclamation
Offering reward Of $1,000 for the detection of
the offenders. We think they will not be able
long to elude the vigilance of the lawsl
DISTRESS IN IRELAND. 1t appears by
the late English papers that the general
distress from poverty is increasing in Ireland.
In Dublin, the Mendicty Institution have
distributed relief to about 10000 persons
during the winter. In the House of Com
mons, Mr.. O'Connell presented petition
from certain inhabitants of the town of
iDrogheda, complaining of great distress.
The petitioners stated, "that there were
10000 inhabitants in the town, 5000 Of
whom were so destitute of clothing, OF fuel,
as to De dependent on subscription for
their relIef. the amount of which did not
exceed eos week, and which would Sot
afford more than three farthngs per week
to each. They also added that the como.
ration OF Drogheda were in possession of
lands belonging to certain charities which
produced 100000 year, and yet thew re-
fused to appropriate any of that amount IN