Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-03-02
MOST ATROCIOUs MURDERS.

W i"'e OPPS' Ndhdua papers Gull
( tain an account of the murder of a mother
and sir children, and the strongest suspi-
cion of this act rests upon Henry Sover-
eign, the father of the family, The fol-
lowing particulars are from the pen of
the Rev. Mr.. Ryerson:
A general horror has been excited in
the minds of the inhabitants of London
District, by the preparation of one of
| the most atrocious and unnatural crimes
that ever stained the history of man--in
the murder of mother, and six, if not
seven children | will briefly state the
particulars OF this dark and bloody trans
action, as detailed TO me by the deeply
afflicted Father and Brother ofthe muir
dered woman; and also by one of the
Coroner's jury that invest gated it.
The principal evidence, am inform
ed, was neighbor, who lived between
a quarter and halfa mile from the place
where the murder was committed. He
stated that on Monday morning the 2 st
instant some time before day, Henry So
vcreign, the father Of the murdered
family, came to hisIouse, slightly woun-
ded in the breast aud left arm saving
that there were muraerers at his Sow
ereign's) house, and that he was afraid
or expected they would Kill his wife and
family. The neighbor, in company
with Sovereign, came with all possible
haste TO the place. The first object that
attracted his notice on his arrival, was
little infant about three or four months
old. burning on the fire one of its legs
was burnt off near Y to the knee; the
back part of its head was consumed, and
It's body was much burnt. Near the
hearth lay another child in safe ofin-
sensibiIity. This | believe is not vet
dead, although it is not expected to sur
vive. BY the SIDE ofthe door was anoth-
er, in sitting or squatting posture, hav-
ing been struck on the head with blud-
geon or some large instrument, which
occaSioned instant death. A fourth was
found out of doors at the corner of the
house, lifeless, and bleeding on the
ground. About rod from the house, in
path which led to an old howell, was
seen fifth in the same state. Nearly
rod farther in the same path was found
young woman, about II years of age,
lifeless corpse. In the yard in front of
the howell, lay the mother and another
little boy, close together, weltering in
their blood.--Close by the mother was
observed the blade ola knife, all bloody.
1t was found, on examination, that she
had received blow OH the back of her
neck, which fractured her skull and dis
located her neck bone, and had also been
stabbed in the pit of the stomach, so as
to pierce the vitals and divide one of
the large arteries. which bled most pro-
fusely. The knife blade was Immediate
ly challenged as Sovereign's, and the un-
fortunate woman's brother declared that
he had frequently seen it at his (Sove-
reign's) house. Search being made, the
handle was found about two rods from
the place where the blade Law, and it
was said, that Sovereign had been seen
few days before putting a rivet in the
self same handle. Sovereign however
denied having any knowledge of the
knife, and said he had his knife in his
pocket He produced it at the request
OF those present, and behold, it was also
bloody.
The above, together with the facts of
Sovereign having brutalized himself by
intemperance, and rendered his family
very unhappy and at different times
threatened their lives, and otherwise A.
bused them, has created a very general
suspicion that he perpetrated The iuhu-
man crime. The suspicion is strength
ened by the fact, that none were known
to entertain any hostile feeling towards
Sovereign's lamily-no persons were
discovered or pected--S overegin's sto-
ry that two men attacked his house lit
tie before day and the manner of his es-
Gaping from them appeared TO be quite
ImPrObab!e--that the bIudgeon, (which
was club or mall about two feet long,
such as is used in irving shingles) was
found concealed between the straw and
feather bed, and the mangled bodies of
the unfortunate family had the appear
ance of being dead some time OH the ar--
rival OF the neighbor who first witness
ed the dreadful scene. Sovereign was
aPPrehended and sent to jail on suspi.
ciOn.
We have too much reason TO fear that
this dreadful aggravation OF murderous
crime originated in tipping.
Yours, iii great haste,
VIM. RYERSON.
York, Jan. oath, 1882.