Litchfield enquirer., 1836-03-31

Horrible TrGgedy.-It becOmrs our painful
duty TO record one Of the darkest deeds in the
annals Of crime. On Saturday the eth Feb.
in the neighborhoOd Of Liberty, Union Co.
La. and Is miles from this place, man by the
name Of Isaac Heller, murdered his whole
aHaRy-hs wife and three children The
circumstances are reported 10 he Of the most
aggravated nature. 1t appears that some "f
the neighbOrs had called at the residence Of
Heller, and told him that unless he would go to
work and maintain his family, that the proper
officers would attend to it, and his family
would become County charge. This APP
peared somewhat to Incense him. He is
represented as being hale, robust man. not
given to dissipation, but extremely 'mproVl-
dent and INDECENT. After these persons had
left the house, he rose and lifted the axe from
beneath the bed-telIing his wife that he was
going out to chop, and passing behind where
she was sitting with the child in her Al ms,
struck her to the foor-literally splitting her
down. A girl, sister to- the wife, being pres
ent and seeing the stroke thus made at her
sister, few to give the alarm, but before re-
lief could reach the place the work was done !!
The wife after receiving the perpendicular
stroke was heard by the retreating girl to
give one scream. He then threw the child
rem on the floor, and severed their heads from
their bodies with such violence that the weap-
on struck in the floor, and, as reported by
himself, they made no noise. The murderer
had fed when the alarm had called any assist
ance. But Immediately pursuit being des-
patched, he was Overtaken six or eight miles
on the Brookville road and surrendered with
out resistance. only giving 10 justification of
the act, that "they were likely to become
county charge, and that he would rather see
them in their present situation" He is said
to have answered the pursHers very compo-
sedly and sedately, by no means agitated-
said he knew very we'll what he had DONE
And when before the inquiring court, he was
equally calm and unAurried.
1t is said that be has been guilty Of murder
before, in Western Penn. and convicted by a
jury, but reprieved by the Executive, on the
plea Of insanity.
BosTON, March II.
Execution Of the IncendiarieS.-Y yesterday
forenoon, at about quarter past 10 o'clock.
the just, vet dreadful sentence Of the law, was
carried into execution, in the Jail yard-when
CROCKETT and RUSSELL, the two misguided
and guilty men-who had sinned, In the high
est degree, against the laws Of their country
and their fellow men, and who had been pro-
nounced guilty by jury of their peers, were
launched into eternity-taking their last look
of the blessed sun. There is a feeling-irre-
pressibly solemn--a feeling not exactly of
sympathy or pity-but, be it what it maya
feeling altogether beyond our own control, in
witnessing the premature and igneminious er-
1t of a fellow creature. These young men.
not yet arrived at the prime Of Iife-in the
very morning Of their days-having sinned a.
gainst all laws, both human and divine-have
thus been cut short in their career of wicked
ness and crime-and "sent to their account
with all their imperfections Oh their heads"
Church Burnt.-With sentiments of deep
regret, we announce the loss, by fire, Of the
First Presbyterian Church in Salem. N. Y.
under the pastoral charge of Rev. John Wilton.
On Sunday morning the 28th ult. just after
the bell had toed 10 O'Clock, the CEILING roof
of the session room (in the second story Of
the front Of the buildingl was discovered on
fire. Exertions were promptly made to ar
rest its progress, but in vain. In few mo-
ments the belfry and steeple and roof Of the
house were in blaze. The heavy timbers Of
the steeple continued burning long after the
cIap-bOards were consumed; which, with the
bell. finally tumbled into the body Of the
church with an awful crash.
MIR. HARDIN's SPEECH" Scraps. "-The
following very singular paragraph appears 10
Mr.. Hardin's speech on Mr.. Adams rcsOht-
ton relative to the loss Of the Fertilization
Bill:
"In this approaching election the world
will bear witness that Kentucky, amongst her
other great virtues, boasts the proud one Of
gratitude. I know that one Of her sons in
whom she is we'll pleased, has been selected to
run on the Van Buren, ticket for Vice Presi.
dent This is New-York maneuvre: it is a
sop to JOw!er. Kentucky will not bite al The
bait. We would delight to do honor 10 the
candidate for Vice President he has also won
his fame in deeds Of noble daring but he
must recOllect that IL man marries a woman
below him IN the grades of society. he ele-
Yates her to his level; IL above him, he brings
her down 10 his own caste. So is the fate Of
the candidate for Vice President"
In the same speech also appears this very
singular paragraph:
"When the war is raging in Florida with
all its horrors, and in its most frightful forms,
and we are iD daily expectation of war with
France, what do We behold here, in this city,
and ia this hall! Day after day We are i'm
pOrtuOed to surrender this chamber to the
Secretary Of the Department Of War, to de-
liver lecture ON history suppose the an
cient history Of the AssyFians, Baby lonians.
Egyptians, Persans, CArthagenians, and Gre.
ciaps. Instead Of studying the plans Of cam
pagns, marches, and battles. he is porting over
the history Of naiions twenty -Gye hundred
years gone by. The General in Chief Of our
Army 10 president Of the assembly balls. AZ
our daily papers tell Us, and report says night