Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-01-30
ATRocGous MURDERS IN VIRGINIA.

ATRoCIoUa MURDERS IN VIRGINIA.
The Portsmouth, Va. Times Of "Wednesday
1asi, gives a., account Of a series of murders rcr-
pesrssed in Southampton county. in that State,
on tho preceding Monday. An eyed Quaker ma
med Scott, residing no, far from Jerusalem, his
sister n little girl named Preslow, and q negro wo.
man aud her child, five persons in all were rnar
deted, says the Times. In succession. 10 farther
Abe design Of robbery ensattaiaed BY their dea-
itoyer.
A young negro girl alone, ont ofs:y persons on
abe prcmises, escaped the destroying hand Of the
murderer, and Immediately fed to tho nearest
neighbors and communicated to them what had
been done.
The suspected individual has been sprrhcnaed.
The same paper says:
rho negro girl who escaped, .taies that a
man residing in the nelahborhooi, visited The
house a little after suRse, and spent the evening
iy the tresiJe Of Nj Sect, in conversation with
The family. As he yeas about TO quit, he sshed
Mr. s. to walk with him to the gate, as he had q
word 10 say to him ia private. To this The 0nfor,u.
nate man consented.
The girl saw 40 more Of him.. A violent
struggle was mex, heard in the kitchen. The
murderer armed with a short heavy dogwood
pesile, had seized the negro woman, and war
heating out her brains when the aged sister Of Mr.
Scott, attracted by the noise, appeared and beg
ged him 10 desisi. Irresocahiy bent on his de-
sign, he instantly dispatched The poor negro. and
Selling The old lady, felled her to The door with
q blow ofthe peslle. A negro boy about nine
wears old, was then Killed in the same manner.
He mex, proceeded In search Of the little white
girl and The young negress. The letter msae. her
escape unobscrvei. Ths other child was not 80
fortunate. Che was caughs Ia the room mud tnur-
acred as summarily as The rest
Not seeing the negro girl, and resolved 10
leave no clue 10 his fearful secret, The monster
made q careful search Ia The rooms, turning over
the beds, and scanning every corner narrowly
Convinced that one Of tbs family bad escaped.
he seems to have gune pii ~..houi concentrating
the robbery. The girl fed Immediately TO The
nearest neighhors. and communicated what had
occurred in her sight end hearing. They repair
cd to the premises forthwith, and found the mel"
ancholy confirmation Of her story. The murder
er bad fed, and the house was burning slowly
The ire was extinguished before it had drfaced
the bodies, or done much injury to toe building,
In the morning. among The spectators Of the
nights bloody fruiS, was the individual spoken
of by the girl, as the actor in The scene. He gave
an instant contradiction TO her story. and refer
ring to the absence of blood from his clothing as
. proof Of his innocence.
= He denied also. we learn. having been on the
premises for a fortnight. Traces OF blood how
ever, il is said, were found among his whiskers
and he was detained ill search was made at his
house. This resulted we learn, ID the discovery
of a sui, Of bis clothing excessively besmeared
with blood. He was forthwith apprehend=d.
Mr. Scott, was an old and esteemed resident of
the county, and was reputed 10 be wesllhy, The
hope Of securing his money led to a scheme Of
murder, as boldly conceived snd deliberately ex-
cuied as any in the annals Of crime. The escape
of the girl aiene prevented The full execution Of
the plan. If she bad fallen, all explanation of
the mystery woatl have been impossible. Tbs
house and bodies Of the slain would have been
consumed together, and the murderer would have
possessed IN security the poor reward Of his .tro-
cities, beyond the fear Of detection.