Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-11-05
From tho Southern Advocate.
HORRIBLE MURDER.

1t is our painful duty this week to record
most shocking and revolving murder in
our own coun,y--the murder OF father by
tae hands OF his son. Our community on
Idesday asst was thrown into excitement
IND wonder by the news Of the murder OF
Dl7. JoHN Byrd, a man so mild, so amlabIe.
, 'notfensive that none, It was thought.
'''uId harbor against him the least degree OF
uo,ce or Of enmity. He was found dead
,n the morning Of that day within few
hundred yards Of his house, 8 or miles
north Of this place,-he was shot, the ball
entering the back OF his neck and coming
out just below his mouth, his throat was cut
and his body was partially covered with
brush. Some Of the facts and circumstan-
ces OF the case, as we have heard them de
tailed are these: OH the evening previous.
(MondayO his eldest son, between fifteen
and sixteen years Of age, came to him and
Informed him that certain neighbors, there
in waiting short distance from the house
wished him TO 60 out into the woods, and
TO assist them in driving deer. He accor-
dinghy mounted his horse, and accompanied
his son; but neither Of them returning that
evening, the family become alarmed and the
next morning, pursuit being made for them,
abe son was found at a neighbours, where he
had renamed that night. He told the tale
OF his father going out to assist in driving
deet, and there meeting with stranger who
made certain threats against him, (the son.
II he did not leave them &C.. which he &C.
cordingly did, and some short time after
wards heard the report OF gun, and sus-
pected that his father was shot. This sto.
ry together with the fact that the report Of
gun was also heard by The gentleman at
whose house he staid that night, induced
them to make search in the direction sug-
gested by the boy, whsre the body was
found in the condition before described -
A Coroner's inquest was Immediately hold
en-; but from the testimony Of the son and
others the jury was unable to decide by
whom the murder was committed. The
boys story however not being very plausi-
ole and in some respects contradictory.
lead at once to the awful suspicion that he
was the murderer. He was subsequently
summoned before Justices, Mahrey and
Hunt, and then the facts of the case were
developed. Finding himself completely en-
TRAPPED by his conflicting statements, he
came out and acknowledged, that he alone
was the murderer. He stated how he had
secretly purloined the gun from a neigh
boring house, concealed it in the W DDS
where he had decoyed his father, and then
shot him, and even cut his throat for fear
that lille was not quite extinct. The rea
son assigned for the commission OF the act
was alledged i'll treatment and the refusal OF
his father to permit him to have the use OF
gun, tor which it seemed he had always
entertained particular desire. Upon this
confession, he was committed to Jail. How
shocking, how inetfably distressing, must be
this catastrophe to the family "t the de-
ceased-to his bosom companion and his
little children, and to his other near and deal
relatives! The mind shudders, the hear,
grows sick in its contemplation!
The most charitable construction put up
on this act, is the supposed want OF under.
standing on the part of the youth. Some
seem TO think that he is a slmpeton--tha
at least he is not boy Of ordinarily gooc
sense. II this be so, his case must excite
universal sympathy and compassion.