Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1843-05-10
Dreadful Murders.

on Monday night, the lst inst. al Change Wa
Ter, len miles from Belvidere, in Warren coun-
", when four persons were killed in cold blood,
and fifth beaten almost TO death. The VIC
Tins were, Mr.. JOHN b. PARKE, an elderly
bachelor. who was reputed TO be very wealthy.
Mr.. JOHN CAsTNER, his bro,her-in-law, who
lived with him and farmed his place; his wife,
Mrs Castner, and their child, ilile girl about
trO gears Of age.
The whole family retired 10 rest, on Monday
evening, at about the usual time, with The ex-
cepiion of Mr.. Cashier, who was last seen sit
ung in his room by the fire. On Tuesday
morning, about sunrise, as neighbour was
passing along the road, TO his work, he dis
covered something, which he a, frs, took TO be
a negro, in a sink hole, about ihree hundred
yards from The house. But upon alarming The
neighbours snd making an examination, il was
found 10 be The dead body of Mr.. Cashier, most
horribly mangled and dsfgured. The murder
ers had by some means enticed him frem the
house, and after killing him, entered by the
door which he had left open. He was pow
erfully strong man, and this precaution was no
dou6t taken 10 prevent any alarm or resistance
which he might have made if be had been al
tackled in the house.
The door Of the house was found fastened;
and upon breaking il open and entering, the
dead body Of Parke was discovered in a bed in
one room, and those Of Mrs. Cashier, and her
child, in bed in another room. They had all
been murdered in their sleep, and the liule
child was lying in her mothers arms, with her
tiny hands round her mothers neck They
had all been killed by blows inflicted with the
blunt part of hatchel, on the side Of the head,
near The temples-they had also several sabs
in the side of the neck A boy about nine
years old, was found in another bed, also mos,
dangerously wounded in the head, but uncon-
scous Of what had happened, and unable to
give any account of the murderers. He had
been struck while asleep, and stunned, and did
not recover until after the neighbors had gath
cred in The house in the morning All he re-
collects is that Mr.. Cashier vas sitting by the
fire when he went 10 bed; the rest Of The fami-
ly had already retired. The only remaining
persons in the house were two boys, who slept
IN back room. But as there was nothing in
ihelr room 10 allure the butchers, their lives
were spared.
The object of the murderers was unquestion-
ably 10 get money. Il was we'll known that
L.. had h~aD to ho Ral.,Jax. D,2L l..
previous, and drawn several thousand dollars
Besides, he was also known to keep large
amount Of money by him in the house. How
much The murderers succeeded in securing 10
themselves. i, is impossible TO tell. A desk, in
which money was always kept, was found bro
ken open, and its contents gone. 1t has been
.arously stated that from three 10 fire hundred
dullars were taken; but is this only surmise.-
Upon searching the house, about Sir thousand
dollars were found, secreied in different places,
which had been missed by the murderers.
A Coroner's Inquest was held on Tuesday,
by Jacob Arnd,, Esb. and verdict rendered in
accordance with the above facts On Thurs
day. they were all buried in the grave yard of
The Old Mansfield Church, and il is estimated
that over Two ihoussnd people congregaied to-
gelher on the occasion.
Upwards Of a week has now elapsed since
The Preparation Of the horrid deed, and al.
though number of persons have been taken
mp end examined, yet no clue has been gained
which is likely 10 lead TO the discovery Of the
murderers. But we cannot believe that they
will remain long undiscovered. A murder So
airocious. by which the aged, the middle-aged.
and The infant, in their sleep, and without pity
or mercy, were launched into eternity, has not
been committed for years. Il has struck terror
into The bosom of the communiiy.-and the
county for miles around is in a state OF ffermen,
Every effort will be made to discover the of.
Tenders. and We again repeat our conviction, |
;hai il will Dol be long before the perpetrators
ara found au and brnuchf IN condiOn ntlri all |