Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-04-08
Horrible Murder near Auburn. NY.

The Albany evening Journal pub
fishes the following account by Tel.
graph from Utica, of most horrible
murder perpetrated near Auburn IN
W on the night of the 18th ult.. The
Journal says:
We hear this morning by Mr.. Frink
Conductor from Auburn, that the house
Of Mr.. Van Ness, farmer and super
visor Of the town of Flemming, on o.
wasco lake, four miles from Auburn
was entered last night about half past
nine o'clock by some one in the dis
guise ola negro, and Mr.. Van Ness
~ his wife and child, were stabbed by the
villain, and are dead. His mother-n.
law and hired man were also stabbed,
but are still living. No further partc-
ulars are known, and no cause assign.
cd for. the act.
Ills reported that Mrs. V. N. ran
about go rods when her bowels gushed
out, and she fell, l,dsad--Mr. V. n, it is
said, attempted 10 30 up stairs for his
gun, and fell dead-the child, about
two years old. was torn open from its
shoulder entirely across its abdomen
The hired man succeeded in keeping
him Of with the breomstick, and saved
his own life .and that OF Mr.. V. Ms
mother .ia-law, but he is badly wound.
cd. Yours, C.P. CARTER.
=. s. ! am Informed by Mr.. Fran.
els, that the villain who CO nmilted the
above horrible murders, made his cs.
cape by taking one Of Mr.. Van Ness
horses and riding him nearly to Auburn,
where the horse fell down. He has
not bsen heard from since.
Yours, C.p.C.
The murderer Of the Van Ness fam.
lily was taken at Fulton, Oswego coun.
~, and is in custody of the Sheriff.
We understand he acknowledged the
deed. He was at Syracuse Friday
morning. He hitchcd his horse on the
North side Of the canal, and was or
tho steps Of the Syracuse House when
tho cars came OFT from Syracuse. He
went to Fulton, where he offered to
sell his horse 10 the tavern keeper, V.
Low; this caused suspicion that the
horse was stolen, and soon after he left
he was pursued on this suspicion and
taken. lie bears the marks of the blow
he received from Van ArmsdaIe.
We learn that Mrs. WykoT and
Van Armsda!c are still alivc-Fridav
evening.
or the horrible murders in Cayuga
county. the Albany Argus received late
last night contains some further details
The murderer is full bloodel negro
named William Freeman, about 23
years old. His has made no formal con,
tession, but does not deny the deed
He has been five years in the state
prison for stealing u horse, of which
he was convicted through Mr.. Van
Moss. He carries his arm in sling
from a wound which he acknowledges
no received from the knife breaking a.
gainst the breast bone of Van ArIns>
dale. The Argus gives tho following
particulars of the murders: FOUR per
sons have already died, and it is prob.
able a fifth victim will be added:
"The facts with regard to this hor.
rid affair, that have transpircd, finally
show that this freeman procured a
knife TO be made recently according to
model Of his own, having three sides
SO as TO cut ercry way On Wcdnes.
day night at half past nine Of the clock,
ho went TO Van Ness house, and De
sired to be let in; the family having re.
tired, except Mr.. V. N, and the door
fastened. Mr.. V. N. held a parIey for
few moments with him, he being un-
known to Mr.. V. N. but was finally
so far deceived by him as to unlock
the door, when the negro rushed in ana
stabbed Mr.. N. to the heart, and he
fell without uttering a groan. The
monster then ran into the bad room ad-
joining, and stabbed Mrs. Van Ness
and child fatally, so neither rose from
tho bed. He next went 10 the room
where the mother, Mrs. Wykof, was
lying, and stabbed her in the abdomen,
cutting large cash, which I under
stand has proved fatal, she having died
last night or this morning. He then
started up stairs, but met the hired
man, Mr.. Van Armsdale, who had s
heard the conversation below, between
The negro and Mr.. Van Ness, and also
heard the latter fall, and was coming
lown, when on the staircase he was / /
lccosted by the negro with "is there
nan up stairs7" to which Mr.. V, A,
that there was. The negro
hen stabbed him, and slight scuhle l.
COX place between them, when Free. t
nan was precipitated down stairs, and c
escaped. The hired man is still alive, f
,ut not expected to recover" q
ARorHER CouNrERFEITER ARREST
.v> M eesS, 0~oSL o-~ ~c sL~