American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-03-19

| HE MASSACRE NEAR AUBURN.-.frreSL 0
The Murderer. We have already noticed the
massacre of the Van Ness family near Auburn
N. Y, and now have the qualification of an
nouncing the arrest Of the inhuman wretch
who committed the deed. He admitted his
guilt Immediately after his arrest, His object
was money, as the murdered family had few
days previous come in possession of large
sum- The Utica Gazette gives the following
particulars of the bloody massacre:
"Mr. Van Ness residence was about three
and half miles from Auburn, on the west
shore OF the Owasco lake. His family consist
cd of himself, wife, mother-in-law, Mrs.
Wyckotf,) hired man, (Mr. Cornelius Van
Ansdale,) hired girl, and three children, two
of whom escaped the murderer. About half
past 10 o'clock, on Thursday night, MIR. Van
Ness and his wife were sitting in their parlor,
(the rest of the family having retired ) a knock
was heard at the door, and as Mr.. Van Ness
opened it, man, supposed to be white man
with his face BACKED, rushed into the room
and struck Mr.. Van Ness a blow with knife
which proved nearly instantly fatal, for he
staggered into the next apartment in search of
8
floor! Meanwhile the ruffian stabbed Mrs.
Van Ness, who rose shrieking from her chair,
and ran bleeding through the next room, where
slept her two children and hired girl, and ex-
pired on the bed in the further apartment
The girl and children owed their lives only to
the Mortified silence they preserved. The muir
derer having despatched Mrs. Van Ness, pro-
ceeded to the apartment where slept her moth
er-in-law, Mrs. Wyckof, together with an in
FAINT child scarcely two years old. Not only
did this demon in human form stab the lady,
but, horrible TO relate, he mangled the poor
little innocent child in the most shocking man.
ner.
This done, he started TO 90 up stairs, and
was met on the staircase bya hired man, Van
Ansdale by name, who, alarmed at the screams,
was coming down carrying a large iron can
dle-stick in his hand. The murderer demand
cd, as there any one else here;n to which
Van A. had hardly time to reply, "no one but
me, before he was stabbed also in the side
But with heroic courage, Van A. seized the
ruffian by the throat, and knocked him down
stairs with the cande-stick, then sezing a
broom handle, all bleeding as he was, he at
tackled in his turn the assailant with such cou-
rage that the latter fled out into the garden,
while Van A., feeble from his wound, lay
helpless in the chair. The girl who was with
the children, so miraculously preserved, says
that she saw the villain return twice to the
house and look in the window, as if uncertain
whether or not to return and finish his work.
but finally calling out, eff anybody is alive
there recolect that I've got gum" he went
to the stable, and taking a horse galloped fur-
ously on towards Auburn Meanwhile, Mrs.
Wycllof'5 although she had received wound
three inches in length, from which her intes-
tines protruded, contrved to crawl near a
quarter of mile through the woods to neigh
boris residence, when succor was despatched.
What sight met their eyes on entering the
house! Van Ness, his wife and child already
dead, Van Ansdale scarcely able to speak:
while the poor girl was in state of frenzy,
and incapable of rendering assistance.