Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-03-21

an inch and hrlf; at Q o'clock two inches and
aquarter; at o'clock it had fallen 81 inches !;
and at o'clock it had fallen inches. 1t has
since continued to fall gradually.
Horrld and Atrocieus Murder.
The Utica IN. W Gazette has the following
particulars Of an atrocious murder, committed
near that place:
Mr.. Van Ness residence was about three and
half miles from Auburn, on the west shore of
the Owasco lake. His family consisted Of him
SELF wife, mother-in.law.(M Mrs. Wyckoff) hired
man, (Mr. Cornelius Van Ansdale)a hired
girl, and three children, two OF whom escaped
the murderer. About half past 10 O'Clock, on
Thursday night, Mr.. Van Ness and his wife
were sitting in their parlor, Uhe rest oftheir
family having retired,) knock was heard at
the door, and as Mr.. Van Ness opened it, man
supposed to be white man with his face black.
ed, rushed in to the room and struck Mr. Van
Ness blow with knife which proved nearly
instantly fatal, for he staggered into the next
apartment in search Of his gun, as il s supposed
and fell dead upon the floor Meanwhile the
ruffian stabbed Mrs. Van Ness. who rose shrick.
ing from her chair, and ran bleeding through
the next room, where slept her two children
and q hired girl, and expired on the bed in the
further apartment The girl and children owed
their lives only to the Mortified silence they
preserved. The murderer having despatched
Mvs U,r Noss Jod IN tho rtrnont
where slept her mother.in law. Mrs. Wyckoff,
together with an infant 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 shock.
ing manner.
This done. he started TO 90 up stairs and was
met on the staircase by hired man, Van Ans
dale by name, who, alarmed at the screams,
was coming down carrying large iron candle.
stick in his hand. The murderer demanded.
"Es there any one else here - to which Mr.,
Van A. had hsrdfy time to reply. mo one but
me" before he was stabbed also in the side. But
with heroic coursge, Van A. seized the ruffinn
by the shrcat, 1nd knocked him down stairs
with the candle-stiek, then seizing broom
handle, all bleed:ng as he was, he attacked in
his turn the sssaIant with such courage that
the latter fled out into the garden. while Van
A., feeble from hrs wound, lay helpless in the
chair. The girl who was with the children, 90
niraculously preserved, says that she saw the
,iain return twice to the house and look in
he window, as il uncertain whether or not TO
'eturn and finish his work: hut finally calling
mt, "If anybody is alive there recolIect that
I've got gum" he went to the stable. and ia.
king a horse gslopped fariously on towards
iuburn. Meanwhile, Mrs Wyckoff, although
he had received q wound three inches in
eng,h, from which her intestines pro,ruded,
ontrived to crawl neatly q quarter Of mile
hroagh the woods to a neighbor's residence,
When ssccor was despatched What sight
,es their eyes on entering the house! Van
Iess, his wife ard child already dead, Van
Ansdale scarcely ableto speak, while the poor
:irl was in q state Of frenzy, snd incapable Of
endsring assistance.
On the stairs was found the half of the blade
fthe knife, supposed to have been broken in
he scpffie with Vsn Ansdale, about four inches
length, and clothed with hood, An express
'as Immediately despatched to Auburn. and the
ountry was coon alarmed. The only clue that
I'd been fonnd to lead to the detection Of the
onster when lett Auburn was the horse,
hich fell near the negro settlement on the
Itskirts of the village, and was there found by
messenger. Neither Van Ansdale nor Mrs.
|yckoff were expected tn survive.
The motive of this most atrocous butchery
said to have been to obtain money which Mr..
received during the week. Mrs. w. had
so sum Of money in the house. There can
scarcely doubt but that the perpetrator
these crimes ia concealed in Auburn. Ac.
,e preparations were being set on foot to dis.
yer and bring him TO justice.
Core spondence of the N. Y. Tribune.
A Joke and IT'S Consequences.
ALBANY, March 13.
The Divorce Case to which alluded the
l.. = Is ILL