American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-05-03
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH

4
The MURDER OF THE PETTIGREw FAMILY
James Anderson and his wife were tried before
the Circuit Superior Court of Rockbridge coun-
ty, Virginia, at its spring term, for the murder
OF this family on the night of the 18th of De-
cember, 1876 The trial commenced on the
10Th of April and terminated on the 22d; and
the verdict of the jury was, that Anderson was
guilty OF murder in the first degree, and his
wife not guilty. A new trial was applied for
on behalf of the prisoner, and granted by the
judge, and the venue changed to the county Of
Bath.
The Lexington Gazette furnishes the follow
ing narrative of circumstances attendant upon
this foul transaction:
"The testimony proved that the house in
which the deceased resided was seen standing
on Wednesday evening, the 10th of December,
1916, about dark; that large light was per-
ceptible, on the same night, in the direction
of the house, between the hours of seven and
eight o'clock; that the next morning the
chimney of the house was alone discovered
remaining, by witness some distance off
that it commenced showing on the evening
of the 10th of December, 1916, at sundown,
and continued until about ten o'clock the
next day that the snow was about three inches
deep between the hours of six and eight clock
that night, and sixteen inches deep when it
ceased the next day that the dead bodies of
the deceased, six in number, were found in
frigid state on the morning of the ensuing Sab
bath; that the ground was entirely clear of
snow for twenty-five feet beyond the house in the
direction of the dead bodies and that the loca-
ton Of the bodies was about fifteen feet from
the foundation of the house, and about ten feet
from the edge Of the snow towards the house;
that the bodies were not burned; that tracks
were not to be found either in the snow or
where the ground was clear of snow around the
burnt house; that the burning may have made
the ground soft by the melting of the snow; that
no snow was found upon the bodies or upon any of
the articles carried out of the house; that wear
ing apparel and bed-clothes were found there
that the bodies were only partially dressed, and
entirely unprotected by the bed clothing; that
some of them were in a recumbent position, and
others PROSTATE that the foot Of one Of them
was sunk in the ground and frozen tight; that
no marks of violence were found upon any of
them except the mother, who had wound upon
her temple, and impressions upon the neck
similar to those made by pressure from the
hand; that the eyes of the oldest child, a daugh
ter about sixteen, were stretched open, and cast
as if looking back; that the countenances of the
rest indicated no apparent marks of dishgura-
ton; that the night was not remarkably cold,
particularly in the early part, and that the
houses Of several neighbors were accessible,
some of them within half mile, and some
three-quarters of mile off,"
The particulars of the murder of this help
less family of females, in the absence of the
husband and father, present one of those start
ling outrages which sometimes take place in
the most enlightened portions of our country,
and equal in barbarity the terrific scenes en-
acted during our warfare with the savage tribes.
To the west Of Lexington, in Rockbridge
county, lie the House Mountains, (the scene OF
this tragedy so called from their remarkable
resemblance to houses, and well known to the
traveller in that beautiful and romantic portion
of the valley for their picturesque appearance.
The people around and between the noun
tains are known in the county for their reck-
less and dissipated character, differing entirely
from the wealthy and refined farmers who live
in their neighborhood. They closely resemble
in character the people who live among the
Z" Ragged Mountains of Albemarle but are,
perhaps, more degraded. Theft amongst them
is common crime; and, like Roderick Dhu, as
long as the focks Craze on the plains below
| /" they will have their share"