Sunday dispatch. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1845-1854, 1852-03-28
CRIMINAL RECORDS.
Horrible Tragedy.

1 OAtA4AAlNAA AtllOVAtORo
Horrible Tragedy.
The following was taken from the Mustatine
| Qowa) Enquirer, of last week Three years ago,
| Mr. George Mccoy, at that time oisz oi
| Cedar county, # for California, fully imbued
with the fever OF the times-thirst for gold. lie
left q wife and five children bshiod him TO await
he result Of his desperate venture ard prObea-
atical return His wife, with her children, sfter
he loft, sought the protection OF hsr fa her, Mr..
| Benjamin Nye, an old ard worthy tiz n, liViog
at the mouth at Pine River, in this county.
| After he reached the land Of gold, Mr. Mccoy
wrote frequently to bis wife aad forwarded her
considerable sums Of money, the letters ana
money passing through the hands of ons in whom
| Mr. McCoy had every confidence as q man of
1 honor and iriend. Bat how he erred and how
deeply he was betrayed, has become a familiar
tale here. where those events occurred. The
| vile forgot her vow, and in a moment of pass on
| sacrificed herself. her husband and her oh ldren
| iueieemebly. On hie return from California,
7ieg been successful ia his quest of wealth, the
husband was met by this tals of iufamy. The
'c7ne between the helrt-broken husband, the
shams-covered wife and the group of fearful,
trembling, wondering child en-, has been touch
lnsly de c,ibed to US bv an eyewitness Mr.
Mccoy, his mind soured by "a pcion and the
stern realities of his situation, selected from
among the little group of five one whom he re-
scted, declaring it was no chi d of his-that,
liks the one at her breast. it was the child Of
crime. After this scene, Mr. Mccoy removed
her children (fou } from the neither for short
time, but subsequently consented that they should
remain with her at their grandfather's, (Mr
Nye,) unit he left for Cal fornia in April next
Thiswas abouttWo montqs ago. Ga Wednssda
last, Mccoy came from Cedar county for his
children He stopped at Mr. Chambsrs', and re-
qussted permission to bring them there that
night, which was granted. Hethen went to Mr..
Nye's in wagon, got the four children he aim
I'd, and started on bis return to Mr.. Chamber.
What occurred a. Mr.. Nye's, we arenot advised.
On approaching Mr.. Chambers, as e returned,
accompanied by his children and Mr.. Long, be
Vas overtaken by Mr.. Nye, his father-in-law,
and Mr.. Patterson, also ason-in law Co Mr.. Nye.
lhey drove in advance Of Mccoy, so as to inter
cept his wagon. Mr. Nye got down and ap
preached the wagon containing Mccoy and COM
oany, makirg &. as he did so, some remarks vhicb
ne witness dld not hear, except that it related
ands@arned Nyenot to approach-Ng 70 c0ntiI usd
advance, however, McCly drew q revolving
pistol and repeated the warning. Nge still ad-
ganoed, and att tempted to. perhaps did, get ho
OF one of the children, when Mccoy fred. The
oall took effect in the right shOulder, Iasking
slight wound. Nye then stopped for q CLUB
Mccoy shot the second time the ball striking in
the back, but only penetrating the clothing.
Nge then advanced with his club Mccoy shot
The third and fourth time with bat little effect.
de was Knocked or pushed from the rear Of the
vegon, and, in recovering his fses dropped his
pistol Mr. Patterson laid hold of MoCo7 he
mind, as If to hold him Nye came at Mccoy
With his club agsin, saying to Patterson, 60 Kill
aims &c Mccoy, releasing himself from Pat
serson, threw the latter ia front of him, when
Nya's blow took effect on P breaking his collar
bone. Mccoy had drawn bowie kDife and on
Nye again advancing, sprang at him. and avoid
ing his club, stabbed him in the breast Nye
still attempting TO strike, be stabbed him the
second time and the third The third stab vas
20 the heart. and Nye fell dead at his feet.
There we're several witnesses to the whole affair,
but so soon was it over, that no effectual inter
position could be made. Mccoy gave himself
up, and is now awaiting his examination, which
will take place as soon as Mr.. Patterson is suti-
GENTLY recovered to APPEAR in the witness stand.
itrOcIOus Act of BarbarEsm.
One Of the most disgusting and horrible cases
It has ever been our lot to oread occurred in Bre-
con, England, about four weeks ago. The case
was brought before the Brecon county magis-
trates, who were several hours in hearing the
details of the horrible tragedy. A fellow named
Thomas Phillips, Of considerable wealth, is the
l1rty accused. It appeared that one Williams,
hi want, on asking for an arrear of wages due
to bIn about three weeks back, quarrel en-
sued, when Williams accused his master of hav-
ing murdered his illegitimate child by throwing
it alive to a SOW, who devoured the infant. This
report having obtained circulation Phillips felt
anxious to retrieve his character and caused an
attorneys in Brecon to demand a retraction of the
charge. Instead, however, Of dong so, Will
liams at once denounced his master before the
magistrates as a murderer, and brought lad,
who with himself was in Phillips's employ, to
prove the fact Mr.. Phillips voluntarily ap-
peared before the magistrates and declared his
wish to meet the charge at once. Hugh Will
liams was then sworn. and deposed that in the
month of March, 1850, he was in the employ of
Phillips. One day as he was coming up towards
the fold he saw Phillips, with infant lying on
the ground before him, being devoured by a SOW
He saw the child In the SOW 5 mouth, and heard
it cry. The sowwas eating the lower portion of
the body Had never seen the child at Phillips
before there was female servant in the house;
had heard people say there was something the
matter with her. The previous night she was
fainting; there was boy in the service then,
named Thomas Williams; the girls name was
Margaret Morgan. When the sow was eating
the child, witness attempted to stop her; she
ran off, and had devOured it all before he got up
to the sow. Witness told Phillips Of it then,
and he said if he dared to say anything about
it he would kill him directly. Cross-examined
by Mr. S B. Evans Mentioned it to g Peggy
of the Velin" (of the mill) directly afterwards.
Thomas Phillips turned the SOW into the pigstye
Immediately. Margaret stood looking at the
sow eating the child; she did not work for two
or three days about that time she is now at
OOWldls \tl5re sOAu6 person stated GnaJ mar
garet Morgan was in court, she having, it ap-
peared. been brought a witness on behalf of
Phillips. She was, however, brought forward
and placed in the dock as prisoner She COM
planned of being unwell she said, after witness
went to her, "Ohr' and clasped her hands to-
gether; witness nfst ran after the SOW, and then
returned and asked Phillips and the girl what
they had been doing Davis was in the fold he
wanted to go home he was afraid of the sow,
which used to be very savage. Thomas Davis
was called. He stated that he was IA years of
age last March twevemonth he was in the SER
vice of Phillips one day, about dinner me- he |
saw Phillips bring little child out of the house
on tilestone and throw it down before the sow;
Phillips brought the SOW from the cot heard |
the child cry; Hugh Williams came up when
the child was half devoured Margaret Morgan
came to the door; witness was afraid of the SOW,
and ran away; told his mother and Peggy of
the Post'' of it Immediately he got home /; his
mothers name was Ann Davis the prisoner
Margaret Morgan, was the girl who was looking
at the SOW eating the child The witness, who
appeared to be an intelligent lad, gave his evil
dence in a straightforward manner. After hear
ing the evidence the magistrates stated their in
tention of remanding the prisoner for further
examination, when the mother of the boy and
other witnesses will be summoned to attend -
Heavy bail was rendered for the appearance of
philinq hut raf1sad