The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1853-04-16

purpuriing ,o giNr ihv larirniruI.
death Of Mr-. kcclcr, Of nrr...
was supposed y, lhc hmuis of l.r..
band, and The suicide of Nj. keel.
Yesterday, Judge Wuolcul H. he.
che father ui the deceased, rnll1l u.
Us. and from him We derived mlI d..
i'cuars. SIMON O. kcclcr toe dec.,.
Ell, was a SON OF Judge krlyr aud ~.
about 8, yccrs OF age. lie wa, n ma.
of good general character, indusno..
we'll educated aud cnirrprisiue. mud s,.
the owner of n good farm under ros.
Walton, from which he derived Nj. Al,
Z port At the time OF his disease. b,.
ever, he was residing with his fa,,
upon farm owned hy Judge kcr,
! MIS-. kceler, the wife OF Simon d
kcelcr. was about 80 years OF age, Wis
was also well educated, intelligent. AL
Of excellent moral character, unbtr.
ished reputation, correct deporImrulaul
/ refinement.
As general rule, the utmost ai,t.
ton and confidence prevailed bc,wcca
this couple. The deceased husband
however, was subject at times to cxcts.
sive drinking, which continued upon
him sometimes for weeks together, and
which affected his nervous system toa
great extent, rendering him almost In.
sane. AT such times. he was bcsyt
with jealousy towards his wife. which
rendered him fierce and ovcrbcaring m
his department toward her and NJ such
times their previous good understand.
ing and affection were replaced by feel.
ings in entire contrast TO those OF bis
real nature. On Friday, March 2jth,
Judge kecler went from his residence.
to be gone until Sunday the 9th, leay.
ing his son and wife, the only persons
mt home. For about three weeks PR.
vious 10 that day, Simon o. Kccler had
been constantly INDUCING to excess in
the use of liquor, so much so that his
appetite for food had torsnken him.
Before leaving home, Judge keelcr,
(between whom aud his son and wife
the strongest affection sutsisted,) took
occasion to admonish his son that his
drinking, il persisted in, would soon
lead him to a lrunkard's grave. Judge
Kccler cxhored him TO put his foot
down and promise that he would not
drink another drop of liquor until the
first day of January, 1884, promising
him, in case he would so promise, and
knowing from his character that if he
so promised, he would perform, TO give
him the free use of the farm which ia
well stocked, with a span of horses,
Wagon, and harness, two yoke of wor-
king oxen, rs hogs, cows, sheep, DC,
and with al necessary farming utensils.
and 10 make him present besides of
hay. provisions, Nc, amounting in all
to about $500. The son admitted that
he was killing himself with liquor but
evaded making the promise desired by
his father, and saying "Well, father, |
will think il over, and when you come
home we will make it all right" These
we're the last words ever spoken be.
tween them.
John keeler departed upon his bu..
ness. and the awful tragedy which FOL.
lowed was not Witnessed by mortal eye,
so far as is known. On Sunday after.
noon, Judge Keeler returned to his
house, finding the house shut. Failing
to arouse the inmates, and with forebo-
ing of evil, he effected an entrance in.
TO the house, when the first object which
met his eye was the corpse of his dnugh-
ter-in-law. dacenlly disposed upon the
floor of the siiting-room, her face bound
up with handkerchief as If for burial,
and the limbs Strengthened and stiff in
death A pillow was under her head,
and by her side were evidences that an
other person had lain by her. She had
been shot through the heart. Upon
entering the bedroom through the open
door he discovered the body Of his son,
still in death, bat distorted and convul-
scd, as though he dragged himself in
the agony of dying from the side Of his
wife, 10 the bed which they usually oc-
cupied, AMI had there died in extreme
torture. Upon searching for the cause
of his death. the father found that n
large piece had hccn shaved of from
lump Of opium, and to this agent be at
iribuicd the death Of his son, though a
posi-mortnm examination failed 10 give
evidence of that or any other positive
cause.
Judge Keelcr, who of course was in
timaiely acquainted with the habits and
character of his son, is strongly of opin-
ion that he never intended the death of
his wife, even under the sudden influ-
ence Of passion created by strong drink,
but rather supposcs that In one Of his
temporary fits Of jealousy, he sought to
work upon the fears OF his wife, and
that the shot itself was accidental and
that being seized with remorse and des-
pair at whit he had done, he took
means 10 terminate bis own life. Ap.
pearances indicated that he had taken
every possible means to restore ANNA
ton 10 the body Of his wife, before COM
hitting the last fatal act against his own
life.
The grief Of Judge Kccler, who, TO
use his own words, is now "a lone old
man" was touching in the extreme
He gave Us the foregoing particulars in
fearful simplicity, and. rs we believe. in
earnest iruihfulness. His words were
broken and choked By the powerful and
agonizing emotions with which his heart
was filed. The moniiion must furnish
its own comments Detroit Daily Al.
veriiser.
SINGULAR IscIprNr.--A correspon-
dent has sent The Christian Inlelligencer
the following account Of singular oe-