Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-04-29
From the ciearslana plaindealer, Apriie.
A MurderouS Maniac Attempt to Mur'
der a Family-A Story Of Horror.


in the act of putting stick of wood in the
kitchen stove, when he was felled by blow
on his head. Mr.. Z. was standing at the
time near door that opened into the wood.
shed. The door was ajar, and the blow was
given from some person in the shed. He
saw no one, out placing his hands on each
side of his head, he hastened through into his
dining room, where his wife was. lie ex-
claimed, "I am killed some one has split
my head open with an axe" He then ran
out to the door and cried murder. His wife
seeing him bleeding, and a cash on his head
lust above and back Of the temple, shouted
aloud for help. Meantime the children
were awakened and came running in; the
eldest, son Of sixteen, on coming down
stairs opened The door to the wood.shed,
thinking his father was in there. On open
ing the door the first object he saw was a
man with an uplifted axe, looking like de-
mon at him. He says, "Caleb, what do you
want of me?p Caleb sprang back and shut
the door. By this time neighbOr came a.
cross The street and went to the wood-house,
when the maniac addressed him by name !:
!" Donald Deming" "That is my name,"
he replied and continued he, "JOhn Chit.
lenden, what are ycu doing with that axe 2"
al thirst for blood, and blood | will have"
said he. Mr.. Deming tried 10 cool him
down, and after few minutes succeeded in
getting the axe, However, before he could
get it away, Chittenden, who is powerful
man, sprang for the axe, and Deming being
much the weaker, Chittenden wrenched it
from him. Some Of the children had been
sent for help, even in their uneress. Alter
losing his hold upon the axe, Deming retreat
ed TO the dining room, where Horace sat blee-
ding, and his family around him, frightened
very much. Deming held the door from the
dining room, and hoped 10 keep him from
that, but with the axe he shiyered the door
al once, when Mr.. Deming exclaimed, "run
for your liyes.n By slime thsrneish,,
Dor got there, and on seeing what was
going on. ranf for home to get his rifle, think
j, best 10 shoot the madman.
Upon the word being given to run, they
all left, as they thought, and Deming shut
the outer door; but Lucinda, their eldest
daughter, Fifteen years old stopped to save
little brother, two and a halfyears old who
had been awakened by the breaking in oil
the door, and had jumped from his bed on
to the floor and stood screaming from fright
She caugh, him in her arms and reached the
outer door just in time to get her fingers
pinched as Deming shut the door. She saw
the wretch leap through the door, where
the upper pannel had been broken. She call
ed TO have them open the door, but by ,hi:
time she received blow from the head OIL
the axe, which felled her with tho little one
in her arms. Meanwhile, Horace had pre-
sentiment that some child still remained in
the house, and had gone around TO the back
kitchen door and entered, passing into the
dining room. There lay Lucinda, weltring
in blood, and as he supposed, dead. The
outside door had been opened. Deming
had opened i, for the child when she called
Chittenden was in the act Of splitting open
Deming's head !; Horace sprang across The
dining room and seized the axe-handle to a
vert the blow from D.. Chitlenden finding
some one behind. d.him, turned upon him, and
in the scullle, cut to the bone on the back o.
Horace's head Upon that Horace seized
him by the throat, and Deming by his leg,
and by hard struggle they got him down
he still retaining the axe, and Horace still
choking him. By this time the woman had
called the man back that had gone for his ii
ae. He came, and with much difficulty
wrenched the axe from him, (he only held il
in one handy they then got ropes and bound
him. Horace was covered with blood, and
SO was the floor. I.A.a. Fig9I q ,'Es
After the man was secured, messengel
was posted TO Ravenna for medical aid
The word flew like lightning, and genera
rush ensued. Horace's head was trcpanned
His brain lay exposed during his struggle
with the man. The pulsation could be seer
but the membrane was not broken. The
inside Of the bone was one and one.eighif
Of All inch long, and three.fourths Of aninch
wide. Upon the outside the bone was
more than two inches long besides two small
picces that were not measured. He, 10 al
appearance will survive, but poor Lucinda
is in very critical situation. The bone,
! were so driven into the brain that the sur
geon thought, not best to do mnch for her
bu, her friends insisted upon trying. Af,el
five hours they proceeded to dress hel
wound. After pressing the scalp each way
they extracted six pieces Of bone, some ar
inch and over. Some Of them were nearly
buried in the brain. DR.. Pratt extracted
them, raising up the skull bone wherever i
was depressed. About two spoonfuls oftht
I cho .t;il i;a. 4, , yar,, ,r;y;