The North-Carolinian., 1854-06-10
Il l4rrEVILLE, N. C.4
Horrible Tragedy.

Horrible Tragedy. a
most horrible murder was committed in
town, Long Island, n. K, on Friday f
,ipht the I'd inst. Mr. James Wickham, his b
wife. and servant boy, were murdered by an II
Irishman named Nicholas Dane, who had been il
in Mr. Wickham's employ, but was discharged
on the Wednesday previous to the murder. The
New York Herald of Monday gives the follow
ing particulars
Prior to entering the house, Dane armed
himself with post-axe, and in his stocking feet
proceeded to the sleeping room of the negro
hov. Stephen Winston located over the kitchen;
from this room small door leads to the main
building next to the sleeping apartment OF Mr.
Wickham. This door was fastened by rope
With the axe the boy was struck several times
on the head, which left him insenslble and
bleeding freely. Leaving the boy, supPoslng
him to be dead, he then went down stairs, pass
ed through the parlor, leaving traces OF blood
upon the door ways, up stairs, TO the sleeping
apartment of Mr. Wickham and his wife He
entered that room with his in one hand and
a small lighted lamp in the other, which he had
brought from the kitchen. Here the deadly
contest took place between the murderer and
his victim.
! From the appearance of the bed clothing it
is believed tha. both Mr. and Mrs Wickham
were awake, and had sprung from the bed upon
the FIRST attempt of the assassin. She was
keard @ r II se@rsap @ al and de &sSclaim, Nicholas don't
! the mousse, out OOnL XIII nlm! NOtWthStand-
ing these supplcations for mercy, Nicholas con-
tinued to apply the with the ferocity of a
demon infcting wounds of deadly character
at almost every blow No less than twenty
wounds are visible on the face and head of the
victim Upon knocking him senseless on the
floor. it is evident he seized Mrs Wckham by
the throat with one hand to prevent her giving
! further alarm while he struck her two success
sive blows upon the forehead with the axe
shattering the skull and distributing the brains
about the room. Mr. WicAham was found pros
trate on the floor, and his wife was lying in
the opposite direction, with her head towards
the windows bereft of all her night clothing.
The shrieks and cries of Mr. and Mrs Wick
ham aroused the two servant girls, who occu-
pied the attic bedroom. Ellen Holland, the girl
whom he had threatened was the first who heard
the disturbance below. She instantly suspect
ed that it was Nicholas and aroused her com
panion, Catharine Dowd, to so and alarm the
neigh ghbors, 'that murder was going down
8 stairs" They afraid to go down stairs
and how to escape they knew not. They lis
tened, and the beating noise had ceased, and all
appeared quiet; and fearing he would next come
up stairs they fled to the garret window, and
! Catharine leaped out of it to the kitchen
roof, then slid down to the roof Of the milk house
: connecting with it, and then to the ground
Ellen soon after followed her, and both ran off
, screaming across the meadows, to the residence
y Of Mr. Belts. distance Of five or six hundred
vaIUS lHey alafuleu MT DEUS, screaming out
''for q DDS sake go to house, for murder is
being committed" Mr. Belts at first thought
the gil was crazy; and Mrs Belts exclaimed
!. Don't let her in, the girl is mad.'
. After while Mr. Belts concluded to go and
see about it, and called DR.. Carpenter, who
lived near by, and Mr. Corwin, to go with
:, him.-They all approached the house together
4 and listened for minute to ascertain if they
- - could hear anything Not hearing anything
bfX %sH4 ea to ths 19nsf and found NJ eE Misk
- =. again, aud heard the groaning sound made by
I the dying people. They concluded at once to
=, enter the premises, and accordingly they broke
- - open the door, procured light, and went ul
- - stairs. Upon entering the bedroom DR.. Car
4 pentcr saw Mr. Wickham raising up on his hands
:, - and knees, and he exclaimed, 80, my! O
- dear!" and Immediately sank down again on the
:, floor. These were the last words he uttered. The
II doctor then rendered medical ad and discover
- ed that he had no less than twenty wound
~ 10 about the head. His jaw was broken in three
- Places and the skull Was broken and complete
70 ly smashed in behind the ears Oh both sides O
- the head.
. In addition to these wounds, his head an
-, face were literally covered with cuts and bruises
~ ~ His hands, arms and body exhibited evidenc
Of OF severe contest with his assailant. In a
:; insensible condition he remained for twent
@ nf hours, and died at o'clock on Saturday nigh
- The unfortunate woman, Notwithstanding tn
n severity OF the wounds, fingered for near tw
of hours before she expired. She was not COZ
~ ~ scious after the arrival of her friends III
,'te room exhibited the appearance of a slaughte
b. house covered with blood and brains and strew
w -, with pieces of skull.
oa The colored boy was dreadfuy injured Q
10 the head, having received three or more blow
W ~ with the axe; blow severing his ear, an
,s ,s another fracturing his skull lie now lies in
e. state of insensibility, and no hopes are ente
cd tanned of his recovery. After the girls ha
i- escaped, the fend proceeded up stairs i'll scare
nv of them, and finding that they had fed, returne
go to the sleeping room of Mr. Wickham and, pas
m ing over the bodies raised the window ar
jumped ont, leaving traces of blood from h
stocking feet and hands upon the woodw ork,
-. he lowered himself down to the ground. He
~ he dropped the lamp and the axe, and took
b1a fight; going eastwardly from the house. as bloc
on found upon the fences which he had passe
oI and his tracks through the corn-ield, describ
- - his course until he reached the woods
od New York AND VIRGINIA AIR LINE RA
sht RoAD.-A charter has been obtained from tt
ect several States through which it is to pass f
the an air line Rail Road connecting New Yol
sed with Norfolk. The Road will commence, sa
wn the Courier and Enquirer, at Raritan Bay,
eet miles from New York city, and run straig
ity to Cape May, distance of 100 miles, thence
of Lewes, Del, and then to Cape Charles, 0
nts positc Norfolk, l2O miles, including 20 miles
,rk Delaware, 80 in Maryland and 70 in Virgini
is We are told bv the New York Post tn