Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-03-22
Gbe 4aiIp gppg.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH %, 1854.
The Nnlick Trngedy.

Journal. So many of our readers are acquaint
ed with Hilliard either personally, or by rep
utation, that it will be read with interest not.
withstanding its length. aita
The murderous affray at Natick between
Samuel billiard, the landlord Of the I" Long
Pond House, and James Warren, which has
resulted in the death Of the latter, assumes
an Importance much greater than was at first
anticipated. The greatest excitement prevails
in Natick aud the surrounding towns, in con-
sequence of the affair, and hardly anything
| else is talked about.
The quarrel occurred Saturday morning
about one o'clock, in a small chamber at the
head of the first front flight of stairs in tn,
Hotel 1t contained bed sofa, aud book
case, which on that OCCASION, contained liz.
uors, instead of books The persons presen
at the time Of the quarrel were Samuel Hill
lard, the accused, James Warren, deceased
Asa J. Warren, brother of the deceased, VIM
A. Felch, NJ. D. L. McDufy Thomas Themes
and Augustus Leach. sa1
Asa ]. Warren was playing cards with
Themes, James Warren was betting on his
brothers playing, and against Themes, and
against Asa. A large number of games were
played, and considerable money changed
hands up to the hour OF midnight on Friday.
Liquor flowed freely, and the party was much
excited under it. Some time between half
past twelve and one o'clock, Asa Warren said
he would play no more, and got up and left.
billiard was dissatisfied, and expressed him
self i'll strong language, intimating that coll
fusion had taken place between James War
rem and another member of the party, to fleece
him. Angry words passed. billiard left the
room, before blow was struck, and shortly
after returned, when the quarrel was renew
ed. -s.-.....
Among other hard things, billiard called
Warren {" son Of b-h," which consid-
erably enraged Warren, who, notwithstand-
ing, kept his temper, and cautioned billiard
not to repeat those words; whereupon Hill
lard uttered them again, and Warren struck
him with his fist in the face. The blow did
not stagger billiard, who instantly put his
right hand in his pantaloons pocket, and drew
forth dirk knife Warren seeing this, rush
ed out of the doorway, intending to escape, but
the stairway being SO narrow he could not
turn quick enough; Hilliard dealt him two or
three blows with the murderous weapon.-
Fetch, hearing the seuffle, and observing the
knife, rushed into the entry and seized Hill
lard s uplifted arm, as he was about to give
another blow to his victim. Warren rushed
in great fright through the entry, down stairs,
outdoors, and ran distance of eighteen or
twenty rods, to DR.. Hoyt's office, shouting
"murder." The blood coursed freely from
his wounds the whole way, and, when he
reached there, his entrails were protruding
from one of the wounds. DIR. Russell was
called in, and every possible comfort was
afforded the suffering man. AS soon as prac-
ticable, he was removed to the residence Of his
Mother-in-law, Mr.. Daniel Hayes billiard
did not leave his house until called upon by
the authorities about eight O clock Saturday
morning, when he surrendered himself into
their custody.
Warren fingered along, until six o'clock
| Sunday morning, when he died. He convers-
ed freely before his death, on the subject o.
the ARRAY, saying that he struck billiard first
but was aggravated so to do; he nevertheless
regretted that he did it, and thought Hiliard
was too severe upon him. He had his senses
to the last moment of his existence he fire.
quently referred to his past life, regretting
much what he had done, wishing that he
might live to prove to the world that he
could be better man. For the last few hours
of his life he eonuerSed much on religious sub
Jects, and prayed that God could forgive him.
He was known in Dover and in Natick as q
fighting man and professional gambler. It
appears that he resided in the vicinity of Ber-
wick some few months since, and was arrest
ed and convicted as principal, Or an accom-
pliee, in the robbery OF a quantity of clothing,
and was committed on fine and cost. His
brother-in-law, Mr.. Hayes, kind hearted
man, went down to Alfred and arranged with
the authorities, by payment Of certain sum
of money for his release. On their way to
Boston, he was arrested upon an old warrant,
charging him with having outrageously beat
en- man on a certain occasion. The affair
was arranged in some way, and about six
weeks since the parties reached Natick, where
he went to work at the shoemaking business,
to earn money to pay his brother-in-law the
amount he had advanced him, and had work.
ed industriously ever since, up to Friday last.
He was shortly to be united in marriage to a
Miss Rollins, of Somersworth, N. H., to
whom he had been paying his addresses for
some time past Miss Rollins has been stay
ing at Mr.. Hayes's, for q short time, and was
there OH Saturday. She is said to be almost
insane in consequence of the calamity which
has befallen her. billiard was inclined to
treat the affair between himself and Warren
with much levity, on Saturday. But on Sun
day. when the death Of Warren was announce
ed to him, and the officers waited upon him,
with irons, to conduct him from his young
and devoted wife to Concord jail, he, for the
first time, began to realize his position, and
gave vent to his feelings in tears which flowed
freely. His parting with his family was a
touching scene. ssss ssssW u af.s-.
After the death Of Warren, on Sunday, Drs.
Russell and Hoyt Of Natick, and DIR. Whit
ney of birmingham proceeded to make post
mortem examination, and found the skin was
scratched just over the heart, giving evidence
of blow in that direction. On the right was
a wound commencing on the sternum and
passing down over the left RIB, leaving scar
Of the knife on the rib. The wound which
caused death was on the right abdomen, and
was two inches long, wounding the ileun in
five or six places The knife also penetrated
the colon The intestines were cut in seven
different places. An inquest was held on Mon
day, with closed doors.
Three Of the persons who were in the room
when the quarrel took place between the de-
ceased and the prisoner, - McDuffy, and
Themes = have, escaped, and cannot be
found, and Leach was committed on Sunday,
to secure his appearance. The jury decided
that the deceased came to his death by the
hand of Samuel billiard, on the above named
morning, and that the act was done with
malice.
This is the fifth murder that has occurred
in Natick, and the Immediate vicinity, within
six years. F 40 o a0a i mN j Is
THE Boy OF PRIsc1rLs. Previous to the
late Presidential election, Mrs. H----took
her little son, about four years old; ON her
lap, and tried to impress upon his mind the
difference between liberty and slavery. She
told him the story of Same children enld frn,,,