The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-05-03
lt'rom the Cleveland .Plaindealer, April 6, ]
A Murder0us Maniac. I.s

A Murder0us Maniac. hs f
Ahorrible tragedy was enacted a, Roots:
town. Ohio. on the eed .ult. Mr.. Horace
L. Ensign had risen,, aud, without dress
ing. was in the act Of putting a stick OF
wood in the kitchen, stove, when, he was
felled by a blow on his head. Mr.. E. was
standing at the time near door that open.
ed into the wood.shed. The door was
a ar, and the blow was given from some
person in the she'd. lie saw no one. bu,
placing his hands .ion each side Of his
head. he hastened through into his dining
room. where his witewas. He exclaimed,
Il am killed; some one has split my head
open with an axe' He then ran out to
the door and cried murder. His wife see
ing him bleeding, and cash on his head
just above and back OF the temple, shouted
Tor help. Meatime the children were ava.
kened and came running in; the eldest. a
son OF six,een,a on coming down stairs
opened the door 10 the wood.shed. think
ing his father was in there On opening
tine door the first object that he saw was q
man with an uplifted axe. looking like a
demon at him. lie says, "Caleb. what
do you want of me!" Caleb sprang back
and shut the door. By this time a neigh.
bor came across the street and went to the
wood. house. when the maniac addressed
him by name: donald Deming.' That
is my nsme,'' he replied; and, continued
he. s.John Crii,enden, what are you doing
with that axe?' II thirst Tor blood. and
blood will have," said he. MIR. Deming
tried to cool him down. and after few
minutes succeeded IN. getting the axe
However. before he could get it away;
Chittenden. who is a powerful man, sprang
tor the axe. and, sDeming being much the
weaker, Chittenden wren ched it from him
Some of the children had been sent for
help, even in their rundress. After losing
his hold upon the axe, Deming retrea,ed
TO the dining room. where Horace sat
bleeding. and his family, around him,
frightened very much. Dsmins held the
door from the dining room. and hoped to
keep him from that, but with the axe he
shivered the door at once. when Mr.. Dem,
ing exclaimed, "run ior your lives" By
this time another neishbor got there, and
on seeing what was going on, ran sorhome
to ge, his rife, thinking it best to shoot ;he
madman. 5f l'a-E .,s.s
Upon the word being given to run, they
| all left, as they thought, and Deming shu,
the outer door; but Lucinda, their eldest
daughter, (ffteen years old stopped TO
| save little brother. two and half years
old who had been awakened by the break
ing in Of the door, and had jumped from
his bed on to the floor, and stood scream.
ing from fright. She caught him in her
arms, and reached the outer door just in
time TO get her fingers pinched as DemiDg
shut The door. She saw the wretch leap
through the door. through where the upper
panel had been broken. She called TO
have them open the door. but by this time
she received blow from the head of the
axe, which ielled her with the little one
| still in her arms. Meanwhile. Horace had
a presentinent that some child still re.
mained in the house, and had gone. sround
! to the back kitchen door and entered, pass
ing into the dinipgroom.. There lay Lu-
cinda. welterinR in blood. and as he sup
posed, dead. The outside door had been
opened. Deming had opened il for the
child when she called. Chittenden was
in the act Of splitting open Deming's hea ad;
Horace sprang across the dining room, and
seized the axe handle &, avert the blow
from D., Chi.tenden fin ding some one be.
hind him, turned upon him. and in the
scuf1le. cut to. the bone on the back OF
Horsce's. head Upon that Horace seized
him by the throat. and Demlng by his leg,
and By, ahard, struggle they got him down.
he still retaining the axe, and Horace still
choking him By this time the woman
had called ihe man back that had gone for
his .riAe. lie came. and with much diff
entity wrenched the axe from him. Tho only
held. it one handy they then got ropes
with blood, and 50 was The floor. = z+''SS ,s
ss ,Aflel the man was, secured, messen-
gel. was posted to- Ravenna for medical
aid. The. word few like lightning, aud, .
general rush ensued. Horace's head was
tfepanned.. His brain lay exposed DUR
ing his struggle with the man. The pul.
sation could. be seen, but the membrane
was not broken. The inside Of the bone
was zone and one.eigh,h OF an inch long,
and three- -tour,hs OF, an, inch wide. Upon
the outside The; bone was more than Two,
inches long. besides two small pieces that
were. no. measured. lie. to all appear
apoe will, survive, but poor Lucinda is in
a very. critical situation. The bones were
so. driven binio the brain that the surgeon
thought it no, best 10 do much for her; bp,
her friends insisted upon trying, Alter
6se hours they procpeded to dress, her
wound. After pressing, the scalp each
ways, they extracted, six pieces Of bone,
some an inch and ,oyer.z Several Of them
were nearly buried in the brain. DR..
Pratt exMacied them. vaisiing ups,he skull
bone wherever it was depressed. About
two spoonfuls of the brain escaped. She
still lies in "a very critical situation, bul
with small ,hope,.of recovery. This Chit.
tenden belonged in Randolph;i has had
fits from child; an ugly. tempered man
naturally. Oflase hisfriends have thought
him deranged at times. The night pre-.
vious to this attack he had three keepers
He attempted to kill hisibro.her. His wife
was directed to 60 to neighbours to stay
In her hurry to leap fence she sprained
her ancle. Of course she crawled on thel
hands and knees. and by, SO doing. she
probably escaped death. for he, broke loose
from his keepers, and in pursuing hershe
Il passed yery near her twice; but the nigh