The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-04
HORRID MURDERS ON LONG ISLAND.
Three Persons Probably Kfncd-Tho Mur
derer Suspected, Sc.

Three Persons Probably Kined-Tho Mur
derer Suspected, DC.
Abort twelve O'Clock on Friday night. two ser
want girls in the employ of Mr.. James wickham. a.
Cutchogue, in SouthoId town, l.. l., were awakened
by the cries Of some of the inmates of the house.
and on listening heard repeated blows, as if some
body was being struck on the head and .slso heard
Mrs. Wickham exclaim, nicholas, don't kin him
don't kill him." Upon this, the girl supposi,9 that
Mr.. Wickham was being murdered, got out Of an
attic window and fed to the nearest nerhb,rs and
gave the alarm.
Inc mouse was Immediately visited and presented
e horflDie spectacle. Mr.. WickhaIn. who was fov-
merry merchant in this city, aud wealthy farm
err lay welteriDg In his blood, his head cut literally
to pieses, and apparently in the last gasp of his
/ existence, and when our informant left the scen~
| lie was yet breathing, although unconscious, with
no nope OF his recovery. Mrs. Frances Wickhaaf.
his wife, was dead, she having had her brain,
| completely knocked out which, together with her
BLOOD. was scattered about the room. Mrs w. wa
ruP thlrty-hve years OF age. negro boy, about
hitsen years old, who was living in the family waS
also beat and cnt about the head to such an extent
that ne cannot survive his injuries and he too Il.
IN sich condition as to be unable to give any ao-
couns OF the desperate murderer. The deed was
COMMITTED with post axe, an implement used for
the purpose OF holing posts for fences.
From the cries of Mrs. Wickhanl which were heard
by the servan girls, it is suspected that an Irshman
whose name is Nicholas Dane, and who had been in
me employ of Mr.. W., but was discharged on We'd
nj sday, iethe porpetrator of this hoird deed: hut
M traces of him had been found up to ycsterdav
afternoon.
1t is the opinion of the inhabitants that he sought
TO be revenged upon Mr.. W. for discharginx him.
and determined to murder his whole family He
sometime since desired to marry one of the servant
giris but, on her refusing to have him, he swore
vengeance against her. Nothing in the house wss
carried away, which indicates that revenge in
stead OF robbery instigated the monster to the per-
petraton of TINS boriid crime. He will not probs-
oly long elude the officers of Justice
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THIS AFFAIR.
James Wickhlm, formerly Of the firm of Wick
yum " Corwin, grocers in this city, and who had
s'.feo on iafr ut Cutchogue, t. l., was murdered
lse hight at his residence, together with his wife
Aua negro ooy. The affair has created the greatest
excitement in the place. as it Is the rst murder that
pas taken place IN, the township for thirty years.
4 ne murderer is supposed to be Nicholas Dane. an
l4'shman who had worked for Mr. Wickham sor rtvc
OF three years past, and who left his employ only
10" days ago. and was last seen shout the premises
the night before the murder
This man is about six feet high, large boned.
round shouldered, high cheek homes. red face ana
no whiskers; generaly walked very fast usually
carried with him a silver watch and q steel auard
chain.
The instrrmeniw'th which this horrible deed was
perpehated Is called post axe, which was found
yesterday morning upon the premises, with blood
and hair upon it.
are entertained for Their recovery fne opyec.m
the murderer seems to have been robbery but in this
the iend was foiled, as the two servant girls who
slept in the upper part Of the house, hearing the
cries Of murder proceeding from below, escaped
from window ont upon back shed, and alarmed
the neighbors. The murderer, upon going TO tho
girls room and finding they had fled, escaped from
the house without pundering
The persons alarmed by the girl were Joseph
Corwin, Wm. Belts, and Dr. Carpenter, who camo
Immediately TO the housa; but the murdarer had
fed leaving behind him his hat, which has been
recogDizad as belonging To- Nicholas Dane. Tracks
of blood were left from he feet of the monster he
passed out of the house, II seems That after his
discharge on Wednesday, he hung about the pre-
mises, and made use OF threats towards the girl
Ellen for not marrying him, attrbuting her refusal
to the advice given her by Mr.. and Mrs. Wickham.
On Friday morning he left the house, took his
trunk, and went to Greenport Taere he left the
trunk and that night is supposed to have walked
back to the residence Of Mr.. Wickham, distance
of about ten miles broke into the premises and no
doubt INTENDED to murder all in the house, and would
have accomplished the bloody deed had not the girls
been awakened by tie cries OF Mrs. Wickham. Up
to the latest account arrest had been made, and
il was supposed that the murderer was secreted In
the woods, or, perchance making his way towards
New York. The inhabitants, however, were out in
full force in pursuit, and doubt the monster viii
lie captured. He is described being six feet In
height broad shoulders black hair, inclined to curl,
high cheek bones, and a fast, rolling walk; chews
tobacco freely and is about twenty-eight years Of
age.
We are indebted for the above information to Mr..
John Martin, OF River Head who came to the city
last evening to notify the friends and relatives Of
IL q deceased.