The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-09
A Murderous Maniac.
ArTENrg TO MvRpgR 4 FAMILY STORY oF


from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, April g.
horrible tragedy was enacted at Rootstown, Ohio,
on The .2d ut private letter from witness Of the
scene furnishes the following deails-
1t that hr. Horace J.. Ensign of Rootstown, .
had risen the morning of the 22d and without dress
ing, was in the act of putting stick of wood in the
kitchen stove, when he fclled by blow his head.
Mr.. f. was standing at the time door that open
cd into the wood-shed The door aiag and the blow
was given from some person in tic she'd
The correspondent says--Mr. Ensign one but
placing his hands on each soe of hs head he hastened
through into his dining room where his wife yas. He
claimed am killed: some one has split my head open
with axe He then out to the door and cried
murder. His wife seeing him bleeding, and cash on
his head just above and also back of the temple shouted
for help. Meantime the children were awakened aud
came running in the eldest, son Of sixteen. coming
down stairs opened the door to the woodshed, think
ing his father in there. On opening the door
the first object that he man with
urlfted axe, looking like demon at him. He
says, Caleb what do you want of me" Caleb sprang
back and shut the door by this time a neghbor came
the street and went to the woodhouse when the
maniac addressed him hy name: "ponald Deming'
That my name, lie replied; and continued he, John
Chittenden, what are you doing with that axe?r ~
thirst for blood, and blood will have" said he Mr..
Demng tried to cool him down, and after few minutes
succeeded in getting the However, before he could
get ii away, Lhtenden, who is powerful man sprang
for the axe and Demng being much the weaker Chttcn
den wrenchod it from him. Some of the children had
been sent for help in their undress) After losing
his hold upon the axe Demng retreated to the dining
where Horace sat bleeding and his family around
him, frightened very much Deming held the door from
the dining 1oom and hoped 10 keep him from that but
with the axe he shlNereu tic door 1t once, when Mr.
Demirg exclaimed, run for your iyes' BY this time
another reighbor got there, and seeing what 60
ing on ran fr homo to get hs rae tnAias Il best to
they all left, they thought and peng shut the outer
door: but Lucinda their eldest daughter (dfteen years
old.) stopped to save little brother, two and a
hall years old, who had been awakened by the
breaking in of the door, and had jumped from
his bed on to the floor, and stood screaming from
fright She caught him in her arms and reached
the outer door just in me to get her fingers pnched
Demng Shut the door. She saw the wretch leap through
f1n 1aIr tlrEr oh xvha tln had haap
broken she called to have them open the door, but by
this time she received blow from the head Of the axe,
which feled her with the little still in her
Meanwhile, Horace had presentiment that some child
still remained in the house and had gone around to the
back Kitchen door and entered passing into the dining
There lay Lucinda weltering in blood and he
supposed dead The outside door had been opened
Demrg had opened it for the child when she called Chit
tenden in the act Of splitting open Deming's head
Horace prang the dining and seized the
handle to avert the blow from d. Chittenden finding
behind him, turned upon him. and in the scuiie cut
to the bone the back Of Horace's head Upon that
Horace seized him by the throat and pemng by his leg
and by hard struggle they got him down, he still
tanning the axe and Horace still choking him BY this
time the had called the back that had gone
for his rife He came, and with much difficulty wrcnched
the axe from him, (he only held it by hand3 they
then got ropes and bound him. Horace was covered With
blood and so the floor.
After the man secured messenger was posted to
and general rush ensuei. Horace's head was tire.
ranned. His byain lay exposed during his struggle with
the The pul lsation could be seen, bat the mem
biaro not broken The inside of tho bone one
and oneeghth OF an inch long and threefourths of an
inch wiGc Jpon the outside the bone more than
two inches long besides two small pieces that not
measured lie TO all nppearance viii survive, but poor
Lucinda is in very critical situation The bones
so Gri1 into the brain that the surgeon thought II not
best 10 do much for her. but her friends insisted upon
trying After five hours they proceeded to dress her
wound After pressing the scalp each way, they extract
cd six pieces OF bone, inch and Several of
them were nearly buried in the brain. Dr. Pratt ex-
racted Them, raising up the skull bone wherever 1t
deIressed About two spoonful Of the brain escaped
She stil lies in very critical situation with but small
hope Of recovery. This Chttenden belonged in Randolph
the town south Of this; has had ts from n child
ugly tempered naturally OF late his friends have
this attack he had three keepers He attempted to kin his
brother. His wife was directed to 20 about half q
mile 10 neighbours to stay. In her hurry in leap
ing fence she spraned her ancc. OF she
crawled hands and knees and by doing she proba
bly, death for he broke loose from his keepers,
and in pursuing her he passed very her twice but
the night dark and she being the ground, he did
not see her lie left searching for her, aud went 10
neghbcrs and called for the (sr. Wari.) Mrs.
Ward did not recognise his voice and replied TO him that
he had gone after John Chitendon 'Well . said he,
with an cath, '.you shall GO too She then knew his
voice, catched the candle and blew it out Her two
daughters up stairs in bed she led up the cham
Der stairs and held tho door lie smashed in window
with a cudeel that he carried with him he enterel
through the window, but could not find any He
took all the of the stove threw fire about the
and piled led clothes aud other things on the stove
He broke ont two other windows sash and all and made
his exit through OF them. Mrs Ward smelled the
fire. and with the assistance Of her daughters extn-
guished It. All The houses in his neghborhood bear
marks of his visit lie eluded his pursuers till after he
taken at HoTaces He Dragged that he had sent his
pursuers the wrong track lie knew, he said where
they would go look Tor him. but he took another road
They wanted to kill him. as he said, but said he, ~
fixed them thirst for blood and blood I'll have.n
don't think he cared whose There reason for
his attack upon Horace they had any difficulty in
their lives. can't describe the scene II | try.