Smyrna times., 1855-08-22
The Murder Mania,

BY perusal of the accounts of shocking and
brutal murders which have appeared in the
papers for few days past, we are almost led to
believe that the present thae is the advent of
season Of horritying homicides the details of
the perpetration of some of which present the
offenders more in the light of heartless brutes
than human beings. The most shocking on
the list of the recent murders is the one in
Wisconsin, where man named Debar attempt
| ed to ut an end to the existence of a whole
family. This wretch, for no other reason than,
~e iiU stated, snt~rtalning a bare suspicion that
his intended victim, a worthy farmer named
Muehr, had struck him at the election polls,
knocked him down, intending the blow should
be fatal, while Mr.. Muehr was in the act of
giving him drink to quench his thirst. He
then caught his wife, and with knife nearly
severed her head from her body. His blood
thirstiness did not stop there but encountering
young man in the employ of Muehr, he soon
despatched him with a club. He then went
back to the house, set it on fire, and threw the
body of the young man into the flames Debar
was caught and tried within four days after
committing the offence. lie was found guilty
and remanded to prison TO await his sentence,
but on his way thither the incensed populace
took him from the custody OF the sheriff. and
after treating him in the same brutal manner
that he had dealt with his victims, dragged
hun to tree and suspended him by the heels
until life was extinct. Wisconsin is becoming
noted for murders and lynch law executions
The next most horrifying affair of the kind
is the finding of the body of young woman in
Gunner's run, Philadelphia, with marks upon
her body, which showed conclusively that she
had been foully dealt with. This murder has
very much the appearance of the Green Lane
affair in the same city, and is, like that, en-
shrouded in mystery. She was the wife of a
German named Michael Albrccht, was only
eighteen years of age, and had been married
but three weeks. Her maiden name was Eliza
beth Sting.
Next comes the affair at Newark, n. j..
which took place on Tuesday last The keep
er Of lager beer saloon, named Conrad Bauer.
was stabbed to the heart by man named John
Mckinney, after u few words of alteration.
which arose in consequence of Bauer refusing
to admit a number Of riotous characters into
his house. The murderer is still at large, and
is said to be in New York. The Mayor of
Newark has offered reward of two hundred
dollars for his apprehension.
An aggravated murder occurred near Spring
field, Tenn about two weeks since. A man
named Mortimer A. Martin had separated from
his wife, in consequence of supposed intimacy
between her and young man named Francis
NJ. Walton. The two parties met, and Martin
desired Walton to keep out Of his way, as he
did not like him Martin then left and walked
away, when Walton fred and shot him in the
back. Martin fell, AID his adversary immedi-
ately got upon him, and with another pistol de-
spatched HIM. Walton has not been arrested
On the 3I inst, at u political meeting held
in jamestown, Ohio, two persons named Benia-
min Adkins, ship carpenter, and William
WoIlan, keeper of the Mexico House, few
miles above Cincinnati, on the Kentucky side
got into an alteration, which resulted in Wor-
lan's stabbmg Adkins in the region of the heart,
which caused lis death immediately.
In the town Of Whitcford, Monroe county.
Michigan, woman was found in her own
house, having been killed by blows on the back
part of the head. Suspicion rested upon man
named james E. Cromwell, her SON in-law, and
he was accordingly arrested for the crime
During his examination there was great excite
ment among the people, aud the evidence was
so strong against him, and the offence so bru-
tai, that had not the officers OF the law ia ken
most determined and formidable stand, a Wis
consiH lynch law tragedy would most certainly
have been enacted. The prisoner is now in
jail awaiting his trial.
Temperance Convention.
The friends of Prohibition met at the NJ. f.