Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-03
NUMBER 248.
From the Auburn On. Y.) Amer can.
Horrible Tragedy--A Father, Mother and
Brother Butchered by a Son.

iihg, III TINS county, yesterday morning. at tDren
o'clock, that has scarcely parallel in the ciminsl
history Of this or any other country. To-day We
are enabled TO give the particulars. They will be-
read with thrill of horror.
Yesterday morning, John Htzgerald--a young
man only about eig teen years OF age--rose from
his bed, and with an axe in his hand, entered the
room in which his father, his mother and a your
ger brother we're sleeping, and deliberately butch
cred them all
Intelligence reached this city Yesterday afte,
noon BY telegraph, simply requesting Sheriff Knapp
to send coroner to Sterling to hold an inquest
the bodies OF three murdered persons. This was
placed in the hands of l.. N. Hollister Esq, Of
this city, one of the coroners of Cayuga county.
lie left at o'clock +. NJ, in freight train on
the Central Road to Syracuse, and taking the reg
ular train from there to Oswego, reached the scene
OF the awful tragedy about 10 O'Clock last ever
ing We accompanied that officer on his dreadful
crrand, and having returned this afternoon are
able to give our readers the following particulars
of deed OF iiendsh murder that makes Our
blood run cold
we left Oswego in wagon, and drove out To
Sterling as rapidly as possible. The distance was
about nine miles. When we approached within
four or five miles of the residence Of the murdered
family we found the road filed with people, riding
and on foot, going to or coming from that place.
Leaving the main road, near Cburcl's some
seven miles out from Oswego, we turned into
lonely and not much frequented cross road leading
oil among the hills, and into portions of the couu
try that were but sparsely settled. But the IA,
thor We went in this direction the more dense
became the crowd, and at last our way was almost
blocked up with people. Finally we arrived in
front of low story-and-a-bairame building, stand
ing at the left hani side of the termination Of the
road. AT this point vehicles Of all kinds were
drawn up, and crowd had collected Lights
were fitting from the windows, and we knew that
we had reached the scene OF the murder Though
there We're many present, yet there was no noise
Men spoke almost under their breath, and all
seemed to be impressed with the overwhelming
fact, that within the walls of that house were 10
be found proofs of one of the most horrible crimes
that ever startled a civilized community.
Entering the house we We're shown into an east
room, aud on bed in that room at the south sidr,
covered with sheet, laid the bodies of Mark Fiz-
gerald, Mary Fitzgerald This wife, and james Fitz-
gerald, their SOM The spectacle was horrible
one! Mark Fitzgerald occupied the front side If
the bed and was lying in nearly the position in
which he was found immediately after the murder
He was an Irishman about forty-ive years Of ago,
and some five feet nine inches high, OF sonewhst
spare but muscular build, and with light hair,
scarcely covering rather high forehead. Next to
him laid his wife, Mary, about iifty-two years Of
age-stout and iair-and evidently woman wi
had led busy life. Beside her reposed the r.,
mains of their son James, plump and stout lad
of about fifteen years of age All these weIe
butchered to death by John Fitzgerald, their son
and brother, with axe!
The axe did an awful work that night. Tic
physician had been there before u.s. and though
the bedding was almost saturated with the blood
of the victims, the ghastly wound had been sew,d
up. This Is the way the murders were done. Mark
Fitzgerald evidently laid with his head turned to-
wards his wife, when he struck. The blow he
received was an awful and deadly one. II Glove
clear through his neck, and only left his head upon
his shoulders by short "Trip of skin. His wife,
startled by the jar and noise Of the blow must
have risen up instantly on her elbow and put out her
arms to save herself and her husband for the blows
the monster dealt her were inflicted in her should
er, the top OF the spine, and neck. There were
four, and each of them was mortal One laid the
whole neck and shoulder OPEN One gashed deep
into her neck. One severed the spine near the
head. The other was farther down her back She
was found with her left arm thrown over her hus-
bands breast He had his hands folded across his
bosom. Both must have died at once. Poor James
was sleeping on lounge opposite the bed H;s
brother struck him cruel blow, which hurled him
to the floor. Ii laid open his left check The next
blow struck higher and cutting the face on the
same side, passed above the car and penetrated
the brain.
When found he was on his hands and knees,
alive able to speak, in pool Of blood, and only
and mother were lying dead. He was at once
cared for and everything done that could be dore
by physician, but he died about seven o'clock
yesterday morning. lie had his senses some times,
and spoke once or twice. but soon after five o'clock
became dellious, and expired raying about hs
mother.
Tie room in which the bodies laid was sepa
rated by partition from another and n larger
room called the kitchen. At one end OF this was
an alcoye, and in that a bed. In this bed John,
the murderer, and his older brother, Patrick, aged
twenty-one years. were accustomed TO sleep. On
this night they retired at the usual time, but John
refused to sleep with Patrick, alleging that the
weather was too warm. Accordingly he laid down
on a blanket, under window, in the room, and
Patrick, falling asleep in his bed, heard nothing
until he was aroused about three o'clock by noise
that seemed as If some heavy body had fallen IN
his parents room. He rose at once, aud went to-
wards the door of this roOm and, as he did So met
his brother John coming out, excaiming, Pat!
there is man Ia fathers room !"
Patrick at once drew on his psntaloous, and ran
to a neighbor's, Mr.. 0Nelps, near BY. He noticed
as he went out that the front door was fastened on
the inside! He went out alone, and soon returned
with Mr. 0Nel. On the way, he and ON saw
John in the road. He said he had chased two
"niggers" from the house, but they did not see
airy one in the street They lighted q candle on
entering the house. and instantly saw the murder.
ed bodies. healarm was at once given. Neighbors
came IN, and DR.. Plumb did all in his power 10 save
James. The Doctor testified aud 50 did another,
whose name we torgst, TO the nature and character
Of the wounds inflicted
The testimony elected before the coroner was
full and direct, and fixed the guilt of this awful
deed upon John Fitzgerald in fact, when charged
with II by neghbor, the monster admitted the
crime Before the coroner, however, he refused
TO say word, pro or con.
Fitzgerald is a stoutly built young fellow, and,
us We said, about eighteen years Of age. Ills fea.
lures are not strongly marked with Intelligence,
but his expression is ordinarily smart and shrcwd.
His forehead is low, his hair is black and cutls
good deal. His general expression Of counteuance
last night and this morning was churlish, doggcd
and iendish, and yet occasionally he cried out,
wringng his hands" Oh my poor mother! Oh
my parents"
Before Coroner Hollister arrived at the scene Of
the tragedy, Justice George S. Tiford Of Pelham,
had taken the depostons Of number Of witnesses,
and placed the murdcrerin custody. When the coro-
arrived he at once summoned jury and sent for