The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-11-21
THE DAILY DISPATCH.

SAD TRAGEDY-MURDER AND SUlcIDE-We
take from the Boston Herald the particulars Of a
dreadful tragedy, which took place at South Dan
vers ON Thursday morning: isaFs.f
1t appears that Mr.. James Brown, farmer, and
bachelor about fifty years of age, resided about
three miles from South Danvers, on the Lynn road
WIN MS sister, Sally Brown single lady, who
managed his household affairs The only other
inmate OF the house was an Irishman, named Com
fret. James Brown a man of singular tein
per, VINO had long been at variance with other
members of his family but was on friendly terms
with his sister He chad an alteration with his father
year ago, and attempted to shoot him. but was
prevented by one of his brothers He at times
gloomy and misanthropie but beyond this there was
nothing to lead to the supposition that he was in
sane: His sister had been an inmate of an insane
hospital The particulars of the tragedy are thus
given: ~ go E73~ 1ss
On Wednesday evening, when Comfret retired
to bed he left Mr. Brown and his sister sitting by
the fire, conversng in the most friendly MANNER
In tue morning while he was at the stable, feeding
the horse, unconscious of anything going wrong in
the house, he heard about half past six o'clock the
report OF gun in the kitchen, and Immediately
vent into the house. When he entered the kitch-
en- Miss brown was lying on the floor, groaning,
and Mr. Brown was standing near his desk, taking
on MS vest Comret asked-'What is the matter Z
MIR. Brown replied, Nothing, nothing and then
quested him to go after his brother John. He ran
to the house of John Brown, situated in the neigh
oorhood and returned. When he reached the
scene, James Brown was lying on the floor, near his
sister welterng in deiuge OF blood that had flow
ed from horrible cash in his neck, dead and
bloody razor lying near
"A sister of the deceased next arrived, and heard
her murdered sister exclaiin, once twica MY
God, save met and in few minutes ceased to
breathe. The unfortunate woman had received
two stabs in the neck from clasp knife-one upon
the left Side which penetrated to the ceryital
tebre, and the other upon the right side, near the
carotid artery These wounds severe, but
the hcmorrhage was not great, and they Were not
sufficient to produce death 1t would seem that
when the unhappy woman was stabbed she at
tempted to the knife from the fratricide for
there were cuts upon the inside Of one of her hands
as if she had grasped the blade.
Upon her right breast was the fatal gunshot
wound, near the nipple. perforatiEg the lungs in
tic direction of the heart.
Mr.. Brown had inflicted upon himself a cash
about three inches i'll length, the arod artery
upon the right side of his neck. Several large
blood vessels were severed, causing u great flow OF
blood, but the main artery was uninjured.
The breakfast was in course of preparation
when this horrid tragedy enacted, and the ta-
ble with the dishes laid for the morning meal was
standing near the slain bodies when their friends
and neighbors arrived
This deed of blood, so shrouded in mystery as to
the motives that acluatcd the wretched fratrcide
has produced profound sensation in the neighbor-
hood where it was committed, and plunged the
family OF the victims into the deepest grief"