New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-28
Nesu91ork DAILY @tibm,te
MURDER AT COLD SPRING.
F,e~ The wAisu,atsy Rssass,.

Fro@ Ths HkasrHGfV Rsgis<y
On Saturday afternoon Of last week this community
was greatly excited by the rumor that peaoesble add
worthy citizen of Cold Spring, jefferson County, " Y
had been found dead that village, and 50 muiila
ted as 10 lead 10 the conviction that he had been bro
,arv murdered. The uSme Of the murdered man was
Isaac Witherby He was about forty years Of age, Of
slight make, and Of very quiet ard Peeoeabe dis
position. lie was the owner Of small boat or skf.
with which il customary for him and hls ne On
bOrs 10 cross Bark River when on the way "a BIT.
water in the prosecution of any business requiring
them a. cross the ryer. On several occasions, Joseph
Perry, an Engishman living GEAR him, had taken The
boat without leave and failed 10 return IL paying no
attention 10 Wiiherbys circumstances. This at
last done frequently that Whsrby lost his patience,
and finally, ON Saturday the 9Th inst, he had Perry
brought up on charge Of stealing the boat The MAJ
ter was, however, compromised IN some way, Perry
paving some IS 80 10 get rid of the prosecution. He
was greatly Inflated at this, and threw out many
threats against Wherby in the course OF tina, day
On Monday the boat ~as again missing, and With
erby sought for Il in vain mp and down the nver. he
told several of his acquaintance that he had no doubt
his boat was sunk or burned. On Tuesday and
Wednesday he continued hls search, on the opposite
side Of the ryer from where he lived and the last seen
of him alive was on Wednesday about o clock p m,
going toward the place where his body was aisrward
found and when Perry was there engaged IN burning
the boat
But rot till Friday did Mrs. witherby feel alarmed
a
Oh TIE opposite side Of the river, and gave herself no
uneasiress Friday, however, she communicated her
Il, Az TO the ncighbors, and search was commenced
for the missing mau; aud Saturday morning. about 10
O'Clock his dead body was found near Perrys house,
half sunk in pool of water and horribly muhnted
and ds6gured. The head was cut in many places, g.
by heavy blows from some bunt-edged weapon, eva
IDENTIFY an iron wedge Peny had been using; the right
shoulder was broken down by blow that must have
been sufficient 10 have eled an OK, aud on the night
side every rib hut was broken and some OF them
in two CT three places. The surgeons were OF The
opinion that the injuries the head would not prob
ably. have caused death; but that the blows on the
che st and shoulder were either of them sufficient 10
have killed the strongest man.
Thee is roason TO believe that Witherby came
suddenly upon Perry while in the act of destroying
the boat What passed between them is not known,
and perhaps never will be. But that sharp words
passed between them is probable, TIL Perys ungov-
enable temper led him 10 commit cnme that must
forever shut him out frop human fellowship He had
been using beetle and wedges in splitting rails, and
with these the murder was doubtless committed
Perry was at once apprehended. Al first he mani
Tested the utmost stoeism and indifference; put on
word being sent him. Saturday night, that With
erhy had Just been buried and that he might make
ready to follow his fears of violence at the hands OF
the excited people shook his iron nerves. Tie con
tessed that he was guilty. and on Monday morning
early, before the ueighb had any suspicious of the
fact he was safely lodged in prison at Jefferson.
Three hours later, and there is reason to believe hst
the i,aruily enroged people, who gathered al C9ld
Ma, berry tragedy and violated the law, In their mis-
taken haste 10 deal justice to the murderer.
Perry il a large and powerfully. built man, and his
reputation is that Of hcadstrongf man
lie is man of considerable property, and has wiie
ard three children, two boys and one girl.
Withrrby leaves n wife, two girls aud boy. They
are in comfortable circumstances, but their life has
been darktned by 4he hasty and act of yioenttem-
pered and unrefecting man.
Cold Spring is about three miles from this place,
and on Monday many of the people from here went
IA wn TO attend the investigation Ii was then thought
that Peirys eldest boy lad of IL, was implicated in
the murder but the evidence was not sufficient TO
warrant his commitment.