Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-08-22
A Wife Gut 10 Pieces With al Axe.
Correspondence q The io1a Ciiy Republican.
LIBERTY, johnson couuty,)
IulV 10 I-1I

July 10; looI
Abcut u mile north Of Inc there is (or
wss) living a family by the name Of Hurt,
consisting of Hurt his wife, his wile's
mother, and four Children. Friday morn
ing, Hurt went to the city for the purpose
of asccrtaiung the truth Of the report in
circulation, which was, that his wife had
succeeding in obtaining bill Of divorce,
He came home little before sunset, went
to the well, got a drink of water, then
picked up an axe and drove lis wife from
the house. Oyertaking her in the yard,
he struck her with the IKE in the back of
the head. She fell to the ground, and
then he hacked her up iu the most shameful
manner; cut her right arm nearly off, and
sunk the bit of the axe several times in
her back and sides. He then left her for
dead, and took after the mother.in-law,
who was running through the field to one
of the neighbors. She had got SO far off
that he left her, went into the house, took
some fire, went up stairs and set the beds
OH fire. In half an hour the house and
everything in it was in ruins. Two Of his
sons, young men, were present at the time,
but dare not make the least resistance.
While the house was burning, Hurt was
seen going through the field towards a
thicket. About dark, thirty of the neigh
bors collected around the burning ruins
Mrs Hurt was found in a potato patch,
scnsclcss. She was carried to ncighbors
house, and it was arranged to meet at
daylight the next morning, to hunt for
Hurt, he search was short. lie went
about twenty rods to the edge Of the
thickct, and stabbed himself twice with
pocket knife. He was heard moaning and
crying all night by some of the neighbors.
He had lost his knife in the grass and had
no other weapon with which to finish the
work of self destruction. One man was
dispatched to the city for doctor. He
had a double barrel shot gun with him,
and in leaving for the city, he left the gun
standing under the shed, Hurt left the
thickct in the nj ht, came to the house or
where it stood, pulled off his right boot,
fastened it to pole with his handker-
chief, and got water from the well to drink.
As soon it was light he saw the gun, and
placing the muzzlc TO bis left car he dis
charged the piece, as is supposed with his
toes. he was found lying on his back,
with his left arm around the gun.
Hurt was a drinking and desperate man.
His wi was a hard working and indus
trious woman. The family were left with
out shelter or a change Of clothes, Mrs,
! Hurt had lived in constant fear oi hcg life
for tie last four years, and suffered u
/ thousand deaths.
The family formerly lived in the north
crn part of Ohio, Fifteen years ago Hurt
killed ncighbor Of his in drunken fray,
and fled t. Canada. She remained in
Ohio until about four years ago, where she
received letter from him from Michigan,
st4ting that lie had land there, and wanted
her to sell cut and join him. Her chill
dron being anxious to come west she did
so. Hurt was in debt for grog and board
bill when she found him. She paid it, for
she had about $500 with her, She bought