Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-08-06
Correspondence Of the Iowa City Republican.
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY In IOWA!
A Wife Cut to Pieces with an Ak
by her Husband..He Commits
Suicide

A Wife Cut to Pieces with an Al
by her Husband..HeC Commit.
Suicide.
LIBERTY, johnson Co., July 10.
You have undoubtedly heard rumors o
a terrible outrage, committed in our settle
ment on Friday evening last. Living, a
| do, near the scene ofslaughter, and being
acquainted with the circumstances and the
parties, l have thought it best to give yor
a short sketch of the same. About mil,
north of me there is Tor was) living a fam
lily by the name of Hurt, consisting of Hurt
his wife, his wife's mother, and four chill
dren. Friday morning Hurt went to the
city for the purpose of ascertaining the
truth of the report in circulation, which
was, that his wife had succeeded in obta
lining bill of divorce.
He came home little before sunset
went to the well, got drink of water, lher
picked up an AK and drove his wife from
the house. Overtaking her in the yard
he struck her with the ak in the back o
the head. She fell to The ground, and
he then hacked her up in. the most shame.
full manner; cut her right arm nearly off,
and sunk the bit of the ak several times in
her back and sides. He then left her fol
dead, and took after his mother-in-law, who
was running through the field to one of
his neighbors. She had got so far off that
he left her, went in the house, took some
fire, went up stairs and set the beds on
fire. In half an hour and everything in
it was in ruins. Two of his sons, young
men, were present at the time, but dared
not make the least resistance.
While the house was burning, Hurt was
seen going through the field toward q
thicket. About dark, some thirty of the
neighbors collected around the burning
ruins. Mrs. Hurt was found in potato
patch, senseless. She was carried to a
neighbours house, and it was arranged to
meet at daylight the next morning to
hunt for Hurt. The search was short
He went about twenty rods to the edge of
thicket, and stabbed himself twice with a
pocket-knife. He was heard moaning and
crying all night by some of his 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 a doctor. He
had double-barrel shotgun with him, and
in leaving for the city he left the gun stand
ing under the shed. Hurt left the thicket
in the night, came to the house or where
it stood, pulled off his right boot, fastened
it to pole with his handkerchief, and got
water from the we'll to drink. As soon as
it was light he saw the gun, and placing
the muzzle TO his left ear he discharged the
piece, as it is supposed, with his toes. He
was found lying upon his back, with his
left arm around the gun.
Hurt was drinking, sl,ifIess, and evi-
IDENTIFY desperate man. His wife was
a hard-working, industrious woman. The
family were left with out shelter or change
of clothes. Mrs. Hurt had lived in con-
stant fear of her life for the last four years,
and suffered a thousand deaths.
The family formerly lived in the north
ern part of Ohio. Some fifteen years ago
Hurt killed neighbor of his in drum
ken fray, and fled to Canada. She re-
manned in Ohio until about four years ago,
where she received letter from him from
Michigan, stating that he had land there,
and wanted her to sell out and join him.
Her children 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 place here, and not seeing
any reformation in the man she secured
the title in her own name. They lived
together as man and wife but short time.
He came nigh killing her some two
years ago. She swore her life on him
and applied for a bill. He has been liv-
ing in the family ever since, a terror to
them all. She employed Clark q Brother
to get a divorce. At her request, l wrote
them once or twice on her behalf. Know
ing her, as l did, (she having worked for
us several times when compelled to flee
from her own home, informed them of
her troubles, and they secured the divorce,
and her right to the little property she
possessed. But she is not here now 10
thank them for it; for 1 have just learn
ed that she died last night. Hurt was
buried yesterday, and she will be this eve
ming.