New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-15
TIE CRIME WITHOUT PARALLEL.
MURDER OF A FATHER AND MOTHER Ply
4 DRUNKEN son.
tr0~ rae C.iss HerGl3, Jds. B.


Ths; our readers nigh, be fully posted n all the par
tcu'ars OF the receut horrible paricile a, roovlc
Madison County one of the editors Of TIE Herald
Yesterday y-ed the Of the murder for the pur-
pose Of giving authentic account of the awfa affair
Il is crrc without precedent in its euogIni,y anl
wi.hou, parallel in is terrible and unnatural detail.
History furnishes no instance of similar AT al
iplupanitv, and M CONCEPTION IT horror ha. p.r-
hans ever reached the standard Of th. dead real.
NV. son numbering his own father and mother. with
most r, mor.eess frenzy ard cruelty then cutting ont
their hearts and roasting and eating their flesh, is an
instance Il d-psavity never before recorded not even
in canpbal countries. What aids 10 rs dread horror
~ the full conI ctiun Of it, reality. There j. ~ doubt
a. o the truthfulness ct the pcture II can scarcely
be drawn accurate enough. Nnrds VIII hardly snt
themselves 10 such a recital a. the facts justify Bat
to n. Incidents themselves a We FUND tsn.
TIE ,04>rocK FAMILY.
Jared Com,tnck and Clarissa CnmStork. the two
victims, among be Oldest residents OF hahiton'
For nearly half century they have hNed IN MADISON
County, and although in moderate circumstance,
mu, respected. They have iourchdrcn, twos"ns
and two daughters. The oldest OF the children i
William, by whose hand they received their death
wound. Their second son is married and lives near
the homestead and one of the daughters j. married to
a gentleman in East Hamilton, and Is lady of marked
respect and esteem. The old people had attained the
age of nearly ree years and ten, and were Nv
ing in q little cottage with their Oldest son.
Their house is about q miles south of Poolville
and fifty rods east of Thompsons Mills IL il story
and half building, boarded up with rough boards
Here Mr.. Comstock and his wife have lived for the
post four years There il but one room on the ground
door. and here the horrid deed was committed. The
room j. about i6X2O feet, and ~ not plastered The
walls pasted with BIttN registers aud N'c- YORK
Ltdgcrs. There We're five chairs, n stand containing
crockery od.ia.honed clock, and other household
utensils in the rOom
The frst person who discovered the awful crime
was II neil Dor, who looked through the window ut
the house and the bodies Of Mr.. and Mr.. Com
stock lying upon the floor, and the parlcdc sitting
quietly between them. The old gentleman lay upon
his back. On his left breast was wound over slN
inches in length; his heart had been torn from his
body. Mrs. Comstock lay short distance from the
body of her husband on her right sde with horrli
wound over twelve inches in length her left breast,
ir, which the poricde had torn out her heart also
her clothes were much torn, indicating scuife. The
broken skillet the knife with which the hearts were
cut out and the bloody were al remaining IN the
room. in the stove were the two pdternal hearts,
partially roasted, and portions OF each gnawed OH,
which had evidently been eaten bv the murderer
The wounds upon both the deceased were of the
most terrible description. The heads Of both were
crushed and mutila.ed Near the lett kidney Of Mrs
Comstock was another terrible cash, a. If inflicted by
the Ak. The floor was covered with blood. Bciore
the person at the window lett the spot, the son !ian
left the chair ard laid down upon the oune" on the
opposite ride of the room. An alarm Immediately
given and the heighbors gathered IN force auI ST.
cured his arrest. The gentcm who first went to the
house was attracted there 10y remark that the pnrrl-
eide had made 10 his brother that there lots OF
" fresh meat in the house." and other expressions
which excited Suspicion. The discovery was mace
about 10 on Sandsy : eyer. Tbs nT aSSa
WlIIAM CoNsTo'K.
The pnrrcide is man 81 years old, about five feet
seven iRches in hight. lie had on, when arrested, n
very brown coat plaid cashmere pants and old
lut lie hpzn nrl1y
He has always resided in Hamilton, and has nade his
home at his fatlers He il unmarried. He has
worked for many Of the farmers in the nelghborhood
and, when sober Is universally represented ~ man
of mild disposition and placid temper. He has been
drinking hard for some weeks past, and il evidently
laloring under the effects of mania Eota. He con
versed coolly in relation 10 the awful dced-nanls
ing concern for himsell-speakngo the manner IN
which he deprived his poor old father and mother of
life AZ if he had been buchering hogs He gave 10
Mr.. James, Editor Of The HamHOR Republican, the
following
CONFESSION or mn IRtGEDf.
For about four or five days, somebody seemed 10
tell M. that lie must have u number Of hearts. his
was repeated 10 many times during the day. Tie
seemed to live in Sberburne, and wire came over
the hill connecting with the side of the room, winch
seemed to say, " | must have lot OF hearts. Some
one who lived in Sherburne seemed 10 telegraph tor
them | would place my ear to the side OF the room,
and then would be told by this voice to get some
hearts. Three four days ago, l first attempted to
kill nv brother To get his heart. Yesterday went
again and placed an in the room intending II ]
could find my brother and his wife sitting down, !
could kill them both nj once. II seemed as though
NUT have their hearts, but 1 did not find them ~
situated. About dark went over to my fathers. j
found my mother sewing. walked round TO the stove,
took spider ond struck her over the head with IT, and
broke Il. She reeled and fell TO the floor BY father
then spraDg toward me- and We had scuflie. The
old man for a time was enough for me, but after s,rk
ing him three four times the bend with the re-
mars OF the broken spider, got hold of the az aud
killed him. He said he got the old mans heart out
before he had done kicking. The old woman lc sad
he got along with pretty easily, but the old mans
hide was tough "a the ID. Alter knocking father
dowp got The Ak ard cut out their hearts, aud put
them in the stove and burned them. This same voice
seemed 10 tell Ire that the hearts must be burned.
After the deed washed ny hands, and after remain
Ing in the house q short time left and went down Ia
Alpheus Gusting. When arrived found my brother
there visiting. told them that j had some ire'h
meat up To fathers. After remaining. there short
time, went down TO the house OF Harmon tiusfing
and told them to get quart of cider and bottis
and after obtaining il, left FOG my fathers house with
ont mentioning anything concerning the dead; upon
arriving, lay down upon the lounge near my father
and mother and slept for some time. During the
night after the deed I attempted to md razor 70
end my life and thus close the tragedy aiter"aa
| went to my brothers house TO Kill my Drother ana
his wife. kicked the panels of the door IN, but they
had gone away went and searched for him. Went
home and slept until near morning. On e"ak'hg, !
left the house and met several persons coming toward
the house, do not recollect who had informed oi
the deed previous TO ths. AS they approached me
some said There il Bill this was about .ight
reds west Of my fathers. They G.ked me what had
been doing Itod them it was none OF their business.
Part of the company held me, while couple oil t,em
went TO the house and returned and aiter"ard they
took me to Potters where was arrested by the con-
stable.
TIE DIME WITNESS.
Beside the murderer and hi. victims, there was put
q single witness To- tue awful deed. family dog was
in the ROOM and the prisoner af'rus that during hs
bloody work thi. animal several times attacked MN
that ne tried To- kill the animal and get hs heart yn'
was foil,d in his efforts. After he lay down; ,,ls
faithful dog sat all night watching oy Dr. haS;os