Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-11-02

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN NEW loRK.-A oes
patch from New York city on Wednesday last
says:
A most horrible butchery was perpetrated last
night on West Thirtieth street. The Vlctims
are the family of Francis Gouldy, lumber mer-
chant, consisting of himself, wife, two sons,
daughter, and two servant girls. None OF them
are yet dead. Their murderer, or would.6e
murderer, is the Oldest son of MIR. Gouldy. de
returned home to his fathers house last night
at IL o'clock, in state Of delirum. Having
armed himself with an axe he first attacked his
father, beating in his skull so that he cannot
live. The mother came to the rescue OF the
father, and she was beaten and badly wounded.
The, two young brothers, aged respectively nine
and thirteen, were next attacked, and the eldest
cannot i've A married sister of the murderer,
with babe in her arms, was next attacked, but
escaped without serious injury. Two servant
girls were the next victims of the maniac, and
they were horribly butchered. 1t is feared that
neither can recover. The assassin then locked
himself in his own chamber and blew out his
brains with pistol. The family is highly res
pectabe, and the father is an officer in the Thir-
tieth street Methodist church.
The New York papers give full accounts OF
this most awful tragedy, and the most rernarka-
bic fact connected with it is that young Gouldy
showed no signs ofinsanity. At a late hour OF
the night he was at an oyster saloon, where he
took refreshments but drank nothing, and made
an appointment with friend for the next day.
He returned home before II O'Clock, and his
father censured him for drawing money from
the Savings Bank, which, however, had been
deposited in the sons name. Mrs. Gouldy soon
afterwards went to bed, leaving her husband
sitting in front room. In about quarter OF
an hour she heard Mr.. G. fall, and Frank imme-
diately rushed in and made an assault upon her
with a Ratchet. He then assailed his two BROTH
ers and the servant girls. His sister (not mar
ried as stated above) hearing the noise, came
out of her room, and seeing Frank engaged with
the girls, ran back, locked the door and cried
"murder!" from the window. Mrs. G. and one
of the girls were also able to give the alarm, and
when the officers and neighborS came, young
Gouldy went to his room and blew his own
brains out.
The family was composed of Mr.. and Mrs.
Gouldy; Francis, aged 10; Mary Eliza, about
IS; Nathaniel, about IA Charles, 7 or 8; Jane
years old and an infant of two years, named
Katy; and two servant girls, named Joanna
Murphy and Elizabeth Carr. Mrs. G. was a
second wife and Frank, Mary Ella and Ma
thaniel were children by former marriage
Mary and the infant are the only members of
the family who escaped. The condition of the
rest is critical.
No possible motive can be assigned for this
wholesale butchery, except the fact that the
young man might have been offended at his
father for reprimanding him about the affair OF
the bank book. There is no evidence to show
that he had been drinking at all; he. showed no
symptoms of anything like insanity, but appear
ed perfectly natural to his friends. The rea-
sons which led to the commission of such hor-
rible act must remain a mystery. .r,
! At last accounts it was still believed that Mr..
GouldY, his son Nathaniel and Joanna Murphy
{ would die, and that the other persons would re-
cover.