Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-11-19

The LAST TRAGEDY AT PHILADELPHIA
The Philadelphia Press says the double ira
gedy in the southern part OF that city, on
Monday night, is more characteristic of life
in Paris or New York than in the sober city
of Philadelphia Richard Dillon is smother
ed to death in a chimney, which he has en-
tered with view of obtaining summary ven-
geancc of one mistress of whom he is Jealous,
while another mistress whom he has threaten
ed with punishment commits suicide by
drowning, on the same night, or is thrown
into the Delaware by murderer. 1t is
subject for the pen Of Sue or the pencil
of Hogarth. The facts in the case thus al
luded to are as follows
Between seven and eight O'Clock P. m, a
young man aged twenty-five, named Richard
Dillon, was smothered to death in chimney
of house Of bad character, known as Mrs.
Prices, In Shipper street. For quite long
time Dillon had been living with woman as
his mistress. Dillon quarrelled with his
mistress and she left him. Yesterday after
noon he had been drinking with a companion,
and they went out and bought two black
jacks Dillon was next seen between Sc
ven and eight O'Clock, at Mrs. Prices, and
he declared that his mistress was up stairs
with another man, and he would see her.
Rushing up the narrow steep stairs, from the
front room on the lower story, where there
is bar,) Dillon forced the door of the third
story room where he supposed " his woman"
was locked. He ragged around on the land
ing while and then climbed the ladder lead
ing to the roof, for the purpose Of getting
down into the room by the chimney. In the
dark, or in his drunken rage, he dropped
into another chimney, just beside the third
story hue, but stuck fast when his body was
Just opposite the third story landing. Here
his cries were heard, as well as the noise Of
the detached bricks and mortar which fell on
the fireplace in the lower story. Efforts
were at once made to rescue him, by the mis-
tress of the house. and by neighbors, but al
though he once held on to the rope which
was let down to him, he could not be drawn
! up, and was finally rescued by breaking into
| the brick-work of the chimney hole
about three feet long was siade' ana ne was
drawn out alive. has ne dled soon after De-
ing carried into the room into which he tried
TO aes Here we saw his body, and his sis
ter, good looking young woman OF about
20, weeping bitterly over it. The girl of
whom he was in pursuit had gone to the
theatre at the time he was in the house.
This event was only the first act in the
drama. 1t seems that Dillon had another
mistress, who lived in Pine alley, and who
went by the name of Anne Smith. Dillon
had quarrelled with this girl, and threatened
to kin her, and she had declared her inten-
ton of drowning herself in consequence of
his threats. She declared her intention to
commit suicide to several persons during the
evening and had gone so far as to give away
her few effects to different parties, when IN
telligence of the death of Dillon was brought
to her, She then said "good by to those
who were about her, and went away. This
morning at daybreak her body was found
floatingin dock in the Delaware, between
Lombard and South streets The Corner
held an inquest, and the jury rendered a YER
dict that the deceased had committed sui
eide by drowning.
Dillon had black jack slung to his wrist
at the time he was extricated from the Chin
ney fue Matters had been somewhat COM
plicated by the arrest of William Berry, who
was taken in custody, last night, on the
charge of having thrown the woman over
board. The hands on vessel declared they
heard Berry threaten the woman before they
heard the fall into the water.