Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1858-12-01
For ible Tragedy.

The New York papers furnish the particu.
lars Of tragedy enacted in that city, which,
for atrocity exceeds anything we have ever
read or heard Of in the annals of crime. The
scene of it was the residence of Mr.. Francis
Gouldy, retired merchant, and the bloody ac-
tor was his own son, Francis A. Gouldy, a lad
pear.i&ineteen years Of age, who, owing to
his dxMpated course and other habits; had lonr
bcenh subject of grief and annoyance to his
parents.
{ He came home from beer and oyster sa.
loon at halc pas, 8 in the evening. The door
vas opened BY his father, who was awaiting his
arrival. Immediately on his entrance the old
gentleman charged him with abstractipp 4
Saving Banks book from his private desk and
procuring money thereon, representing the act
to be as bad ms direct robbery. Tie. Young
man replied that, as the account with the barR
was opened in his name, he had right to take
the book Soon after young Gouldy retired.
1t would seem that he proceeded TO his room
on the third floor, and taking hatchct in his
hand he descended the stairs in his stockings,
without boots or slippers, entered the Sitting.
room where his father was just turning off the
gas, and dealt him blow on the head, frac.
turing his skull, and striking thcrefrom a por.
ton of the bone from the temple three inches
long and two and half inches wide.
Mrs. Gouldy, who had just gone TO bed,
heard the heavy fall of her husband, aud was
in the act of raising herself to listen, when the
son entered her room exclaiming, "Mother oh
moiher!" Instantly he seized her hand and
dealt her a severe blow upon the head with
the hatchet which deluged her face with blood.
The parricde neat visited the room of his
two younger brothers, who lay asleep, and
with the weapon still streaming with his par
ents' bloc !, brought it to bear upon them with
equal violence. Their skulls we're fractured
and their faces severe y cut.
Tne assassin next proceeded to the hall Of
the third floor, where the two servant girls,
who had heard the noise, had come from their
rooms to listen. He Immediately attacked
them with the Ratchet dealing them frightful
blows upon the head. One 'of them wres;ed
the weapon from his grasp, but he recovered il
and strnck her to fhe floor BY powerful blow.
Mary, the eldest sister OF the murderer,
hearing the struggle and screams of the SER
! wants, opened the door of her room, and saw
the girls covered with blood but did not recog-
nize her brother. Supposing him TO be bur
gar, she retreated into the room, locked ths
door, thew open the window, and SHOUTED for
the police. Some officers hearing her cries
hurried to the spot, and were spectators Of
such a scene of horror they had never before
witnessed, In the different rooms lay the
bleeding and insensible victims. The officers
nscertained who perpetrated the deed, and CO.
ing to the murderer's room found him laying
dead on the floor, in pool of blood, with the
pistol with which he had shot himself still in
his hand.
Physicians were called to attend the vic.
tins, and everything possible was done to al
| leviate their suflerings. The doctors, on ex.
animation, found Mr. Gouldy had received a
compound fracture Of the skull The eldest
boy, aged II, was injured in the same manner
and neither of these could in their opinion re.
cover. Pieces of the skull were taken from
each head. Mrs. Gouldy's injuries were less
dangerous, but her recovery seemed doubtful.
There Nas thought to be a probability of the
recovery fhe youngest boy,ahbough his con-
di-ion was also considered critical. The SER
want girls were apparently less injured than
the other sufferers, and were removed TO the
Bellevue Hospital for treatment. II is now said
that one OF them is mortally hurt.
ltis Of course impossible to conceive any
adequate motive for this horfid butchery.-
| Two theories are presented-one, that he
killed his father for the fancied injuries he had
received at hishands, and frenzied by the
bloody deed, killed all that came in his way.
Another is that he intended TO leave no witness
to his crime and no heirs to his fathers estate
except himself, and finding that he had net
succeeded either in destroying the whole fam
4 !y or in concealing the evidence of his guilt.
killed himself q. soon as be heard the officers
enter.
! MCarEaso III, ,ars--ln Wsier.lis:, II