Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-05-26

| The case of Isaac L. Wood, convicted OF muir
| der of / is brother and brothers wife, at Dan
Vile, N. Y, by poison, is one OF the remark
able recent crimes. He was living with his
brother, who was man of property and had
literally assisted him in his business. Dunng
Mrs. Woods absence he administered arsenic
to his brother, who died after an illness OF Tour
or five days, and on the return OF Mrs. Wood
the unnatural brother terminated her life in
the same way. He then became the guardian
of his brothers children and had control of
the estate. But suspicion began to be excited.
Says the Rochester Union:
by accident, a note, purporting to have
been gwen BY D. l. to |. l.. Wood for $25Oo,
was discovered. 1t had been used in New
York to meet an Indebtedness Of said Isaac
l.. Wood. This note was forgery. An in
vestigaron being had, it was then also found
that the account books of d. l. Wood had
been largely mutilated and changed, so as to-
make the said D. l. a debtor, rather than
creditor, OF his brother, Isaac L. Coincident
with these discoveries, papers OF arsenic were
found in an ut-buildng on the premises OF
the late D. l. Wood, and suspicion was again
rife that This family had been basey murder
ed, and that too, by the hand of brother
And finally the bodies of the dead were called
from their graves, and a careful analysis dis
closed large amount of poison in the stomach
of each Isaac l.. Wood was of course sus-
pected. He was arrested and tried for murder
in January last, when the jury disagreed, and
nov his second trial has just closed, resulting
in a conviction.
The murderer is now thirty-ive to thirty
eight years of age, and is small and meagre
in appearance, weighing but 100 pounds. His
tsmperamentis sanguine, nervous; head small
and the forehead slow and villainous,'' while
the lateral and upper portion is full of angular
protu berances, indicating strong propensity,
and tirmness and resolution IN execution
His eye is restless, and his demeanor that
indicating constant terror and alarm. And
yet, his diabocal GOODNESS in carrying out his
terrible designs upon his'brother's family may
be inferred by the fact that the morning afe
. the death of Mrs. Wood'he actually led in the
devotons at the family altar There is yet
terrible addenda to be made to this record of
atrocty. saac L. Wood had wife. After
the desolations at Danyille we're complete he
returned with his family to New jersey
There his own wife also very soon died, and
report has it that she too fell q victim to the
hand that had been go fatal elsew here The
jury were in consultation about two hours,
and were quite unanimous as to the main Is
sue upon which they were to pass The YER
ulCt was ISCSlfSu ny Iho pllsoilSA III az aSOhg
of mind indicated by tears and groans that
moved the stoutest heart present"
A WHITE SLAvE.-About the first of Jan
uary there arrived at the depot of the Under
ground Railroad in this city woman quite
handsome, and perfectly white, who came
from Lexington, Ky. She told a story, the
truth of which was subsequently ascertained
by the agents of the Underground Railroad.
Her father was her first master, and resided
in the interior of Kentucky. AS we have said,
the negro element in her was completely
blanched out. She was, consequently. treat
ed like free person. and was told by her
father that in his will he had made provision
for her mahumission. Her father died, and
his will was, as is supposed, destroyed by some
of his heirs, as it contemplated disposition OF
his property uot acceptable to them. The
girl was sold with the estate. She was
bought by man who treated her so badly
that she attempted to run away. She was
caught, brought back, and beaten so that she
still bears the marks on her back. Her sec.
ond escape was more successful.
She was so Caucasian in appearance as to
excite no suspicion, and reached Cincinnati
safely. Here she found friends, occupation
and home. Falling under revival inAuen-
ces, she became connected with one Of
the churches here, and was constant in .hel
attendance at meetings. Her master became
in some way acquainted with her place o
residence, and few weeks since made an at
tempt to capture her. The son of her father
the son of her last owner, and one or two 9th
ers, came to the city in pursuit. Hearing o
her religious propensities, these young mel
became devout, (would they had remained
so y attended prayer meetings, listened u
sermons &C., and attracted the notice ofsom'
jealous brethren, who thought they saw il
the yoang men the beginnings of the religious
life.
So matters went on till one Sunday nigh
they saw the white slave at church. WheI
she left for her home, in company with SON
two or three female friends, they followed
them and attempted to arrest her. She, act
ing on the Apostles injunction, "Ifthou may
est be free use it." rather resisted the attempt
at a capture. She had pluck as well as reli
| gion, as the Kentuckans found. While the
were squabbling, two policemen came up aut
demonstrated with the young men FIR "abus
ing the ladies'" The girl slipped off, leaving
the police and the Kentuckians to settle mat
tiers. The next day she started for Canad
via the Underground Railroad, and, as sh
says in letter received here a day OF tw
ago. "arrived safely at, hearing nothin
of the pursuers'on the way she is we'll, an
has met with kind friends. = Cincinnati Ga
zette, 1871.