The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-05-05
A FATHER KILLS HIS DATGHTFP

From the Troy Times Nays
Inc quiet sabbath was broken in upon yesterday
by the commission of horrid murder in the town
OF Sandlake, about fourteen miles from Troy of a
daughter by her father, and only surviving parent
man about sixty years of age, named John Bel
ding. The parties lived in little house. in which
the father earned livelihood for himself and dauUh-
ter by following the trade of a shoemaker Tne
daughters name was Christina She is about nine
teen years of age, and is described by the neigh
bors as quiet and well-behaved girl She had
been unwell for time, and, it is said had been
under the care OF female doctress residing in Ber-
lin, in this county, named Weaver Her mind, it
appears, was somewhat affected but whether from
religious excitement or from some other cause, we
are unable to say. She labored under the impress
sion that the devil had possessed her. and used TO
pray very frequently for deiverance from his grasp
day or two before the murder, the old man and
daughter went over to the house of David Horton,
who resided opposite the Beldings, when Christina
said she had taken medicine of Mrs. Weaver and il
made her feel as if "the devil was in her. and she
would scratch him Off but that she had thrown the
medicine away, and drove the devil awav -
The old man had not done much work recently, as
it affected the girls head and it is supposed that in
consequence of his of her, want of sleep &C.
his own mind had become temporarily affected, and
while under the delusion that "Dena" as he calls
her, the devil, he killed her.
The account which Beldng gives of the affair is
that he the devil lying on the bed and he struck
it in the face. The girl it appears was lying down
in the back room. Belding followed her from that
room to the front room, in which the murder was
committed with shoemaker's hammer Her skull
was completely smashed to pieces Portions of the
hair were scattered about the room, and pieces of
the skull were lying over the floor. Her face too
was considerably bruised and disfgured, but no
marks of violence were discovered on the other
parts of her body. Bedng says he thought she
was the devil-that she appeared to him to be four
times as large as "Dena"-that her face was too
large for ''Dena'-and from his previous and sub
sequent conduct there can scarcely be a doubt that
he old ma ina hat ha had Errbt tb +bo
devil or, as he expresses it, with three devils and
he had all he could do to kill them" They lived
alone in the house.
The first person who discovered the murder was
Nicholas Ryermller, who first saw the old man
outside the house. He appeared very much excited,
and told Ryermiller that he had 'killed the devil
and it was ying in there''-pointing to his house
Ryermiller looked in and discovered the dead BODY
OF the daughter. He asked the old man if it was
not "Dena" that he had killed? Belding replied
that he did not think it was. Belongs hands and
shirt sleeves were covered with blood Ryermiller
testified before the c0roners jury that the father
and daughter had lived with him about six months
previously to their residing in the house where the
murder was committed, and that they ALWAYS ap-
peared happy together, and, the witness express
ed it, ''never had any crazy times" Christina was
quiet, good girl.
Coroner Madden, of this city, was notified of the
murder, and at o'clock last evening proceeded to
the scene of the tragedy. lie found the neighbor-
hood in great excitement. Beding was raving
like a maniac when the coroner arrived. Coroner
Madden summoned jury-and proceeded to inves-
tigate the case. Several witnesses examined
their testimony being in effect above given
and the jury rendered a verdict that, sin their
opinion, said Christina Beldng came to her death
on Sunday, May |, 1859, from fractures of the skull
and said injuries were inflicted with hammer in
the hands Of her father, John Belding-he at the
time laboring under temporary alteration ofmind''
Coroner Madden placed Beding under arrest, and
late last night arrived with him in this CITY and
placed him in Jail here. A dose of morphine quiet
ed the nerves of the old man, and rendered his con-
veyance here comparatively easy and safe
The neighbors give both Belding and the daugh-
ter good character. The old man was sober and
Industrious and his delusion was the result of some
cause other than drink. DR.. Barber, of Poesten
kill, believes it to have been caused by his inces
SAINT care and attention to his sick daughter.
From The Bost Adrertiser. May 81