The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-02-06
Ths Essex COUNTY MURDEi
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

DR.. Croxton, OF Essex county, Va, which has
been briefly noticed heretofore.
On Tuesday last the citizens Of Tappahan.
mock were shocked by the intelligence that q
| most brutal and horrible murder had been
committed within few mules OF this town.
The details are too sickening and dreadful for
Us to dwell upon, and we will, therefore, briefly
state the main facts:
DR.. William S. Croxton, an aged and we'll
| known citizen of this county, on Monday
morning last, was seen, by his son and over
seer, alive and well, at his own house, abou.
| four miles from this place. His son went Oft
| to school, and his overseer to attend 10 some
| farm duty, both intending TO return at night
DIR. Croxton, two negro women, and a small
negro girl being the only person left on the
place.
At night the young man returned from
school at the usual hour, and was told by the
| servants that his father had gone away
Shortly after. the overseer also returned, and,
auer waiting till bed-tim and the Old man
being still absent they were naturally alarmed
| for his safety, but knew not where to look for
him. The two negro women were again in
terrogated, but they persisted In declaring
| that their master had gone out through the
gate, on horseback, since which time they had
! seen nothing Of him. While they We're still
| talking, one Of the neighbors came to the
house, briaging DIR. Croxtons horse, having
found him in straw stack, at considerable
distance from the place. The saddie-sklrts
were cut in several places. and there were
other evidences TO lead to the suspicion that
theRnERad been foul play.
/ Ndlhing further was elicited that night, but
| the following morning several neighbors AS
sembled, and, together with the Oyefseer, Wen /
to the stable and tracked the horse in q con-
| trary direction to that which the women said
| he had taken, and this circumstance, together
| with the confusion manifested by the negroes,
! directed suspicion to them. The little girl,
| whom we have above referred to, stated that
| she had not seen her master since Monday
morning. but that there was great fire i'll the
kitchen all day. The idea was thus suggested
| to those present that the negro women had
| IN murdered the old man and burnt his body
| Search was accordingly made, and among the
| ashes in the -hopper'' there were found
| pieces Of human bones, a jack-kni.e, specta-
| cles, buttons, etc, proving conclustvely that
pr Croxton had met a horrible fate The ne
| groes. now terrified to the highest degree, con-
| iessed that they had committed the murder
| and consumed the body. They were accord.
| ingly taken before Justice Hale. who issued a
| warrant for their commiial to Jail.
The remains OF the deceased were collected
| and a jury empanneied-the verdict being in
| accordance with the above facts.
| On Wednesday last, we visited the tive prie.
| oners now confined in Jail. Their names are
| Ann and Eliza; the former being about lhir.
ty-two years Of age, and the latter about
| twenty. Both have infant children, less than
TWO months old. Ann is a dark mulatto, with
| 4 decidedly bad countenance. Eliza is much
| lighter, and quite good looking. Neither one
| appears to realize the enormity of the crime
| tAey Gouulltcu, ana DOtu tijk IT6ely
about it. According to their own story, they
had plotted the murder on Sunday morning
at which time their master had chas lisec
them, and accordingly, on Monday, the ole
man being left alone with them, they deter
mined to carry ont their plan.
About 10 O'Clock on Monday, DR.. G. had oc
casion TO use the grindstone, near the kitche,
door. and while in the act OF sharpening
| plane iron, Eliza came behind and struck hin
with & grubbing hoe. Ann. who was turnin,
grindstone, then seized an axe and strucl
him another blow on the head He fell with
out a groan or struggle, probably stunned b,
| the first blow. Eliza then seized him by tii
arms and Ann by the feet, dragged him to In
kitchen aud threw him On the fire. All da
long they kept the fire burning, until the bod
waS.a they thought, entirely consumed.
Terrible Explosion and Loss Of Life.
About aq unr,er- past O'Clock Friday morn
ing, the boiler in9he extensive hat manufac
, tory of Messrs. Ames. Moulton Il Co, situate
in Wallabout, Brooklyn, N. Y, exploded wit
tremendous force, nearly destroying the Who'll
building, which was TWO story brick one, re
Gently erected. Such was the force of the eS
plosion that the bricks, machinery, &c. wa
. | scattered in every direction, damaging some
, the other buildings connected with the fas
tory. The Journal of Commerce gives the TO
!, lowing particulars:
, Seven persons were Immediately killed an
buried in the debris. The fire bell was run
and tie firemen were quickly on the spot, ref
, dering efficient service in removing the rul
bish and finding the bodies buried beneath.
| Great credit is due them for the exertions the
put forth 10 recover the bodies
The names of those killed are as follows :.
. Mr.. Eastman, head engineer; Jos. McCrac ke
, | SAID 10 be one OF the iii IN; 1heO. Higbee, WI
had just commenced WORK; John Werner for
| man of the hat shop; MIR. McNalIy, steam .p,I
e filter from John street, New York, who ";
t engaged in putting steam pipes in the buildir
Q for heating. Two men, whose names coul
q not then be ascertained, were still buried
n the ruins. Some eight or ten persons We
0 | badly injured by falling machinery and scaid
n Had the explosion occurred half an hour Ii
q ter, the loss OF life would have been very grea
= as a large number Of men, boys and girls en-
@ ployed in the various departments had not y
q arrived, TO commence work.
J.. The boiler being situated directly under Il
n building, completely raised it from the fou
q dation and tumbied it into ruins, leaving
3 chance for those that were in it to escape. II
IT engineer, who had just returned from brea
r fast, was informed by his assistant that
n thought the water was rather low in the boi Il
"a Mr.. Eastman thought not, but 20 try ii,
! turned on the water and the explosion ensue
young man who heard the Conversation /
,s tween the engineer and his assistant had iu
a | reached the other end of the shop when t
.s boiler exploded. He was not injured.
number OF the employees were just teri
the yard, but beat hasty retreat. The lc
Z
citemeut prevailing il could not be positive
| aScertained.
I'd The bodies taken out were very much m
N tilated and their faces somewhat distigur,
le but not beyond recognition. Mr.. Eastm:
ID the engineer, being directly in front Of
A. boiler, had his bowels completely torn out
re One OF the men killed moved his family fr,
IN this city on Wednesday, and had just gone ir
Is the shop to commence work for the first tin
ne Most of those killed leave families to mou
ne their untimeiy fate.
e. The precise cause Of the explosion cannot
be ascertained, as the engineer is killed. It
e. supposed, however, that the water pipes W,
e. frozen and a large fire being built steam gt
n. Grated so quickly as to cause the caiastrop
The engine-rOom and the centre of the m;
I'd structure are mass of ruins.
Sc The noise of the explosion was heard m
or distant, and such was the force that the hou
ly in the Eeighborhood shook to their toun.
er lions. portion of the boiler was impelle
distance of 25O feet.
til The engine and boilers were manufactu
Iy ~ Woodruff & Beach, Hartford, Conn, a
n had been set up under the snperin ,endenct
Is, VIM. Eastman, who was in their employ.
a WASHINGTON ITEMs.-Col. Forney's elect
MS Clerk of the House Of Representatives v
n effected by the votes of all present who |
n voted for Speaker Pennington, together "
he those Of Messrs Horace +. Clark and Rig
'st and with the exception OF Mr. Davis, Of Ma
lie land.
70, Mr.. Hoffman, for Sergeant-at.Arms also
ly ceived the votes of the Republicans. and ab
I'd, half of the American vote, and was Il
an elected.
ire Seven Americans. namely, Messrs. Mallo
ne MAYNARD, Moore of kentucky, Quaries, Sto
and Hutton, and Mr.. Smith OF North Carroll
voted for Mr.. Underwood.
n Mr.. Giosbrenner, in addition to the Del
en- cratic votes cast for him, received those
Of Messrs. Bouligny, Brstow, Harieman,
1t Leach of North Carolina, and Vance, who
by lonxed to the Southern Opposition.
er- The bill introduced in the House by