Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-03-15
THE GAZETTE.
4 MURDER AND SUICIDE.
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH Is, lsd

"A
From the Syracuse Journa Of Tharsdog Eceni"g.)
Oar city was thrown into great excite
ment Yesterday and to-day, in consequence
ola valuable horse belonging TO Dr. Searles
being killed hy poison--two little girls,
children ofPeter Tinker, dead--and tinker
himself a corpse.
The facts of the case. as we have been
able to learn them, are briefly these; les
terday Wednesday, Peter Tinker was seen
coming out of the stable short time before
the horse died, and it is supposed that ne
gave him stryehnine, because ne was jealous
of DR. Searles, the owner OF the animal
T. osoms that some time last fall, Mr.. Tlnk-
er who is reported man OF good habits,
amnloved DIR. Searles to prescribe Tor his
wife. who was then ailing. The doctor at
tended Mrs. Tinker, and the result is that
she abandoned her two children, and is now
living under the same roof with DR.. Searles
and his wife.
Their children, it seems, since the depar-
ture of Mr.. Tinker and his wife, have been
living OF different places among friends.
Yesterday afternoon Tinker was found IN
the streets, apparently intoxicated: he
was taken to the Park Hotel, and DIR. Fuller
called, who discovered that Tinker had ia
ken a heavy dose of laudanum, and was
suffering from the effects. A pistol heavily
loaded was found in his pocket, and various
surmises are circulated In relation to has IN
tentions. Tinker said he procured the pis-
toll because he contemplated going west; but
he denounced DR.. Searles IN severe terms,
and it is suspected he intended to shoot Dr.
s. on account of jealousy. Tinker passed
terrible night, but this morning ne seemed
better. 1856
Several efforts were made last night by his
attendants to persuade him to allow his
shoes to be taken off, but be utterly refused
This morning about o'clock he died IN q
spasm. After his death, some papers were
found in his stocking, one of which revealed
the fact that he had poisoned his two little
children, and that they were IN the room
formerly occupied Big him, in the Old Medi-
cal College building. On going to the room,
the two little girls were found dead-lald
out-their little hands folded across their
breasts.
It seems that Tinker, Tuesday, admins
tered laudanum to his children in some oys-
tiers. in the room where they were found
this morning; that he staid by them until
Gley ulGU-duQ dilCi 49,
left them and took poison himself. 1t was
a terrible sight to look at the children as
thew lay on an old straw bed with froth at
their mouths from the effects of the poison.
The mother of the children came to see her
offspring looked at them carelessly-and
went away with little or no emotion.
The indignation of the populace was
aroused this morning against DR.. Searles to
such an extent that it was deemed proper
by the officers, tor the personal safety OF the
Doctor, to put him into the Penitentiary.
The Syracuse Journal of Friday evening,
in publishing the above, adds:
''The funeral took place at two o'clock
this afternoon, from the Medical College, in
presence of not less than l,50O people.
Mrs. Tinker attended the funeral. On
entering the room where the corpses OF her
husband and children lay, she wept lit
tie over the first child, kissing it, she then
cast but a single glance at her husband,
who lay between the children, and wept a
triAe over the remains Of her other little
daughter.