Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-10
Ohio 6tatesnran
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN BUFFALO.
WurdoT OF % Woman and mex Three
Ohildren.
My'terious Disappeayance Of the Husband and
Father
From The Buffalo COurier, March 2

cince the ulsahRon9 nre oil Friday morning
last, with its accompanying losa OF life, thou
SAND rumoIs have been current in regard TO Oh,
matter. Nothing that han occurred in the cit,
IN years has 60 agitatod the public mind, and I
may be trnly said that largo proportion of oul
community has been in fever of excitement
since the first alarm wos eounded. Although
the facts frst brought TO light we're suggestive
oil nothing more than fire, ald fearful lose
OF lie attendant upon it, large number of our
ctlzenH woro impressed with the terrible con
Vietlon that Mrs. Frazer and Ter three children
and perhaps Mr.. Frazer himself, met with death
at the hands OF q murderer or murderers. The
continued absence of Mr.. Frazer gave addition.
al Importance to this conviction. It remained
however, for the discoveries of Saturday after
noon, and the post nortem examination made BY
Dra. Rochester and King yesterday afternoon,
% demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt
.hat Mrs Agnes Frazer, aged 10 yeara, Dong.
las > Frazer, aged 8 yesrs, ,Nnd Louia and Ag-
nes Frazer. aged and yoars respectively,
were brutHlly murdered in the beds where thew
slept on Friday morning.
ASIDE from the discoveries made m SatuP-
ueY afternoon, in tho finding Of certain portions
oil nnder clothing besmearcd with blood there ia
noshing in the testimony before the Coroner'a
ifquest pointing directly to the fact of mur-
der. lt deals mainly with the fire, the peculiar
relations existing between Fraser aud his fam
iiy ana his friends, tho general character of the
man fs his acquaintance knew him and TO a
cerlaln degree with tho extent Of his mems
ana hla proposed business projects. The most
important evidence remains to bs presented TO
the jnry. AS we have before stated, Ora
Rochester and King made post morfen exam
lnatlon Of Che bodies yesterday afternoon. And,
az We we're personally present, we feel at liberty
30 g'7o the results Of their examination in gen.
erai terms, without AWAITING their more dc
tailed and scientific abatement The BODY Of
the womaD was first examined u was fright
tuIIy burned and blackened A deep cash
abont three inches and n half long. which had
cut through the larynx, aad adjoining blood
vesees, was found. 1t had been nude hy a
sharp instrument, used by an untrembing
hand. The wound was about two inches and a
half vide, aud was filled with cotted blood
made brittle by the intenee heat to which it had
been subjected. The night clothing found on
the body, in the region OF the neck and shou-
dera, wsa fairly saturated with blood. The
neck was bent back as il pressed by powerful
h1nd, while The other welded the deadly
weapon. The two children, who slept with the
mother, were next examined The ih,Oas Of
tho llttlo girl was found cut, and the wound
filled with c0agulatcd blood, as in tho frat
case. Tho remnants of clothing yet remain
ing on the body we're found to be stained with
the life blond Of the child Tha throat OF the
little boy revealed irghtful cash, penetrating
through the larynx to the veFtebral column
One OF the arSls Was raised, as if to offer fec
Bile resistance TO the murderous work. The old
est boy WAS 90 badly burned that il was difficult
to determine whether the knife had been applied
to his neck or not. The general appearances,
however, indcGted that the same process had
been reaoEtcd to as that adopted in dispOsing of
the mother and the two younger children. The
body Of the boy was feRrfully distorted, and
one Of the arms badly lacerated, as if with the
instrument that had done the other work. That
nc had struggled violently In the hands OF the
murderer ia conelusively established in our
mind. The upper portions OF the skulls of the
thr ee children were broken off, whether by the
falling in OF the ruins or not, could not be saiis
faCt0rly determined. In the occipita region
OF the skull of the Oldest boy, however, was
hole, which locked as if il had been mado With
the face OF u hammer. Ills eclrccly necessary
TO speculate upon the extent Of the violence 70.
sorted to, to commit tho fearful murdera The
wounds found on the throats OF the victims
were sufficient Of Themselves to produce death.
vi Mr. Douglas Fraser, who has been missing
since the fatal morning, We have u word 10 say.
He did not leave toWn on Thursday evening for
Canada as was frat reported. He was seen in
bis house by tho con of MIR. Mitchell at hall.
palt five O'Clock on Thursday evening Mr.
CFaigle testified that IN Wednesday afternoon
he extended an invitation TO h,m TO visit hi,
home on Thursday evening, and thet Fraser,
although In his office almost every afternoon,
had not said anything about contemplated Wait
to Canada. lie vas at home on that night, but
his body has not been found among the ruIns
Whether some murderous hand was laid upon
him, or whether he himself committed the fatal
deed are question: which our readers can settle,
"ith the facts before them, as vel as VIC can.
The missing nan ia spoken OF by those who
knew him 40 possessed OF ratheS mar X ed reason.
ing powers, and # kindly and quiet disposi ion;
but from certain religious tracts in our posses.
sion il is evident that on religious subjects he
was mouomaniC.