Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-08-30
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The Connecticut Tragedy.

The Connecticut Tragedy.
The Hartford -Nmesfurnishes the annexe
detailed account ofthedearful tragedy ena'
ted in the town of Manchester Connection
Tuesday, of,whieh>tho telegraph has given
brief notice :: -
The quiet village OF Oakland, Manchestel
about nine miles east Of this city, was areus
ed this morning by the news of the mos
fearful crime ever -perpetrated in this vicinity
Az the early hour OF four o'clock, or littl
sooner, Mrs. Beniamin Starkweather, sister
in.law eff Nathan StarkweathAr, of this city
as,d 46 years. aud-her daughter, Harriet e
Ia. aged Ii Yeas, were both found murders
while sleeping together in their house. The
were killed with an axe, out they wer
also STABBED in various places with butche
knife.
W., saw She bodies afer they had beel
laid out, and Hope never TO see another>sucl
sight. !" The mothers face was cut in tw'
with apowerfai blow from On axe, which di
7ided thetnase crosswise, and cut open tn
face entirely; across, crashing through TIN
bones .ofthe upper~jay aRd cheeks. Owe
the rig eye, Ras another cash from the axe
sinking through the skail and into the brain
and there was another which Cut open the
side and back Of tie head, and also q grea
cash near the right temple. Besides these
wounds there were others made by butcher
knife-one through the lower part of the
chin, the blade. penetrating deep into the
throat; one deep into the right breast; and
anotker deep one inthe left breast. -,
Ella, the daughter, presented. a'still more
shocking sight. Her right ere was entirely
gone. The axe had cut a terrible cash across
the brow, eye and cheek, evidently at one
blow, letting ont oil Of the eye, breaking in
the skull and cleaSing down TO the cheek
bone. Above the right eye, near fine top et
the forehead. wes anetheg fearful cash from
the axe sinking into the. brain; and she was
stabbed through the bosom with a butcher
knife s. .. - -
The information of the, murders was. given
BY the son, Albert StarkweatheDa at 4 o'clock
He came to Mr. Horace Whites, neighbor
rafting. or rather falling heavily against the
back door, and aropsing the inmates with
this CALI.
aGeeup!set up! Cone over toour house
don's know but cur folks aye all Killed, and
the house iso On frepG ~ "a,
Mr. White ran over, followed by Albert
and found his {Aihert's} room full Of smoke
and the bed ON Gre. he took the bed and
put it out the window. Then he went. up
Stairs, though the, smoke was 80 thick he
nearly snffocated. Ahertdid not follow him
but paced harriedlyup and down the lower
,.oo,,g .ol,h:n1 ord oru;nr
On getting into the chamber, Mr.. White
found the bed all in blaze, snd the bedroom
covered with blood. He lifted up Ella and
found her still alive, though bathed in blood
and presenting e shocking sight. As he lif:
ted her bloody axe slipped off upon the
Aoor. Mr. White It, and lifting the
window, placed the axe under it to let out the
smoke, while he next got Mrs. S:arkweather
off the burning bed, and. finding her dead
placed her on the floor while he rolled ul
the bed and threw it. out of the window. hi:
hands were .blistered and bis clothing render.
ed very bloody.
The dying Ella he carried in Eis arms to Q
back window,intthe adjoining room, in order
to give her fresh air; aud then sent his hired
man (yho with others had arrived) at once
for doctor. But the poor girl died in a few
minutes. Her blood coTersd tho windowsif
on which she rested and the floor near by.
Mr.. White Mt once instituted q. search To-
tracks about the house, but was unable tt
discover any distinct marks of feet except IL
the garden. 49,
Albert Starkweather, a years OF age, slep
on the lower floor in the. north east room
above. His mother and Ella slept in, the
west room above Hssaysa noise UP stairs
just before dawn, awakened him, sn! rushing
out of his room he was knocked down nesl
the foot. of the. stairs, by q man, Or raen. com
ing down; that -herecoyered, aud s sculile il
the dark and was overpoSered: thrown down
and the man, or men escaped. He shows 5
scar over one eye which he says was causes
by the blow the murderer gave him. Tbi
mark, unfortunately, was obviously Of an ol
der date than this, morning. =.
Alta coroner's inquest on the bodies AL
bert's butcher knife was suddenly brough
out, and its appearance before his eyes mad,
him start and tremble. A very ugly fact j
that the knife was found in drawer in hi
own bedroom. Elbert's reputation is no
good. BE las been rather fast young mnn
and his associations are said to have bee,
none Of sae best. We hear that he was soc,
to be married. In his bureau vas found
SUM of money in National Bank bills, amount
ing to about 1882. There. were three SLOT
bills, one. $50, andisome smaller. lie is o
ordinary looking young man, bat with an u.
pleasant expression, q look of weakness an
;neapacity. He says $500 of the money wa
his ard the rest his mothers. Tho tamil
were in moderate circumstances, and ha
butlittle spaEa-money.
One theory is that as Mrs. S. was wit
ness against the negress Jane Fuller Of tbs
village il the poisoning case lately tried, sh
was murdered out ofrevenge; but this lack
plausibiity. Albert has stunned a sight {
the Victims"
From the Hartford Times. August 2. =
The shpcling, revelationsof the Manchestt
murders received. on Wednesday afternoo
the addition of the climax of horror in tt
confession Of albert LIS Stark*eather, tt
SON, who acknowledges that he perpetrate
the csinstsAthat, he, snd he sione, butchere
his own Mother and sister, - they lay aslee
in bed together
The corfsssiiop--Bhieh vas not unezeeete
by those best informed <of-the fects-@t
nadoby the prisouerhl thejsit in this city,
Mr.rJ Jain0, Campbell. of Manchester, the fat
er Of girl TO whom the prisoner was ey
gagged to BE- married. The chief of police
believing that he would acknowledge mol