The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-02-07
TRIPLE MURDER AND ARSON.

"A Recruiting Omcer Murders HIS Wife,
House-His Arrest and contention, &c.
From the Cleveland Leader, Fob. T.
most startling and arocous murders which has ever
been put record the details Of which surpass In their
accumulated horrors the triple murder Of the Coy family
terrible murder Of the Roosa family, in Deerne,
in December last SO terrible is the story which
about 70 relate that incredible We were reluc
tant TO believe H. and only accepted it true bearing
It's facts confirmed by indisputable authorty-Mr Quin
rest OF the murderer and heard his confession The facts
follows
young man named David L Bvins, about twenty
ance made his appearance few weeks since at Grafton
Loran county, and established there recruiting ONCE
for Of the regiments being raised in this State
in which he held recruiting commission. He passed As
q single Soon after coming 70 Grafton he formed
s'fs s ss lazy ns Sss'a s
s.s, &c her in ss, hs wh 5 E
him up In business this scoundrsl dsiibsraisy formed
ths daeolicsl puoes o. returning 70 Coldwaisr nic
On Monday last he len Grafton for his
the day, and being cordially received by his
young wife, who living with his father and mother
an " ne neH ana as
another horse and sleigh at another stable This was
about eleven O'Clock at night
During the absence Of Bivns In the evening, his wife
suddenly seized with the pains Of childbirth and,
his father spending the evening at neighbours
the old lady find him and send him for doc.
tor leaving the sick entirely alone. During her
absence the husband entered the house. and unmoved
BY the delicate condition Of his wife, deliberately killed
her. While engaged In concentrating the outrageous
and horribly unnatural crime, father and mother
tered and the nendish villain, not shrinking any
amount OF crime, shot both his father and mother kill
ing both He then hid their bodies In the cellar the
house fire, and hurried TO the railway station forget
ting his horse and Sleigh which he left standing in front
OF the burning house He took the night train then due
from Coldwacr, arriving in Grafton on Wednesday.
Meantime the horse, which he had left at the scene Of
the triple murder, became frightened at the burning
house, and, breaking the hitchng strap by which be
was fastened ran home to his stable When the house
discovered 10 be In flames, and the condagraton
having been quenched the bod found in the Gel
lar The presence Of the broken hitch ng strap tied
post in front OF the house. threw suspicion on
Byins The sheriff OF the county, with deputy. i'm
mediatey started In pursuit Of him, and arrested him In
Grafton on Tuesday On being arrested he confessed the
on his person, which were known TO be the properly Of
his father.
and extraordinary as the unprccedcntedy horrible deed
which he had DONE and suggests the charitable conlec
crime, and seems astonscd at the aexcilemcnt which
causes He distributed among the crowd who gathered
around him number OF his autographs written fol-
lows David !. Bivins, murderer OF his wife, father
and mother" He jocos y babe good by his arquain
tanccs in Grafton inviting them up him.
telling them that they would find him playing checkers
with his the ai windows This bearing OF HIS to-
gether with the horrible atrocity OF the murder in
censed the crowd OF spectators at Grafton Station that
they were for lynching him on the spot Indeed had
not the sheriff who had him in charge been Mason and
called on Masons Ia the crowd TO him prev
ing H. the indignant crowd would have dispensed sum
mary Justice 10 the scoundrc He was however saved
from lynch law, and placed board the Toledo train
and taken back TO Codwator He is In danger Of
meeting his deserts there as capital punishment Is pro-
hbitcd In Michigan by special enactmcntan enactment
which this Case IL anything, will the repeal or
We forbear any extended comment this case,
the particulars Of which have briefly set b fore our
readers No comment could do IL justice. We doubt II
any has happened which surpassed in accumu
lated atrocity and horror, this fightfu crime The
rbe narrative recalls 70 the chronicles OF the Borgas
and the fearful story OF Beatrice Genet but surpasscs
even those in It's dcmonac wckcdness The unprovoked
murder of young wife, just about 10 make the murderer
fathcrthe double parrcdc which struck down aged
fath@ and o loving mothcr-the added and the
mcanness that suggested the robbery OF his fathers
bleeding body-Nl combine TO make up crime that
would appal even Devils in hell Unless the man be In
sane, AZ we charitaby hope there 10 no punishment
human or divine, too severe 10 be inflicted on him.