Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-02-16
A TRIPLE MURDER.
An Ohio Recruiting Officer Murders his
Wife, Father and Mother.

From the Cleavland Leader, Feb 81
We learned yesterday the particulars Of
one OF the most startling and atrocious mur-
d"rs which have ever been put OH record.
the details of which surpass in their ac-
cumulate,l horrors the triple murder Of the
Coy family. year ago. in Medina. or that
more recent and perhaps more terrible
murder OF the Roosa family, in Decrfeld.
in December last.
a young man named David L. Bivens.
abou, twenty five years OF age. PROPOSES
sing address and appearance. made his ap-
pearancs n few weeks since at Grafton,
L1rain county. and established there a re-
cutting Office for one Of tho regiments
now being rsised in this State. in which
he held recruiting commission. lie pas
se1 as single man. Soon after coming
to Grafton he formed marriage engage
ment with lady living at Grafton Station.
the daughter of a grocery keeper there.
who had accumulated some property
Whether because he was in love with this
girl. OF merely because her father had prom
isel to set him mp in business. this scoun-
diel deliberately formed the diabolical
purpose OF returning TO Collwater.
Michigan, where his wife was living, anil
killing her. in order to be free TO marry
the young laly in Grafton. On Monday
last he left Grafton for his former home.
near Coldwater. Michigan. arriving there
on the same day. and being cordially re-
cievei BY his Young wife. who was living
with his father and mother. On Tuesday
morning he hired horse and sleigh and
drove ont of town. retaining in The even
inr and hiring another at another stable.
This was about eleven o'clock at night.
During the absence OF Bvens in the
evening. his wife was suddenly siezed with
the pains Of child birth. and. as his father
was spending the evening at neighbours.
the old la " went ont TO find him and send
him for doctor, leavins the sick woman
entirely alone. During the absence the
husband entered the house, and unmoved
by the delicate condition of his wife,
deliberately killed her. While engaged
consuRim a;ing the outrageous anl horribly
unnatural crime, his father and mother en-
tered. and the fienlish william. not shrink
ing at any amount of crime. shot both his
father and mother. killing both. Ia then
hi their bodies in the cellar. set the house
on FIRE, and hurried to the railway station
forgetiisg his horse and sleigh, which
he left standing in front Of tho burning
house. lie took the night train. then duo
from Coldwater, 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 hi'ching strap by which he
he was fastened, ran home to his stable.
When the house was discovered to be in
flames. and, the conAagra;ion having been
quencned. the bodies were found in the
cellar, the presence Of the broken hitch
ing strap, tied to post in front of the
house at once threw suspicion on Bivens.
The Sheriff of the county. with deputy,
Immediately started in pursuit of him,
and arrested him in Grafton, on Tuesday.
Or being arrested he confessed the crime
a number Of peculiar pieces Of silver
were fonnd On his person. which were
known to be the property of his father.
The bearing OF Bivens after his arrest
was as peculiar and extraordinary as tho
unprecedeutedly horrible deed which he
had done. and suggests the charitable con-
lecture that the man is insane. Ie cooly
coniesses the crime and seems astonishrd
at the excitement which it causes. He
distributed among the crowd who gather.
ei around him number OF his auto
graphs. written as follows: David L.
Bvens. murderer of his wife, father and
mother" He jocosely babe good d-bye to
his acquaintances in Grafton. inviting them
10 come up and see him. and telling them
that they would find him playing checkers
with his nose, on the Jail windows"
This bearing OF his. together with the
horrible atrocity Of the murder so incensed
the crowd of spectators at Grafton Station
that they were for lynching him on the
spot. 1ndeed. had not the Sheriff who
had him in charge been a Mason, and
called on Masons in the crowd to assist
him in preventing it. the indignant crowd
would have dispensed summary justice to
the sconndrel. lie was, however saved
from lynch-law. and placed on board the
Toledo train and taken back to Coidwater.
He is in no danger Of meeting his deserts
there. as capital punishment is prohibited
in Michigan by special enactment-an en-
actment which this case, if anything, will
ca use the rapeal IF