Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-06-26
THE RoxsURr TRAGEDY.


the murder OF John 5. and Isabella Joycc-has
produced. as would naturally be the case, a pro
found impression Of sadness and indignation in
the public mind That in a civilized, Christian
community there should live human beings ca.
pable of such cruelty savage and fendish deeds
is almost past belief But Of the fact Of their
existence, the tsofold crime. With its damnable
aecompaniments, - too true. IL should teach
the community the lesson that the young can
not be too carefully guarded. We give below
such additional information of the tragedy a.
our reports have been able to gather
The body Of the murdered girl was found
about o'clock on Sunday afternoon 10 Bussey's
woods. very secluded place. at no great dis
lance from the road. The young girl was in her
fifteenth year. bat was remarkably we'll formed
round and full in person. over FIVE feet high.
and rather attractive in person. with auburn hair
and very clear. bright eyes. She resided in
Lynn, with one Of her aunts. and vas here on 4
visit The boy was small Of his age. Mrs.
Joyce left her home early Monday morning. and
went out TO West Roxbury 10 make dresses for a
family, to stay three days The children. mean
while, were to stay with their grandmother. at
the corner Of Newland and Concord streets. The
boy came home from school (the Dwight schooD
at III o'clock on Monday the morning sessions
Of our schools being from TOLD The girl
expressed desire to see the woods around Bcs-
ton, and they proposed TO 20 10 Roxbury Some
thing said about Mays woods The bow
said, "Ill show you some first rate woods" The
grandmother rather objected to their going. but
the girl patted her on the back aTectionatelv
aud said, Don't be afraid grandma; we'll be
back in time for Johnny so to school," This
was in reference TO the afternoon school session.
which commences at . o'clock When they left
the girl bad ten cents with her The place where
the murder was committed was about parallel or
little beyond the Forrest Hills station, at the
juncture of the Providence aud Dedham rail.
roads, upon 4 hill 10 the right IL il sun
posed that the children, who were last seen
going up from Newland street toward wash
ington. took the Forest Hill car. on the Dedham
turnpike route rode out TO the terminus
and then struck the frs; road they came
10, which led them across the railroad across the
Jamaica Plain road. and then By circuit 10 the
bills and further out Beneath an old oak tree
on an eminence in the grove, is place favorable
to seat. The oak leaves and twigs have been
plucked off to make wreaths. One of these was
found twined around the young girls hat. She
had evidently sat there and made her wreaths.
and there were the broken TWICE LAYING on the
ground. as we'll as an incompleted wreath Her
body was found fat on the back from twenty 10
fifty feet distant from the seat, and her IN
derclothes torn off The wounds on her person
Twenty seven in number) were in different places
extending from the hips to the breast bone, and
one or two on the back. From an examination
of the body DR.. Stedm2n was led TO infer that
but one person was engaged in the outrage The
wounds were deep, aud were made evidently bv
the same instrument that killed the boy The
young girl must have made desperate struggle
to free herself from the hands of the villain, as
the leaves and ground near the rock are clotted
with blood, from the twenty seven wounds re-
ceived upon her body, from large dirk knife,
sixteen of them being upon her back. She mnst
have also made an attempt to grasp the knife of
the murderer, as one Of her fingers on the right
hand is severed and oil the others are nearly cut
off. Her clothes are soaked with blood Her
mouth was discovered TO be full OF grass which
had been employed to stop her outcries from
being heard. The unfortunate girl, on the day
of the murder wore a black silk basque, light
striped worsted sack, fine purple checked silk
dress, with a black border around the bottom
white straw hat, with black ribbon trimming,
velvet binding, and a small bunch of orange
flowers in it, with blue berege veil
1t is supposed that the boy was for time
amazed or paralyzed by the attack on his sister,
and that when he turned to run il was too late
His course down the bill toward a brook,
and toward Mr.. Motley's house. There were
two houses within few hundred yards of the
scene; but the inmates are so accustomed to
shouts, laughter and yells from picnic and ex-
cursion groups that they would not have paid
much attention it they had heard screams on
this occasion. The same instrument undoubted
ly killed both. DR. Ira Allen states that the
point Of the knife where the wound terminated
made the same sort Of termination in each
The wounds on the boy and girl were precisely
alike, and the weapon was probably dirk eight
ten inches long. The boy no doubt
killed after be fell, the murderer STOPPING down.
ho o. oh oro
through the body, and in one or two cases the
point coming through the skin in front One
leg bent up, his face on its side, with ore
arm spread out and the other hand beneath the
back Although the wounds in both bodies ap-
peared to have been made by the same sharp in
strument, it is believed that at least two persons
were concerned in the tragic affair. The corpses
are so decomposed that il is impossible to expose
them 10 public view
The grandmother, il appears. notified the DO
lice of West Roxbury of the absence OF the
children on Tuesday and they set about search.
The mother could not be found, the place of her
sojourning being unknown, and she did not hear
OF the disappearance till Wednesday On Thurs
day. by direction of Col. Burrill, Deputy Marshal
Joseph Hubbard, of Roxbury, with strong
force, and seven Boston policemen. made sys-
tematic search of the woods, and were satisfied
that the children were not there The gentle
men VINO FOUND the girls BODY notified Mr. Mot
ley who called for officer Macdonald, and the
latter drove in and summoned the Roxbury police
and DR. Allen.
The bodies were accidentally discovered. as
previously stated, and recognized by their aunt
by means of the clothing worn by them The
mother, who is left entirely childless by this
bloody deed, was informed. or rather surmsed
the sad fate of her offspring yesterday forenoon
for the first time. Having been conveyed to the
house occupied by the aunt and grandmother Of
the murdered children, in Concord street, as she
entered the dwelling she observed some friends
in earnest conversation. aud asked what they
we're talking about? Some one replied by in-
curing of her if she had not been informed?
Exclaiming in agonizing tones that she now
knew all. Mrs Joyce swooaed. and has been in
critical condition ever since.
General Lees Applicant on for Pardon
The Northern papers state that General Robert
E. Lee has applied to the Executive at Washing
ton for the exercise of clemency. We hail this
step as eminently wise, and ju1cious and
patriotic. An example so llustrous and worthy
of imitation Must be attended with the happiest
results. Ii removes many difficulties from the
path of those w!o have hesitated and questioned
the propriety OF irsuing a similar course. If
this noble and i-mous Bayard of the South
without hesitation, Acknowledges the supremacy
of the Government. seeks to be rehabilitated as
a citizen. and tender, his allegiance. who need
a doubt 70 his own duty? General
Lees application We regard a cheerful, volun.
tary aud most timely recognition on the part of