Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-04

one Of the most startling and atrocious
murders which have ever been put on re-
cord, the details of which surpass in their
accumulated horrors the triple murder of
the Coy family, year ago, in Medina, or
that more recent and perhaps more terrible
murder of the Rooss family. in Deer6eld +,
in December last. So terrible is the story
which we are about to relate that it seems
incredible. We were reluctant to believe
it, and only accepted it as true on hearing
its facts canfrmed by indisputable author
ity-Mr. Quinlsn, of this city, who was
present at the time Of the arrest of the
murderer and heard his confession. The
facts are as follows:
Ayoung man named David L. Bivins, about
twenty five years of age, of prepossessing
address and appearance, made his appear
ance a few weeks since at Grafton, Lorain
County, and established there recruiting
Office for one of the regiments now being
raised in this State, in which he held re-
cruiting commission. he passed as single
man. Soon after coming to Grafton ne formed
3 marriage engagement with lady living
at Grafton Station, the daughter of a gro
cery keeper there, Who had accumulated
some property. Whether because he was
in loYe with this girl, or merely because
her father had promised to set him up in
business, this scoundrel deliberately formed
the disbolical purpose of returning to Cold
wstAr Michigan, where his wife was living,
and killing her, In order to be free to marry
the young lady 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-
ceived by his young wife, who was living
with his father and mother. On Tuesday
morning he hired horse and sleigh and
drove out of town, returning in the eve
ming, and hiring another horse and sleigh
at another stable. This was about eleven
o'clock at night.
During the absence of Bivins in the eve
ming, his wife was suddenly seized with the
pains of childbirth, and, as his father was
spending the evening at a neighbOr's, the
old lady went out to find him and send him
for DctOr, leaving the sick woman 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 consumme-
ting the outrageous and horribly unnatural
crime, his father and mother entered,
and the fendish villain, not shrinking
at any amount of crime, shot both his
fathersand mother, killing both. He then
hid their bodies in the cellar, set the house
on fire, and hurried to the railway station,
forgetting his horse and sleigh, which he
left standing in front of the burning house.
He took the night train, then due, from
COldwater, arriving in Grafton on Wednes-
day.
Meantime, the horse, which he had left
at the scene of the triple murder, became
frightened at the burning house, and, break
ing the hitching-strap by which he was
fastened, ran homo to his stable. When
the house was discovered to be in flames,
and, the conhagration having been quench-
ed, the bodies were found in the cellar, the
presence of the broken hitching-strap, tied
to post in front cf the house, at once threw
suspicion on Biyins. The Sheriff of the
county, with deputy, Immediately started
in pursuit of him, and arrested him in
Grafton, on Tuesday. On being arrested he
confessed the crime. A number of peculiar
pieces of silver were found on his person,
which were known to be the property of
his father.
The bearing of Bivins after his arrest
was as peculiar and extraordinary as the
unprecedentedly horrible deed which he
had done, and suggests the charitable con-
lecture that the man is insane. He coolly
confesses the crime and seems astonished
at th1 excitement which it causes. He dis
tributed among the crowd who gathered
around him number of his autographs,
written as follows: "David L. Bivins,
murderer of his wife, father and mother."
He Jocosely bade goodbye to his acquaint- |
ances in Grafton, inviting them to come up
and see him, and telling them that they |
would find him "playing checkers with
his nose on the jail windows" This bear
ing of his, together with the horrible afro
city of the murder, so incensed the crowd |
Of spectators at Grafton Station that they
were for lynehing him on the spot. In
deed, had not the Sheriff who had him in
charge been Mason, and called on Masons
in the crowd to assist him in preventing it,
the Indignant crowd would have dispensed
summary justice to the scoundrel. He
was, however, saved from lynch law, and
placed on board the Toledo train and taken
back to COldwater. He is in no danger of
meeting his deserts there as capital punish
nent is prohibited in Michigan by special
enactment which this case,
+ anything, viii cause the repeal of.
We forbear any extended comment on
his case, the particulars OF which We have
'riefy set before our readers. No comment
ould do it justice. We doubt if any case
las ever happened which surpassed, in &C.
umulated atrocity and horror, this fright
ll crime. The terrible narrative recalls
US the chronicles of the Borgias, and the
earful story of Beatrice Cenei, t,ut surpsss-
5 even those in its demopi.ac wiokedness.
he unprovoked murder of a Young wife,
ist about to make tho D ,urdersr a father
ne double parricids W oich struck down an
ged father and loT ing mother-the add
: arson ana tne D leanness that suggested
10 roDoery of pV fathers bleeding body
COMBINE V make up crime that
ould aPpal even devils in hell, Unless
10 man pe insane, as we charitably hope,
le'e IN RV punishment, human or divine,
U Se'er' , to be inflicted on him.
1 .RuNsULL COUNTY NEws.-We condense
o following from tho Warren Chronicle of