The Opelousas courier., 1866-02-03
A brother butchers his sister
with an axe.
AN ACT OF UNPARLLED sTRoclTY.

AN ACT OF UNPARLLED sTROClTY.
A most horrid, cold b!ooded, and diabol.
icat murder. was committed yesterday
noon, near Cenner's Greek, ip the town.
sh,p0t Crosse Pointe. The name of the
victim is Mrs. Wm. Lynch, who was living
with her husband and five children al
Conner's Creek. The murderer, her
brother, who calls himself John Hanley.
hnt whose real name is John Cooper, has
livra acre, at intervals, some twenty years,
a,ni has been fol- some time employed as
tsa, repairer on the Michigan Central
Railroad. He left this city ON Wedncs
day; went to the neighborhood of his sis
trr's house, and stopped AT the house Of
John Corhy over night. Yesterday FORE
noon, he went 10 the house of his sister,
where, getting into some slight alteration
W.T.. her, he drew IA revolver and fired.
The shot not 1akingseffeci, he seized an
axe, and with its edge aimed blow at her
head and fice. The. blow took effect just
below the brows, cutting across the nose
and eyes, and sinking deep into the brain.
She iell TO the floor, corpse, when the
murderer, with might and main, struck the
axe repeatedly into her body, cutting di
agonally across the breast from the left
shoulder, the bloody weapon going CON
pletely through at more than one strok !,
and actually cutting the heart from the
body, laying it ina quiyering, bloody mass
a. her side. The children in the house fed
to alarm the neighbors. in the beginning
Of fhe terrible tragedy, ard when help
came-but came too late---the fend in.
carnate appeared at the back door, covered
with blood and his weapon, in hand. He
was soon seized, and brought before jus
tica Daniel Corby, who, upon hearing the
facts Immediately ordered The prisoner to
be sent to the jail in this city. As he en-
tered the Justices office, the husband of
the murdered woman met him upon the
threshold, and there learned of the terrible
scene just enacted in his home.
The murderer was securely bound with
cords and brought to the Jail, where the
bloody stains were removed and he was
committed TO the cells. In conversation
with our reporter he exhibited the most
unaccountable indifference and coolness,
expressing his joy at the deed, and declar-
ing that he did it partly in retaliation for
the alleged act of his sister in poisoning her
parents, in Ireland, as be says, and partly
from fear Of his own life at her hands.
There is probably no truth in this state
ment. He declares, with the utmost cool.
ness, that he was s'd-d glad that he had
done il" and exhibited a nonchalance
perfectly hideous il It's enormity. TO carry
out his positively ssickening efffon,ery. he
complained of the manner in which he had
been bound and brought into the city, and
cepsured his captors severely for The man.
ner in which he had been treated.
The m ,nster is about SO years Of age,
has very repnlsive demeanor and cold
blooded. fendish look that declares him
fit forever such deed as this he has done.
His friends, if be has any, lived IN Ohio.
He has four children somewhere in that
State, and had wife, VINO has been mis-.
! sing for some time, and the suspicion il
now awakened that he put her . way by
foul means. II i present siciim was u D.
20 years Of aye. and reputed quiet, Id.
dussfiods woman Detroit Free Press