Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-09-13
Double Murder and Suicide in Mich
igan.

One of the most horrible and soul
sickening tragedies it has ever been our
lot to chronicle, took place at the Osh-
temO side track, in the township of
OshtemO, in this county, on Sunday
night, the 10Th inst. The family, which
consisted of Mr.. Alexander Richard, his
wife and four children, retired about 9
O'Clock, Mr. and Mrs. Richard occupying
the large family bed room and the same
bed on the ground floor, Elite and Will
liam bed in the front hall on the same
floor; two other children (sOns, the ED
est about fifteen years OF age, room on
the second floor, near the head of the
stairs. About ten o'clock Mr.. Richard
was aroused by Mrs. Richard getting
up. On being asked by Mr.. Richard the
reason, she said she was nervous and
restless and could not sleep, and she
would 20 into the parlor and finish some
letters which She had been writing. Be
ing in the habit Of getting up in the
night and reading or writing an hour or
two Mr.. Richard thought nothing Of it,
and went to sleep. Some time after he
was again awakened by Mrs. Richard
coming into his room, and he asked her
if she had got her nerves settled so she
could sleep. She said she would come
to bed soon, and passed from the room
out OF doors, when Mr.. Richard again
fell asleep. About one o'clock the eldest
boy was awakened by noise below-a
gurgling sound in the hall, and calling
TO his mother, asked her what was the
matter. She replied, Nothing" Some
time after he heard a similar sound issu-
ing from the same place, and called to
his mother, and getting no answer, and
fearing something wrong, got up from
his bed and came TO the head OF the
stairs, and called to his father several
times, but hearing no answer, he and his
brother started down stairs together.
The father hearing their calls, came from
his room to the door opening to the hall,
and found it bOlted on the side where he
was, and on drawing the bolt entered the
hall and was met by the two boys from the
chamber. The three .hen passed tOgeth-
through the hall into the parlOr, where
upon the table on the opposite side of
the room was a lamp dimly burning.
On turning up the light, they discovered
the floor to be stained with blood, and
taking the lamp and going into the hall,
they found upon the bed Mrs. Rickard
and the two children (Ettie and Willie
with their threats cut from ear to ear,
welterng in their own blood, Mrs. Rick
ard in the last agOnies of death. The
horror stricken father and children
started for the nelghbors for assistance,
and when they came to the house they
found the bodies still warm, though
life was entirely extinct. Upon an ex-
animation of the premises it was asceI-
tanned from footprints and other marks
that Mr.. Richard upon passing out of
the bedroom, went around to the win
dow, there entered the parlOr and cross
ing TO the hall deliberately cut the
throats Of the two sleeping children
with RAZOR She then passed back to
the parlor, put the razor to her own
throat aud cut it from ear to ear. With
the blood flowing from the wound she
then with her remaining strength reached
the bed where the murdered children
were, and threw herself across the foot
OF it. The bed was dripping with blood,
and the floor was slippry with the same
eDsaUguined Currant, The tracks OF
blood could be seen in the room above
described, and all the footsteps OF the
woman could be traced either by the
blood she had spilled or by other re-
markable signs.-KaIam1-O Telsgrqbh