Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-03-27
From the Madison Courier Of the stb.1

tFrom the Madison Courier of the Sih.1
We have just received Information from
| Mr.. HOrutf, of Bruuing's dry goods store,
whose informant is Mr.. +. f. Hammel, a
! perfectly reliable gentleman-of one of the
most fiend!sh, dark aud damnirs deeds it has
ever been odr duty to record. The facts, as
related t0 us this morning by Mr.: HvruE,
are substantially as follows:
y short time since Mr.. Todd; residing on
Bear Cr=ek, half mile northwest of Paris,
Jennings county. Indiana, eighteen miles from
this city, sold his little farm for $3.50. On
Wednesday last. 7th instant, at the hour of
clock i'll the afternoon, Mr.. aud Mrs Todd,
! havinr OCCASION to z" out into the field for IL
short time. left the children III the house to-
gether. There were three of the children
aged respectively. tw" four aud sx years.
The parents, of course. suspected no dam
ger. and all their HuTey. NC, was left in the
house. In halt an hour. however, they re
turned. and We're h"rr"r-srickcm To tind all
three Ut the chiidIen stretched upon the fnUr
aS If in dying c"lrlirinn. and wclreriny in
their bi'"'d Immediately giving the alarm
t" their nearest mei "hb"r~. il spread uutil he
people of the entire vicinity were oft sin
armiS. "n foot AMI hnr> back. securing the
country III search of the hell deserving author
Of the h"rr;bic crime. The suppusjt"m is
that the primary object nf the iend in human
shape was robbery. but after taking the money
ahd such other Vaiuabes as he wanted lie
feared, perhaps, that the eldest child might
lie witness against him, and tn rerure. de-
IberateIy ku"cked all three in the head MIR
| Hammei stopped at the house of mourning
after the occurrence. He <rys he found the
children III u horribly manged condition.. aud
the attendant physician had given it us his
opinion that neither OF them could recover
Our heart aches at the thought Of Il human
being so totally depraved and devilish that
he could deliberately murder, in cold blood,
three poor, little, helpless, innocent children.
We cannot possibly imagine Il punishment on
Garth sufficiently severe to be inflicted on the
perpetrator Of So revolving deed of blood.
Late on the evening of the murder, the
oldest child recovered sufficiently to be able
to tell the name of the author of the terrible
act, who Was Immediately sought out and ar
rested. His name is Wash. Sage, and during
the winter he had worked for Mr. Todd
The children on the day of the tragedy, came
in from their play while the parents we're
out in the field, and found the scoundrel ran
sacking the premises.
lie Immediately seized bible lying near,
with which he knocked the smallest child in
the head. He then grasped a smoothing
iron, and either With it or pistol which he
held in his hand, he beat all three of them
until he supposed they were dead, and then
left with his booty for his home, thrce-quar>
tcrs of mile distant, where he was arrested.
Upon being taken into custody, he made
full confession. In searching for the money,
he found two pocket books-one small one,
and larger one filled with papers. He took
the last, but left the first. although it cons
tanned the money. The prisoner had pre-
liminary trial on Thursday at Paris, before
Squire Jones, and was recognized to court.
He is now in jail at Vernon, where Mr.. Ham
mel saw him yesterday.
We learn from various parties that Sage
has always been suspicious character, and
generally considered Il bad man He is II
married man. about thirty years old, and
son of John Sage, formerly Of this county.
lie was u terror to the neighborhOud when
living here, and was believed to be the one
who attempted 60 Kill Wiley White some time
ago, though no positive evidence could be
found against him. At another time he and
another despcradO named Mccartney. we're
arrested hy officers McLcland and Littleiohn
for barn burning, or destroying hay>stacRs
Mccartney was convicted and semt to the
penteat'ary, but Sage escaped (thuugh be-
Iieved to be g"Ity.) by having witnesses to
swear false y, We trust he Will get his de-
serts this time.