Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-08-30
THE EVENING STAR.
fHE osHrENO TRAGEDY.

THE OsHTEMO TRAGEDY.
Further Details of the Death of Mrs.
Richard and her ChiIdren-Wenderfa l
Forhtude and Deliberate Preparation
Past History of the Family-More Let
tiers.
From the Kalamazoo Telegraph. Aug. III
The absorbing interest W hich has been awak-
eneo IN Inc public mind by the unparalleled
Tragedy in Oshtemo on the night Of the 18th
inst, still continues. and this week we give
addliional details, which, however, relate more
particularly 10 the womans history, and the
manner in which she destroyed herself
consistency between the Kindly spirit of the
letters she wrote OF finished just before she
arose TO the commission of the CRIME, and the
Richards life. Such a nature hers must
have possessed elements OF cruelty, when
stirred to its depths, rarely met with, and
strong and unyielding in its purposes: such,
indeed, as the great dramafist has portrayed in
ms character of Lady Macbeth.
After Mrs. Richard had murdered her inno-
cent children. one after the other. in deliberate
succession, mistaken by the horrId spectacle
and unaffected by their dying agonIes-with
her hands dripping with their blood. and car
rying with her the reeking razor, she goes from
the ball 10 large chest which stands against
the wall In the parlor, on the opposite side Of
the bed, raises the lid-the prints Of her fingers
are stamped in bood-takes out q voIver and
three cartridges, then goes TO the table and laws
them down by the lamp. 1t is not loaded, but
she was careful to be prepared for any ener-
strucuon she was bent upon. this is evident, and
determined not TO be tn warted. She now takes
up bot lie OF strychnine from the table. and
there Is every indication that she took por.
ton OF Its contents. For q moment or so she
seemed to hesitate, for near the stand was a
pile of clothing upon the box, the whole covered
by white sheet, and there are heavy blood
marks upon the sheet, showing she must have
leaned her hand or arm there; perhaps she
waited TO feel The effects of the poison; perhaps
10 listen TO any footsteps of the boy who had
called TO her but a little while before, or her
perohance awakened husband, or il may be
that she debated for a moment the choice of
knife or pistol. She returns to the table-how
distinctly every movement is traced by her
footsteps and fingers. that drip with a silent
horror of blood-takes up the razor, turns
down the light, draws the blade with great
force and terrible firmness across her throat
while she Is standing by the table, for a great
splash OF blood Is seen at a distance from the
table on one side where she stood. and a
smaller one upon the other side. She then
goes to the bed and sits down upon IL and
blood spurts upon the wall-she lays the ra-
zor upon the pillow; arises and goes TO the hall
turns back the clothes at the foot Of the bed on
which the dead babes are, lies down, draws
the bed clothes over her and dies.
We have taken some pains TO gather Darticu.
lars of the past history of Mrs. Richardson
The antecedents of a woman, who even allow
ing her TO be insane, could perpetrate such a
horrid crime.
Mrs. RIckard and her husband went to Kan
sas from Pennsylvania, arriving there in NAV
le53- Before they started, however, Mrs Rick
Il
guest. some property, which was estimated 10
be worth S1,CGO. but which. before cunning
West, they disposed Of for $780, and this was
invested In land in Kansas. They were i'm thar
unhappy Territory through all the troubles
raids and fighting Of the border ruffian ppr,od
and were so located that they were exposed to
frequent forays of the bush whackinp Nilsson
rians. Under such a condition of AFFAIRS IL ia
not 10 be wondered that these pioneers did me-,
thrive, and that the cup OF DISAPPOINTMENT
was often pressed to their lips Here Mrs
Richard acquired a familiarity with the use of
fire arms, a skill in loading, precision in frino
and 4 fearlessness in handling them, which
was astonishing; indeed, she exhibited a de.
tided penchant for shot-g gun and pistol Of,sp
had she stood sentry by her own door pistoi
IN band, ana shotgun within reach. when
danger threatened. and always proved a now
erfni auxiliary 20 her husband and the neigh
borhood In making a defense against enemies
her "undaunted s,ettie" never yielding in the
darkest hour.
And thus they lived until the war broke ont
when Mr. Richard enlisted, and Mrs Rickard
returned TO Pennsylvania She remained there
perhaps a year, when she concluded 70 90
West again, sell the property thew had thar
and come back TO the East. On reaching Kan
sas she heard that her husband was stationed
at one of the border forts, and went 20 see him
be was about to start with a train from Fort
Laramie to New Mexico. and she therefo,e
fastened back TO the place where the land
was sold IL and started for the fort to ioin her
husband: The train had Just LEFT, II we are
rightly informed, but she overlook it, and trav.
eieo TWO or three days with her husband. when
sne parted from him and came to Oshtemo
where her father law lived II is said shs
did not sell the land, which is near Fails Citv
until she had left Mr.. Richard on the ROAD ~
New Mexico. U ~
Aocut year and a half ago, Mr.. Richard
was discharged from the army and came To
Oshtemo, where he settled down with his u,fs
and family. When he acquired some proner.
", We are .Hld. she insisted that he shonId
make over to her a certain amount of property
10 reimburse her for the money she had given
him 10 buy land, etc, in the West. This he
declin' 10 do, saying the property belonged
as much to one as the other, etc. This refusal,
II Is said ,embttered the remainder of her life
at least, she seems for some time to have had
In her heart a rooted sorrow for some cause
that she could not pluck away, which NAV
have given rise 20 mental hallucination-and
though she gave no signs Of INSANITY she he
came nervous and restless, at times very NOR.
bid.
About five weeks ago, after midnight she
went 10 the house of neighbor and reused the
family she said her husband had ad yertised
her, and could only be convinced to the con.
trary when the paper had been carefully run
over, column by column, was much excited
and had revolver. She was a woman of
great force OF character, Of excellent business
qualities, and withal deyotedly attached 10 her
children, to whom she was uniformly kind
and gentle She was at one time a member
of the Methodist church. Mr. Ricsard is
spoken of by his neighbors as a kind and
confederate husband and father She was
thirty years old.
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