Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-10
A Man Beats his. Wife and Child to-
Death with Stones. then Kills HIMSELF

g. The terrible tragedy that occurred last
Thursday in Perry County, Ind, in which, ,,
man beat his wife and child to death with
stones and then shot himself, has seldom been
surpassed in dull horror. About five years
/ ago the murderer, Francis j. Smith, of New
Albany, purchasedHand removed to farm OF
.820 acres, near Rome, Perry county, Ind.
In 1865 he married refugee from Georgia.
Z In the latter. .part.of the year his wife gave
birth to male child, which almost t.fromi its
first breath became the victim of its fathers
vile and cruel nature. On one occasion, after
beating bis wife, he seized the infant and held
it over blazing FIRE until It's cries of anguish
softeDed even his stony heart. His wife pro.
ccred adiYorce and went tolive with brother
in New York A few months passed and
Smith's.health began to fail, land fearing that
death would soon overtake him he became
much alarmed, and. according to subsequent
statement of his wife, wrote to her. thatlif
she, ever wanted to see him, alive to hasten
Immediately to his place of co..inement,
She came, but was met very coldlyby Smith,
who denied that he ever written such a
letter as the above ..loned,' and expressed
the.greatest surprise at finding her at the
door, She passed from house to house, drag
.ging through miserable existence, until last
Wednesday morning, when she was at the
residence of H. Groves, not far distant from
Rome, contepp plating visit 10 the trustee of
the township, to obtain shelter for herself and
child, her husband arrived and expressed
his.desire 10 accompany her TO the trustees
office: She read" accepted bis offer and the
two set off on the journey, taking the child
with them. a -drizzling rain set in, and un-
der pretence of finding. shelter under large
tree, standing two OF three hundred yards
from the roadside, up to deep ravinc, Smith
invited the mother -tblthcr, and after .rriYing
at the designated spot, pelted the mothers
brain: out with large stones, and with one
blow on the head Of the child Killed it.
Many stones we're lying near The victims,
red with their-own :blood. Smith took the
strings from the-shoes Of thc,molher, tied her
feet closely; and then her hands over her,
breast, laid the child beside her, covered the
two with a light shawl and then left them.
The next day Smith was at his Brothers.,
Commodore Smiths. He sat down aid wrote
letter and handed it TO his siser-in.law, and
told her to take it to orc of the neiShbors'
houses and read it. She refused to 60, and
told him that she had not time. Hc told her
thatif she did rot 90 he would have TO tell
her what WIS iathe letter. He told her that
he had killed bis wife and child, and that he
intended to kal himself, whereupon he seized
a Loaded gun belonging to lis brother, aod
walked cut into the yard ard shot himself
through the heart. Smith was formerly from
New Albany, where some years ago he killed
a man, ard was cleared on the plea of insani:,
ty. in his statement Of the cause OF the mur.l
der, hr saysi
He; brother thought me and M,ry had
be .er get married again: fcrhe was surethat
we we're both TO blame, aud so we were. |
answered him by tc1iiug t1fr- -srute my
health would not allow me- to marry i'll were
ever So wiling TO take her, aud did not ex-
meet to live three months. Tie next thing
heard of them, Mary was a the door. =
:: loved .lary and my boy, therefore
| killed them; and such horrid way 10 kill
any person. P,,or Mary. at!erI had knocked
her OH the head with stone, begged Inc to
stop, for she would die althat, and she wanted
to have some talk with me. = l die! SO. i tod
her did not kill, her pr the boy through all
ger, hatred or spite. 1t drove me mad TO see
her and the boy kicked about as they had
been Tor the last three months. She says,
God bless you. Frank believe YOU; lctme
kiss you; and I'dd time and again before
she died. hope that NE and Alary and ny
boy may be buried near each other. hope
it will be many years hence before ever
another husband aud tathcr.wll be compelled
BY snch crushing misery tp do as have done"
Cincinnati Commercial, 3G;h.