The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-14
ANOTHER NEW JERSEY TRAGEDY
An Old Man seventy-fOur Years OF Age
Stabbed by His sOn-im-IRw-New Mar
ket the Scene Of the Tragedy-ArFost
Of the Assasatn.

SNhpDeW DX klhh B0n"lmSlhW-NeW mar
ket the Scene Of the TrRgedy-ArFost
of the Assassin,
NEW MARKET, August B.-Mddlesex county,
New Jersey, was again the scene of bloody
tragedy on Monday night, the affair being start
ling in lis details, and only surpassed in horror
0y the Coriell murder, IN which Bridget Dergan
sustained the murderer's roe, and for which
she is awaiting execution. New Market, the
scene of the Coriell tragedy is also the locality
where the murder under consideration was COM
mitted
On Monday night about IL o'clock, an old
man named John Harris, aged seventy.four
years. was attacked In his bed by his son-in-aw,
William Roantree, and after escaping 10 the
yard of the house was again caught by his
assailant and stabbed the blade entering the
right side and penetrating tue right lung. After
completing that piece OF hendish work the
murderer rushed upon the old mans wife, and
Knocked her down with the butt end of a six
shooter, three shots of which had been fired
by Roantree, as will be seen by the state
ment of his wife given below. During the
struggle with the old man the assassin received
o blow upon the head from some hard substance,
making deep cash in mis- craulum, from which
the blood flowed freely. The wounded man
staggered to the house, and was removed to a
bed inside by his wife and daughters, Wnefe he
now remains. By a strange coincidence, DR.,
Coriell, whose wife was murdered by Bridget
Dergan, was called to see the wounded man.
He dressed the wounds, but expressed the belief
that the man was unable TO survive his injuries.
When your correspondent left the bed of the
dying man this afternoon, he was fast sinking,
aud, apparently, would not survive until night.
The news Of the occurrence spread like wildhre,
but the excitement was not so intense
as would be supposed, the residents OF that
vicinity having become somewhat accustomed
to such deeds of late. Detectives were
Immediately summoned to hunt for the
assassin, but their efforts were not required,
as the man was found quietly snoozing under an
elm tree in the vicinity. He was taken to New
Brunswick ana placed In confinement in the
County Jail. He is an Englishman by birth,
and IS about forty years of age. He was mar
lied to the daughter of the man whom he
stabbed. He had served during the war
a private IN the llth New jersey Volunteers.
he is quite heavily built, and has red hair.
The wound in the head received by hlm in the
struggle has caused such loss of blood as to
render him very weak. No cause is known for
the commission of the deed beyond the fact
that Roantree had been drinking freely and was
much excited by the liquor. Immediately upon
the news OF the occurrence reaching New
Bruins wick, County Prosecutor Herbert visited
New Market for the purpose OF ascertalnlng the
facts of the case. The house has two rooms on
the first floor. The room fronting on thu road
is called the sitting room, and is occupied by
Mrs. Roantree. The room back of this is occu-
pied by Mr.. Harris and wife, and has an entrance
IRON the back yard; thus Harris room may be
entered by the front, through the room occu-
pied by Mrs. Roantree, or by the rear door.
STATEMENT OF MRS. RoANTREE.
The County Prosecutor, having made an eXa-
mination of the premises, obtain ed the following
statement from Hannah Roantree wife of the
prsoner:-
During The war my husband sent to me $500, to be
deposited in the bank in his name; but invested the
house and lot put in my own name this always ways
threatened my life ia conseqnence When he returned
from the war he lived with me in this house; my
70 i've with me on the 9th Of 9eeem6e. @ lSSS and
husband often wanted them to move, but would
not let them because was airala OF my own ne and
mother H rented Of me one % room and Cellar Of
s onh fGuS y 9sd P'a has had nor
with Roantree, except about seven dollars which my
70 asked s@ % S S @ But O e
he would not pay him; this occurred quite often, and
themi have not seen my husband nor had he been to
Went to Henry Dunham's to wash, and received one
| dollar for it; sent my little girl with the dollar
pork % and LOAF Of bread Rosntree met his daughter
e aa s s e d9g sent O e sdofe re- 3Sk
he had taken 1t; then went out to find him, and he
3 nS oa y 10 let me have the Go s Il
the only dollar had he said he would not give It q
and struck twice in the mouth; he then ran into
McGraw' dce Mr fitis%orh and MT C5reiI were there
they asked him to We up the dollar TO me- he said
ifthey chose these gentlemen made up the dollar and
gave it TO me, because my children were were starving wins
in the eSs syens fT s hs e
| which he entered, and sat down and pretended
him for the dollar he said III you touch me again
have six shooter, and will fire aud shoot the whole
of you:" then left him and he followed me in.o thI
house; he sat down in chair; was sitting In cha
he fps n O1 ne M ia e 6eS S
around the room grinding his teeth, and mutterng
n pSoe d I'M nSi I brass out
the Hns to S9 forward HsvG me IN an
caught hold OF myihairi he then let 90 and went on
father and applying an oppro6Tlons eplthet M to him
versstion he had, and went away; between clever
and twelve o'clock he came back all our family wer
ing out Of the window; she saw Roantree coming
along the road by the house, Just as she saw him h
came through ne fired the pistol again he then wen
up 70 the frout door and broke II open aud fire!
room stood open, and he fired at the bed in whic
father and mother were lying: the shot entered th
help, and he fired at me- the whole charge lodged i
the door behind me; the pistol was loaded with shot
now" he struck her on the top OF the head with t6
| butt Of the pistol knocked her down. and knocke
| door and Roantree went out the front door toward
the gate: he met father as he was going for assistance
cenpht hold of him. took the butt end of the pistol
struck him over the head with 1t, and then stabbe
! hm mother wished to help take care OF father. ant
motber down with the butt end OF the pistol the
| Jumped the fence and ran away father staggere
the Sqs aRe e ruS a S Roae rec p nG say
through the right side, in the right lung mother wa
badly cut. .t1 .-..r -..r ..... ...
number of other witnesses of the occurrence
corroborated the above statement
The revolver mentioned in Mrs. Roantree'
statement was found during the morning on tn
edge of well, near the place, as though tn
alleged assassin had endeayored to throw 1
down the well. The knife has not vet beel
found, but search for it has been Instituted
The man was seen to load a pistol durinp Nor