Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-06-15
MISCELLANEOUS.
An Atrocious Murder and Suicide.

The New Albany (Ind.) Ledger gives the
following particulars of a double murder,
seldom equaled in atrocity, which occurred
in Perry county, Ind, recently: man
named Francis j. Smith, who formerly resi-
ded in Floyd county, and for short time
in New Albany, is the murderer and suicide.
His wife, Mary, and his little son, Roger,
were the victims of his tierdish malice and
| blood. thirstness. The murdered wife first
met Smith in this county in the latter part
of the year 1864. A short courtship follow
ed, when they were married in 1866, and
Immediately removed to Perry County, near
Derby, where Smith owned farm. For
short time they lived pleasantly enough to-
gether; but after the birth of the boy Roger,
which occurred in December, 1865, Smith
frequently beat and abused his wife in the
most shocking manner. He also treated the
child with revolving cruelty, at one time hold
ing it over blazing Gre until it was nearly
roasted. The devilish spirit that actuated
Smith to the preparation of these 1barbari-
ties was Jealousy. He frequently denied
the paternity of the child, and accused his
wife of improper intimacy with man who
resided in the neighborhood. Finally, un-
able longer to bear the prosecutions heaped
upon her by her brutal husband, Mrs. Smith
left him and went to New York. She af-
terward returned at her husbands request,
and upon his promise to do better but she
was cruelty thrust from the house, and du-
| ring the remainder of her life was wander
er through the neighborhood, without any
| other home than what was given her through
| the charities of the people. On Wednesday
last Smith met his wife at the house of
neighbor, whittier she had gone to seek as
sistaEce She had concluded to seek aid
! from the township Trustee, and Smith told
her he would accompany her to that officers
residence, to which she assented. 1t was
just before noon, when they started. Smith
took her by circuitous out of-the-way route
through the woods, and kept her and the
child with him until near 10 o'clock at night,
when he reached dark and secluded ra-
| vine Here he baGc the poor, wretched,
heart. broken wife sit down at the root of
tree. The woman obeyed, and the fiendish
husband then told her that he intended to
kill both her and the child The night was
dark and it was raining, and escape was
vain. What pen can portray the horror and
agony of the mother there in that dark
forest, alone with such desperaGo as me-
naced her. There was horror in that scene
beyond all powers of description. Smith
then proceeded deliberately to his work of
murder. He seized heavy stone and with
a single blow crushed in the skull of the
mother. Not yet satisfied, he seized other
stones and hurled them against her head,
until the vital spark had fed. With the
same instruments of death he beat out the
brains of the child When both were dead,
he took the strings from the murdered wife's
shoes, tied her feet together, ther crossed
her hands over her bosom and tied them in
that position. He next took the child and
placed it alongside the dead body of the
mother, and with the mothers shawl cover
ed up the victims of his murderous passion,
and departed to his brothers residence, a
few miles distant. At the brothers house
Smith wrote letter, in which he pretends
to detail the circumstances of his married
life and of the murder, told what he had
done and what was in the letter, and then,
taking his brothers rifle, be stepped out in
to the yard, placed the muzzle of the gun
over his heart, set off the trigger with a
stick, and fell to the ground dead, shot
| through the heart