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.

= T.
Death with StOnes,. then Kills Himself
~ The terrible tragedy that occurred last
Thursday in Perry County, Ind, in which, 9
man beat his vile and child to death will
stones and then shot himself has seldom beer
surpassed in dull horror. About five years
ago the murderer, Francis j. Smith, of New
Albany, purchased'and removed to farm o
820 acres, near Rome, Perry county, Ind
In 1865 he married refugee from Georgia
In the latter, .part.of the year his wife gave
birth to amale child, which almost IRON its
first breath became the victim of its fathers
vile and cruel nature. On one occasion. after
beating his 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
cured adiyorce and went tolive with brother
in New York A few months passed and
Smiths.heath began to fail, land fearing that
death would soon overtake him. he became
much alarmed, and. according to a subsequent
statement of his wife, wrote to her that ii
she, ever wanted to see him, alive to hasten
Immediately his place of confinement.
She came, but was met very codlyb by Smith,
who denied that he had ever written such a
letter as the above mentioned, and expressed
he,greatest surprise at finding her at the
door, She passed from house to house, drag.
.ging through anniserable existence until last
Wednesday morning, when she was at the
residence of r.. Groves, not far distant from
Rome, contemplating visit 10 the trustee OF
the township, to obtain shelter for herself and
child, her husband arrived and expressed
his.desire TO accompany her TO the trustees
office: She readily accepted bis offer and the
two set off on the journey, taking tie child
with them. "A -drizzling rain set in, and un-
der pretence of finding. shelter under large
tree, standing two or three hundred yards
from the. roadside, up.to deep rayine, Smith
invited the mother thlthcr, and after ,.rrying
at the designated spot, pclted the mothers
brains out with large stones, and with one
blow on the head Of the child Killed it.
. Manv stones we're lying near ;he victims,
red with their-own blood. Smith took the
strings from the-shoes OF thc>moiher, tied her
feet closely; and then her hands over her
breast, laid the child beside her, coyered the
two with light shawl and then LETT them.
The next day Smith was at his Brothers.,
Commodore Smiths. He sat down and wro c
a letter and handed it TO his sister-in- law, and
told her to take it to ore of the neishbor's
houses and read it. She refused to GO, and
told him that she had not time. Hc told her
that il she did rot 90 he would have TO tell
her what WIS i1,tke letter. He told her that
he had killed his wife and child, and that he
intended to kal himself whereupon he seized
a loaded gun belonging to bis brother, and
walked Gu. into the yard and SHOT himself
through the heart. Smith was formerly from
New Albany, wbere some years ago be killed
a man, ard was cleared on the plea Of inSani-
ty. in his statement of the cause OF the muir
der, nv says
"Her brother thought me and Mary had
better get married again. fcrhe was suret that
VIC were both TO blame, aud so i. were. |
answered him by 1criiug INN srate or my
health would not allow ma TO marry i'll were
ever So willing to Jake her, and | did not ex-
meet to live three months. The next thing
heard of them, Mary was a the door. s.
!: : loved .IarS and my boy, thcrefre
killed them aud such horrid way 10 kill
any person. Po9r Mary, after had knocked
her on the head with q stone, begged me to
stop, for she would lie al that, and she wanted
TO have some talk with me. j. | did SO. J told
her did not kll.hef pr the boy through All
ger, hatred or spite. 1t drove me mad 10 see
her and the boy kicked abou. as they had
been Tor the last three months. She says,
GOD bless you, Frank l believe you; lctm
HIS you and I'did time and again b-!ore
she died. | hope that me ard Mary and my
boy may be buried near each other hope
it will be many years hence before ever
another husband apd la;hcr,will be compelled
by such crushing misery to 2doas | have done" :"
Cincinnati C..In,nrrcinl .ni,;L