Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-04-15


a terrible, Notwithstanding tragedy
which thocks the community, took placl
Yesterday morping, in Oakdale Township
WsShiSxton County, about ten miles from
II sPxul "A .Armer, named James B
Nay. Ven. Known to many in this city
81, IL Of Insanity killed his wife and
In Ntfdren. The perpetrator, james
d. Gray, Is a man about 40 years of age
> native OF Harrisburg, Penn, powerfully
bdilt. six feet in height, fine form, long
black hair and blue eyes. His wife, wal
81 years of age. They were married Al
Hastings about eleven years ago. Hel
maiden name was Alice Farley, and he,
relations. we believe, live near Hastings
still. The four children We're two boys
and two girls, as folIowH Margaret. aged
nearly 10; James B., Jr., years David,
years, and Nelly Jane, 3 years. The
parents of the Inflated man live within a
short distance of the scene of the murder,
and his four brothers and three sisters all
reside in this State. He is the eldest and
only one of the boys married. Two of the
sisters are married, one resided in the
sams township and the other at Still
water. The family removed to Mime
sofa some fourteen years ago.
Iu 1855, when living in Harrisburg,
Penn, nGray took severe cold, which
produced almost entire deafness. His
disposition, previous to this, was eminent
ly social. and he was very fond of com
pany, and proud of his personal appeBr-
ance. He consulted the most eminent
physicians in Harrisburg, st. Louis, and
other cities, in hopes of obtaining relief,
and as hope died out his disposition
seemed to undergo change. His deaf
ness preyed upon his mind and affected
his health, but up to within short time
ago no fears were entertained of his san
lty. For three or fAr days he had been
unusually low-spirited, and on Monday
last his brother Maxwell accompanied
him to ST. Paul, and got some medicine
On Tuesday, however, he felt much more
cheerful, and was busily employed during
the day, in cutting wood. His brother
Maxwell left the family on Tuesday eve
hing ut five o'clock, and all were appar-
emily happy and in cheerful spirits.
THE MURDERs DISCOVERED.
About daylight yesterday morning, Jas
Armstrong, near neighbor, heard loud
yells coming from the direction of Gray's
house. He walked over toward Gray's
place, and when near enough to hear, dis
tinxuished Gray's screams to be the ex-
clamation, "Oh, come and hang me !"
continually repeatede He walked little
nearer and saw Gray sitting on the steps
of the granary, with a rope in his hand,
alternately whistling and screaming.
Armstrong ran at once to the residence of
Mr.. + G. Gray, the father OF the I'M
happy man, and gave the alarm. The
startled father took the nearest route
across the fields, while Armstrong and
one of the brothers followed the road to
Gray's house. The aged father arrived
first, and repairing to the house, pushed
open the door. His four little prattling
grandchildren lay upon the floor, side by
side, covered with a quilt, and their
Threats cut from ear to ear, and their faces
gashed and cut in a horrible manner.
Turning from the sickening sight, he
staggered back to meet the gaze of his
maniac son, who was advancing toward
him with rope in his hand. Closing
with him at once, the agonized father
would have added another to the CHASTITY
list of victims but for the timely arrival
of Armstrong and the son Henry. After
desperate struggle, the frenzied maniac
war securely bound. In answer to their
inquiries regarding his wife he said, II
killed them all with the ak, and they are
gone to heaven. Oh! hang me! hang
me !" He finally told them that his wife
was in the granary There the body of
Mrs. Gray was found on the floor, also
covered with "a quilt.
THR MURDERED CHILDREN.
Upon entering the dwelling a most
.hpnl Gt,rbt no IN Tho
part of the room are two beds, one on
each side That on the right was occu-
pied by the father, mother and little girl
The one to the left, directly in front of the
door, by the other children. The pillows
of the latter were saturated with blood,
and the bed was so tumbled as to indicate
a considerable struggle. The other bed
was no more dlsarranged than it would
naturally be in the morning. Upon the
fioor, between the beds and the door, lay
the murdered children, placed in a row,
the largest nearest the foot of the beds,
and the smallest, sweet, mid-faced, /
light-haired little girl, between two and
three years of age, nearest the door. Each /
one OF them had their throats cut so thor
oughly as to. almost sever their heads from
their bodies These wounds were of the
iiipri biiip4t lNioi' ht "0iC az
least three or four inches in width, and
extended clear across from ear to ear.
Be~idt.s the gash,s in her throat, there !
was an ugly one on the lower left jaw OF
Maggie, the Oldest girl The horrible |
ga>hts were given while the father was
kueeliug upon the breasts Of his children,
with the blade Of an ax i'll his hands,
janmiug the same down upon their
I, l.
Maxgies LETT jaw, ~ we'll as Tor the depth |
Of the wounds in the throats of his VIC
tins The blow of the AK that killed the |
little girl went crashing through the bones
of the breast aud neck, so that one could
look under the breast bone.
THE MOTHER.
In the granaty lay the corpse of the t
wife and mother This is an old shell OF
a building, entirely empty, desolate and /
lonesome place Mrs. Gray lay with her
feet IL the door, and her face to the floor, I
in !, Inddie OF blood, with her left arm
extended. The only clothing she had on
was coarse, cotton night dress, short
rough cont belonging TO her husband.
which she had evidently put on TO protect
her from the cold morning air, while she |
accom-, panied her husband to the barn |
yard, and pair OF coarse shoes, which In
her haste -he had left united She was a
woman with pleasant countenance, and
about 80 years OF age, Her night-dress |
was open III front, aud upon her breast
and other parts of her body were six or
seven wounds her husband had given her
with the carving knife Her throat was
also cut from ear to ear, and her face and
the tr,nt part OF her body were covered
with blood, presenting an indescrbably /
revolving and sickening sight.
THE CoRoNER's JURY.
As soon Ms the tragedy was known a
Coroners jury was summoned, and an in
quest held In the afternoon. At the con-
clusion of the examination of the wit
nesses, the jury rendered a verdict to the
effect that Alice Gray, her daughters
Margaret and Nellie Gray, and her sons