Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-01-30

THE AusTTNBURG MURpRR=Home time be-
tweenalark and yeigHt o'cisck on Friday eyen-
ing, the 10Th, a acoldbfooded murder was com
mitted about tNo miles cast Of Austnburg
villsge, on the road running to jefferson, in
what is known as tiis French neighborhood.
An ola man OF some seventy years, named Robt
NJ. Pray, lived alone in house standing some
what back from the road. He had lived there
near half a century, gaining his livelihood from
his little farm of twenty-five acres, and by
cobbling for the neighborhood. He was harm
less and inoffensivc, and holding but little in
tercourse with the world further than the re-
uuirements OF little Business transactions m
the way of his occupation. His life was that
Of a refuses or herH,it, and such he was called.
His only companions, and in whose society
seemed to afford him any pleasure, was bovy
of cats, and these also, according TO his own
statement, furnished him occasional supplies
for his table. Another dish that he was known
to have indulged in, which placed him some
what in advance of his countrymen, was horse
steak, cut from a carcase left near his hut, and
which was preserved by the winter tempera-
ture, for sundry meals. BY his parsimonious
mode of living he had saved little sum of
money amounting, as ascertained since his
death, to something over $4o0, all but about
500 of which was in gold and silver. Tbt
known or supposed possession of money fur.
nished the only conceivable motive for the
murder. His house was called at by two per-
sons named Tiffany and Luce, little before
eight o'clock on the evening in question, and
m. ann nj
door tried another, with the same result. This
raised the thought that all might not be right,
and the company Of the next door neighbOr
was sought, and together they entered, and
found, upon getting light, unmistakable evil
dcnccs Of violence. Blood in large quantities
about the bench upon which the old man ustl-
ally sat was foubdi and broad -bladed ak,
kept near by, with which his kindlings wore
cut, bore the marks of having been the instru.
ment, as the head was smeared with blood and
bruins' shout two inches deep and trail was
INTO another room his sleeping apart
ment Here the body was found, in the
warmth of HE, rolled under the bunk with
the throat cut, in addition to the marks of the
AK upon the head. The knife had been thrast
through the neck, with the skin in mont un-
severed The object in thus disposing of the
body Suggests the thought that the murderers
might have intended to fire tho house, and
leave the bones in such position as 10 raise tho
supposition that the old man was overtaken
by fire and perished in his bed. An in.
quest was held, and the verdict was in accord
ancc with these facts. Nothing is known or
hardly suspicion indulged, as to the wretches
who pcrpetrated this foul deed. Trucks were
found in the snow remaining under the fences,
where two men had passed, and these were
traced some four miles, bearing in south
westerly direction, until they were lost in the
Eagloville road. mitten was picked up in
this search that is supposed to have been
dropped by the party. The money-for which
the murder was probably commtted-was Sc
crcted in an old colIee-pot among Il collection
Of rubbish In low garret. A lamp was found
upon the stairs leading to this apartment,
rather favoring the idea that the murderers
were on theii wayto this place when they were
disturbed, and thought it prudent To make
their escape.
! Tho deceased lad been some years back
assaulted with apparently similar
and since that time has invariably
kcpt Ills doors fast as soon as night fall, when no
one was permitted to enter withut first making
himself known, and tho presumption Is, that
some one who was acquainted with the prem
iscs, and the habits of their occupant, must
have been OF the party.
The common story is, that the old mans
mind was little shattered by disappointment,
in early life, that drove him into misanthropy
and the life of u rccluse.
We understand that he has friends of re-
spectacle standing, and that during his resi-
dGnce ut the Place named u sister from the
State of New York visited him, and endeav-
ored to induce him to abandon his mode of
life and so homo and make his abode with
her.
The money which the murdcrers failed to
obtain is deposited In the bank at Jefferson.