The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-28
Terrible Tragedy "A Man Fatally
Wounds his Wife and Kills Him-
saIf-FuU Parti ulaFs.

seIf-FnH PariI. ulaFs.
CTNCINNATI, December "a ter
rible family qoarEel took place az
WestWood, a village about I've miles
from this city, In Green Towns hip,
last evening, which resulted ia the
fatal wounding of the wife aRd the
self destruction of the father. The
particulars are as follows: Cordelia
Wilder. wife of John r. Wilder, Is
known in this city, Chicago. and St.
Louis, as woman whose business has
! been, for years, to furnish houses OF
prostitution, she taking mortgages on
the properly for the money advanced,
and enormous rates OF interest were
charged. During her frequent abb
sences from home her husband looked
after the family, consisting Of some
I ten or twelve children.
Her legal adviser, Nicholas Byrd,
young lawyer of this city, about
year ago began TO pay attention to the
oldest daughter of Wilders, being
encouraged therein by her mother.
The father objected, and at one time
cowhided Byrd, on Fourth Street. the
affair at the time creating a
good deal of excitement. About
three months since, Byrd and the
daughter were married, and
the quarrel yesterday grew out Of
this matter. During sits progress
something was said which enTaged
Wilder, who attacked his wife with a
hatchet, striking her on the head, and
cutting her nose nearly off. He then
stabbed her with some sharp iDstru-
ment, inhicting wounds In her neck
and shoulder which are pronounced
fatal by surgeons.
The children ran to alarm the
neighbors, but when help arrived it
was found that Wilder had taken
refuge in en- adjoining room and
barred the door. lie gave notice that
| he was armed, and would Kill any
who attempted to enter the room.
| While the neighbors were debating
how to effect an entrance, they heard
the report of gun, and, bursting
open the door, they beheld a most
appalling and sickeniDg sight. Wilder
| had taken advantage of the hesitation
of the people outside, TO load both
| barrels Of his shot gun with heavy
| back shot, removed the barrels from
! the stock, and, placing the butt Ia the
crate, he so adjusted string on the
triggers that both loads would be
| fired at once. So terrific was the
force than the top of his head from
below the right eye, diagonally across
| the forehead, was blown completely
off and thrown some feet distant into
an open trunk, back to which the man
staggered and fell with his neck just
across the edge. The ceiling and
walls were bespattered with brains
and blood, presenting a most sickeD
ing sight.
On the door of the room Wilder
had written an explanation of the
tragedy, attributing all difficulties be
tween himself and wife to his son IN
law, Byrd. On his person were found
a newspaper, giving an account OF the
cowhiding scrapc; the correspondence
between himself and Byrd on the pro-
posed marriage, and letter from the
the mother to the daughter, advising
her to marry Byrd. He also address
ed q line to his children, stating that
he had concluded they had better be
| orphans than to live with such par
ents as they had, and said he did not
| intend previously to kill his wife. On
| the bed in the room were found a
bowie knife, razor and strong cord,
and in another place shot gun, mus
ket and pistols, showing that ho had
contemplated suicide.
The children sympathized with their
mother, who, when the neighbors en-
tered, were trying to prevent the es-
cape Of Wilder from the back way.
They expressed good deal of feeling
against their father. A ramrod be
coming fastened in a musket IN the
hands of some person in the crowd,
one said, Damn the ramrod; shoot
it through him if he attempts TO os-
cape"
The latest account from the scene
OF the dy reports Mrs. Wilder as
still alive, but her death is momenta-
rily expected.