The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-04-29
Horrible Tragedy in Minnesota.
CHICAGO. April ..

gives INll THTtlCHlaT> Ul me lnufGST ~ HIS
wife and four children. by John +. Gray.
At Oakdale township, Washington county.
Minnesota. on the -th instant. The mnr-
de7er is farmer, and was laborias under
temporary insanity AZ the time he committed
the deed. Gray is a man about forty wears
OF age, native of Harrisburg. Peuns>lva-
ma. His wife. Alice. formerly Farley. was
- years old, they were married az Hast
ingS II years ago. The children were two
boys aud two girls. as follows: Margaret,
aged 10; JAS. B.. aged S; David, aged s,
and Nellie Jane. 5. About dayligh, or the
morning Of the murder. JAS. Armstrong,
ueighbor, heard loud cries coming from the
direction Of Gray's house. He Immediately
went in that direction. and when near
enough to the place heard Gray cry out,
"Oh. come and hang me- continually re-
peatins the cry. Armstrong walked near
er and saw Grey sitting on the steps of the
granary with a rope in his hand, alternately
whiStliDg and screaming.
/ 1t was soon discovered that GRAY had
murdered his wife and ali his children. The
following are the particulars Of the awful
affair. The coroner then opened the door
4 TO the granary and all entered, when a scene
greeted them which chilled the blood Of
every one. The floor was covered with
blood. and near the middle Of the room
there was the dead body OF woman COW
cred with a CORY quilt. On turning this
covering down every one involuntarily
started back with sickening horror. The
corpse lay OF its back, with its throat cut
from ear TO ear. The hair, black as rs-
vens wing and quite long, was matted with
i blood. and the head was all bruised and
manglel as though ii had been beaten with
some heavy. blunt instrument. There was
no clothing on the body save uight-gown
and pair of shoes, that had evidently been
slipped on in haste. The garment was
soaked in gore so perfectly that there was
hardly O thread of it but what was crimson
On opening this the body presented fear
fully mangled and gashed appearance
There were numerous cuts, gashes and
bruises about the breast and arms, while in
the region of the stomach there were two
great gashes made by bucher-knife. Ell
ther OF which, IN the opinion of the surgeon.
would have proved fatal.
\ closer examination showed that she
had been dealt some severe blows on the top
of the head with a blunt. heavy Instrument.
probably the poll of an axe, which lay near,
covered with blood aud hair. Sick at heart
and stomach, the jury turned from this
revolving spectacle TO witness one four-fold
more horrible After the examination of
this body was concluded, the jury proceed
ed to the house near bv, and the door was
untastened and opened BY the coroner, when
scene met the eye which was sickeniug
and revolving beyond anything we have
ever witnessed. The room WAS about 1G
by Is feet, and contained two beds. arrang-
ed parallel with each other, in the tar end
of the room-a cooking stove uear the
door, q rough table. a few chairs, and
clock which rested on bracket against the
wall. One of the beds was covered with
blood, from the pillow down 10 the middle
OF the tick; while on the other, which was
unstained, lay a long case-knfe, sharpeued
TO q keen edge, and which had cvideutlv
been used by the tratricide. Between the
beds the floor was covered with a deep pool
OF blood, presenting much the appearance
of a battle field diSsecting table and near
the center Of the room lay the bodies of
four little lnnocents-two girls and two
boys-all arranged IN accordance with their
ages, lying partially on their right sides,
with their little faces turned in the same
direction, besmeared with blood and cold
in death.
They were covered to the shoulders with
a bloody quilt, which the maniac had taken
from the bed, and with tender care, had
covered them for the long, long sleep of
death. No pen can paint, nor words can
tell, the heartrending agony Of that sight.
1t was enough to make devils weep. Four
little heads, beautiful even through their
crimson stabs, lay side by side in the dream
less sleep of death four little lisping mouths
sweet as opening roSehuds, and crimsoued
with brighter hue, We're fixed as if TO re-
ceivc parting kiss from fond mothers lips
Their little eyes were not staring with that
open, ghastly look Of death, so repulsivc,
but all were closed as perfectly and as
smoothly as if the "Now | lay me down to
sleep" had been whispered at mothers knee,
and their balmy slumbers had descended on
them gently as evening dew
The cheeks of the three elder were flush
ed, as if in glow of hcalthtul excitement,
but the baby, Nellie, with slkeu curls OF
tlaNcn hue clustering closely about her head,
was white as the purest wax, and lovely
as a budding pink.
On the floor near the bed lay Il heap of
little clothes with shoes and stockings lust
as they had been removed the night prcvi-
Gus when they addressed for bed. None OF
them had anything on save their night
clothes, and they had evidently been taken
up one at a time and their throats cut from
ear to ear, and had then been arranged on
the floor and carefully covered by the ma
mac father
From all the circumstances it was sur
missed that his wife was the first one killed.
She probably saw some indications of in
sanity, aud hastily slipping on her shoes
and throwing the shawl about her that was
found on the fence, attempted to escape
He overlook her near the bars, and may
have Knocked her down with the bloody
club of saping referred to in the description
OF the premises. After this, he may have
used the axe, and then probably dragged
her from there to the 9ranary, and after
throwing her upon the floor, cut and man