The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-13
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A Man Attem 10 Burn HIS wife and
ChiLd-EN cessLN NelY BrMtnl OOmduct.


Chtld-Ex cesstyely Brutal Conduct
CONCORD, n. H., Feb. IA most brutal
tragedy has recently transpired in the town OF
Sut on. Aoout two weeks ago several persone
whose homes are near the south village of Sut-
ton were alarmed by loud snrieks and crles for
ass istance, which emRnated from the dwelling
OF man named elvn Mitchell. They at once
proceeded TO the place, where they found Mrs.
Mitchell almost burned to death, The clothing
she was wearing was almost consumed, aud
her lower limbs, one of her arms, aud other
portions of her body were shocklugly eaten by
the flames. A physician was asimmed,at- ly sentfo
kind and sympathziDg ncighbors who feared
she could not survive until the next morning.
She fingered, however, and was alive this mora
ing, al hough her recovery is extremely doubt
full. Soon after the above occurrence many Of
the Sutton people had their suspicious aroused
US to the manner in which the accident
occurred Mrs. Mitchell SAID it was caused by
the bursting OF a Kerosene lamp. II was known
at the same time that Mitchell was q hard
character, and that he had often been very
cruel 10 his family, The physician. pr. James
r. Smiley, entreated the sufferer TO explain all
the cir cumstances OF the case. For q time all
his efforts in that direction were unavaIling.
At last she said one day that she wanted to tell,
but was afraid her husband would kill her.
Finally, when assured that she would be protected
from her husband, she gave her testimony be-
lore justice OF the peace as fully as her feeble
condition would permit. ste said that on the
evening of the accident she was sitting in oIe
corner OF the kitchen near an open tire, when
sud eDly her husb4 threw a bottle of kero
stne oil into the flames. The bottle instantly
broke, and its contents flew In all directions,
considerable of 1t gong upon Mrs. Mitchelis
clothing. At the same time it took fre. aud
she was Immediately enve;oped in flames.
Unassisted by her husband, she endeayored to
eXtinguish the FIRE, but without success. she
then ran in:o an adjoining room her burning
clothing dropping from her at every step. Her
husband pretended 10 assist her, bat while he
j d, whether intentionally or not, only ae9ra-
Vntp1 his wifp,S Eutfprinpn for he Onanp6 a door
and also took stick and poked about her
clothing. At last, when the flames reached The
poor woman's face, and threatened to choke
htr he displayed some feeling, and, getting
some water, put out the fire, and then called
the neigh bors. MR.. Mitchell also gave further
particulars of her hue bands cruelty to herself
and children. One evening, about q week before
the sad event above related occurred, Mitchell
took his youngest child, a babe about three
months old, and under the plea of endeavOring
to stop II from crying, he held 1t between two
rocks in the fireplace, used instead OF andirou5,
and over the flames, until one side of its face
was horribly burned frcm its chm to is scalp.
He afterwards struck the chlld severe oio on
the other side OF its face, and choked 1T until It
was black and blue, and thea gagged 1t with q
handkerchief, AN this was done in the presence
OF the mother, who dared not utter word, lest
he should kill both the child and herself. I'm
medlately after Mrs. Mitchell had made known
the above, her brother, James Rowe of Wilmot,
caused the arrest OF Mitchell on q compliant
charging HIM with attempting 10 take the Lille of
his wife. AL the justices OF the peace in Sutton
said they were 80 preiudiced against Mitchell
that they were disqualified for holding court
for his preliminary trial. He was accordingly
taken by deputy-sherltf John d Wadleigh to
Bradford, and arraigned before ". g. Lear. Esq.
Mitchell pleaded not guilty, but the testimony
AGAINST him was so strong that he was bound
over for trial in The Supreme Judicial Court.
In default of bail he was yesterday morning
committed TO jail in Concord. Before he left
| Sutton the women there were so innensed
| against him that they threatened to take his
| case into their own hands. Mitchell Is about
| thirty years of age, aud has long sustained 6
bad reputation. He is sometimes mtemperate
| but there ie no evidence that he was IN liquor
| when committing the above diapolcal deedss