The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-12
FIRST EDITIO N
THE rMrMNEsoTA HORROR
An Insane Man Murders his Wife md -Four
Chiidren-tStatemeut of the Murderer.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of the Murderer.
Tue EVENING TELEGRAPH has already pub
lished the announcement of this fearful tragedy.
The st. Paul (Minn) papers Of last Thursday
contain the following additional particulars OF
the Gray tragedy at Oakdale:-Upon entering
the dwelling (on the outskirts of the city, u
shocking scene met the eye. In the back part
of the room are two beds, one on each side.
That on the right was occupied by the father,
mother and little girl; the one TO the left,
directly in front of the door, by the other chill
dren. The pillows of the latter were saturated
with blood, and the bed was so tumbled as TO
indicate n considerable struggle. The other bed
was no more disarranged than naturally III the
morning
Uuon the floor between the beds and the door
lay the murdered children, placed in row, the
largest nearest the foot of the beds, and smallest
sweet mild girl, between two and three years
of age, nearest the door. Each one OF them had
their throats cut thoroughly rs to almost sever
their heads from their bodies. These wounds
were of the most horrible description. They
were at least three or four inches in width,
and extended clear across from ear to ear. Be
sides the gashes in the throat, there was an ugly
one on the lower left jaw of Maggies (the oldest
girls) face. The horrible gashos were given
while the father was knecling upon the
breasts of his children, with the blade OF an axe
i'm his hands, jamming tile same down on their
throats. This accounts for the cash in Maggie's
left jaw, as well MS for the depth OF the wounds
i'm the throats of his victims. The blow OF the
axe that killed the little girl went through the
look under the breast bone.
In the granary lay the corpse of the wife and
mother. This is an old shell OF building, en-
trely empty--a desolate and lonesome place.
Mrs. Gray lay with her feet to the door and her
face to the floor, in puddle of blood, with her
left arm extended parallel to the body The
only clothing she had on was n coarse cotton
night-dress, a short rough coat belonging to her
husband, which she had evidently put on to pro-
tect her from the cold morning air, while she ac-
companied her husband to the barnyard and pair
of coarse shoes, which in her haste she had left
united. She was middle-sized woman, with
pleasant countenance, and about forty years OF
age. Her night-dress was open in 'front.' and
upon her breast and other parts OF the body were
six or seven wounds her husband had given her
with carving-knife. Through one OF them her
intestines protruded. Her throat was also cut
from ear to ear, and her face and the front part
of her body was covered with blood presenting
an indescribably revolving sight. The manner OF
her death is fully explained by the statement of
the prisoner, which may be found below.
The reporter of the st. Paul Pioneer visited
the cell of the ill-fated prisoner. and took down
his statement, as folows-"l had not felt well
for several days, and Tuesday night was un-
easy about one of the COWS that was about
coming in, and was up and down several times
to look after her. just before daylight went
out, and my wife went with me. On arriving at
the yard found she had II calf, but 1t was dead,
and another sick; thought it would die" (Ihis
existed only in his disordered mind, as no dead
calf or sick COW was on the premises yesterday
''When | found this / thought was coming to
poverty that was sick and would die soon, and
my family be left destitute. thought 1t would be
better to send them to heaven vt once. took the
grubbing hoe and struck my wife on the head
with it. This did not kill her, and she screamed
terribly. | then stabbed her seven times, and
she was dead | took her up and carried her to
the grain-house and laid her down on the floor.
Her screams had awakened the children, and
Maggie came to the door. / had hard time
killing her." (IIere he stopped for time)
''Oh, tell you it was the bloodiest murder on
l. ., and Tln hn
ether children down on the floor, and put my
knee on their breasts, and took the head OF the
axe describing the action, holding the axe by
both hands and choppng DOWN and cut their
throats and almost cut their heads off. then
put them side by side ON the floor and got
rope and tried to hang myself, but couldn't
succeed.
This was the substance of his story, but it was
mixed up with other matter about it being
bloody murder; that they were i'll heaven, and he
was going to hell, and that he wanted to be hung,
etc. He said he did not know them, and was
sorIy he had done il, etc.
A special from st, Paul, Minnesota. to the
Chicago Times gives full particulars of the
murder of his wife and four children by John b.
Gray, at Oalldale township Washington county,
Minnesota on the ith inst. The murderer is II
farmer, and was laboring under tit Of insanity
at the time he committed the deed. Gray is a
man about forty years of age, and a native OF
Harrisburg Pennsylvania. His wife Alice, for
merly Farley, was thirty-eight years of age
They married at Hastings eleven years
ago. The children were two boys and two girls,
Acknowledgements aged nearly ten; James
R.. aged eight; David aged five; and Nellie
Jane, aged three. In 1855, when living in IIar-
risburg, Gray took severe cold, which set
tied in his head, producing almost entire deaf
ness.
His disposition, previous to this, was emf
nently social and he very fond of company
and proud of his personal appearance This
sudden infrmity seems to have weighed heavily
upon his spirits. He became at times morbidly
moody and low sDiritpd. He consulted the most
eminent physicians in Harrisburg, st. Louis, and
other cities in hopes of obtaining relief, and IA
his hopes gave out his disposition seemed 70 4n-
mind and affected his health, but up to short
time ago no fears were entertained OF his sanity.
For three or four days before committing the
deed he had been unusually low spirited, and on
Monday last his brother Maxwell had accom-
panied him to st. Paul and got some medicine
from Mr.. Wiley. Tuesday, however, he felt
much more cheerful, and was busily employed
during the whole day in cutting wood,
A N SAw BPqT2 a