The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-10
@ H I M e..
Dreadful Tragedy near st. Paul.
A Wretch Murders his Wife and Four
Children.

CHICAGO April 9.
A special from st. Paul to the Times
gives full particulars of the murder OF
his wife and four children by John B,
ton county, Minnesota, on the 7th inst
The murderer is a farmer and was la
boring under fit of insanity at the
time he committed the deed. Gray is a
man about forty years Of age, native
of Harrisburg, Pa. His wife Alice
formerly Farley-was thirty. eight years
OF age. They were married at Harris
burg eleven years ago. The children
were two boys and two girls. as follows:
Margaret. aged nearly ten; James, aged
eight: David, aged five, and Nellie Jane,
aged three. About daylight on the
morning of the murder, James ARM
strong, neighbor, heard loud cries
house. He Immediately went in that
direction. When near enough to the
place he heard Gray cry out, "Oh, come
and hang extraordinarily repeating
the cry.
Mr.. Armstrong walked nearer and
SAW Gray sitting on the steps Of the
granary with rope in his hand, al
ternately whistling and screaming.
Armstrong at once ran to the resi-
dence of Gray's father, who lived near at
hand and the two repair ed to the house
of the murderer. They pushed open
the door and found the four children
lying upon the floor side by side, COW
cred with quilt, and their throats cut
from ear to ear, and their faces gashec
in horrible manner. At this mo-
menG the maniac murderer advanced
towards his father with rope In his
hand and would undoubtedly have
straugled him had not Armstrong and
another son, who had arrived, seized
the unhappy man, and alter a desper-
oNn ct
answer 10 their inquiries in regard to
his wife, he said Killed them all with
an axe, and they have goneto Heaven:
Oh, hang ne, hang meT he also tolu
them that his wife was In the granafy,
and repairing there Mrs. Gray was
found on the floor covered with quilt.
The murderer was arrested and start
ed for st. Paul. On arriving at the jail
the strength OF several men was needed
TO place him in cell.
In 1856 when living in Harrisburg, he
took severe cold which settled In his
head, producing almost entire deafness.
His disposition previous to this was
of company and proud of his personal
appearance. This sudden inhrmity
seems to have weighed heavy upon his
spirits; he became at times morb1dly
moody and low spirited. He consulted
the most prominent physicians in Har-
Ols AUulS anu SAGICSS ~
hopes of obtaining relief, and as his
hopes gave out his disposition seemed
TO undergo a change; his deafness
preyed upon his mind and effected his
health; but up TO short time ago no
fears were entertained OF his sanity.
For three or four days before commit
ting the deed he had been unusually
low spirited, and on MOndoy last his
brother Matthew had accompanied him
to st. Paul and got some medicine from
Mr.. Wiley. On Tuesday morning he
felt much more cheerful, and was en-
ployed during the whole day cutting
wood.
SECOND DISPATCH.
The funeral OF Mrs. Gray and her
four children, murdered by their insane
father, took place at Oakdale, Minn,,
to day and was attended by the people
from the surrounding country in large
numbers. Gray is stronly ironed In
Jail. He has lucid intervals, and when
in that condition is terribly borne down
by his crime.