The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-31
Tragedy.


doubtless well-meaning persons have been
exeTtipg themselves to arouse public SYM
pathy for this blood. stained wretch, and to
procure, If possible, a pardon, or at least q
Communication of his sentence, from the Gov
eInor. The excitement caused by the taking off
OF Mrs. Hill had scarcely yet died away when,
few days ago, the community was startled
by another murder. A feeble minded young
man, the ianitor Of public hall, is shot in
broad daylight, apparently for the sake of
the few dollars that he had managed
to save from his soanty earnings.
The affair is still enveloped in
mystery, and while the authorities and the
public are alike eager to obtain some clue
to the perpetrator ofthe deed, another tragedy,
more horrible and sickening than the last,
was being enacted. Yesterday afternoon
it was discovered that an entire family-a
mother and her little boy and girl-had fallen
victims to the fury of an insane hus-
band and father. While the officers were
inspecting the dreadful scene and making
notes OF the evidences of the fearful deed, in
telligence was received of the suicide of the
murderer and the recovery of his body from
the Delaware.
This last tragedy surpasses in horror any
thing that has occurred in this city since the
shocking murder of the Deering family by
Anton Probst. The details of the
affair show that the Blackstones
were pious, God. fearing people, refined and
intelligent in their tastes, and bound together
by all the ties which could make their home
happy. The wretched husband and father
has follow ed his victims to their last account,
and 1t is but charity to conclude that mental
alteration rendered him irresponsible. These
bloody deeds, however, following one fast
after the other, are sufficient to make the
members Of every family pause and inquire,
who is safe and to raise the question as to
whether something cannot be done to restrain
the murderous propensities of the 6ends in
human shape who now walk abroad almost
without molestation. Some months ago little
girl, Mary Mohrmap, was found outraged and
murdered in the most brutal manner. The
murderer has never been discovered, and the
probabilities are that he never will be. The
police were accused Of int tiiciency, blunder-
ing, and ignorance of their business in this
cage, but in course of time the matter almost
faded from the public mind, and the reoollec-
tiOn OF it is only revived by the later tragedies
that have Mortified the community. Since
then we have had a change of administration
and pretty thorough cleaning out of the old
force, but We do not perceive that there has
been any material improvement. The suicide
of MIR. Blackstone of course takes the matter
ont of the hands of the detectives, but we have
the fact before us that the tragedy
remained undiscovered for thirty six hourss
Smith, the jsnitor of Girsrd Hall,
was shot down in broad daylight, but no clue
to the perpetrator of the deed appears to have
been discovered; and detectives have not been
point the finger of suspicion at any one per-
son or any number of persons. Something
certainly ought to be done to check this MUIR
derous propensity that appears to be preva.
lent just now; and il murders cannot be pre-
vented, greater efficiency in hunting down
the murderers would have tendency to make
our citizens feel that they have some protec-
ton. As 1t now is, unless amurderer is caught
almost red-handed in the very act, there is
apparently very little hope that he will ever
be detected. When murderer is captured
and convicted, every consideration of justice
and the protection of human life demands
that retribution, swift and sure, should be
meted out to him, and il such men as
Twitchell are allowed to 60 unhuDg, the law
will have no terrors for the assassinss that
walk abroad in the MONDAY.
A CASE OF considerable interest and import