The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-04-16

the spectators were viewing the hcrrid
sight. sotne gentleman turned little Nels
lies head over to the right, and thus ex-
was SO dreadful that he was begged to re.
place it. and did so.
In the granary lay the corpse of tho vito
and mother. This, an old she'll of build.
ing, was entirely cmp,y--a desolate and
lonesome place. Mrs. Gray lay with her
feet to the door, aud her face to the floor,
in a puddle of blood, With her left hand
extended parallel to the body. The only
clothing she had on was a coar,e cotton
night dress. 4 rough coat belonging to
her husband, which she had evidently put
on to protect her from the cold morning
air, while she accompanied her husband to
the barn yard, and pair of coarse shoes.
which in the haste she had left united.
She was middle aged woman, with Q
pleasant countenance, and about 80 years
of age. Her night dress was open ia
fro2t. Upon her breast, and other parts
OF the body, were six or seven wounds,
" hicll her husband had given her With 4
carving knife. Through one of them her
intestines protruded Her throat was eos
from ear to ear, and her face and the front
part OF her body were covered with blood,
presenting an indescribably fevolting and
sickening sight. The manner of her death
is fully explained by the statement given
by the prisoner, which may be found below.
We visited the Jail about s O'Clock yes
terday afternoon, and learned that the lib.
fated prisoner had, in measure, quieted
down, and with the exception of an occas-
lonal paroxysm Of maniacal fury, in which
he several times endeavored to destroy
himself by beating his brains out arsinst
the side OF the cell, was comparatively
calm. Du ing one of these lucid spells be
talked quite nationally, and gave the fol,
lowing account Of the manner in which he
committed the murders, which, in tho
main, tailles with the evidence given at the
coroner's inquest His statement was a,
follows:
| had not felt well for several days, and
on Tuesday night was uneasy about one
Of the cows that was about coming in, and
was up and down several times, to hook at
her Just before daylight l went out
again, and my wife went with me. On
arriving at the yard, found the COW had
a calf; but it was dead, and another was
sick. that | thought would die. This only
existed I'D HIS ul5OfUcTu ulIuU, as no uca4
calf, or sick COW, was on the premises, yes
terday] When found this, I Thought I
was coming to poverty; that | was sick,
and would die soon, and that my family
would be left destitute, and [ thought it
would be better to send them to heaven a.
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 several times, and s're
vas dead | took her up and carried her
to the grain house, and laid her down OH
the floor. Her screams had awakened the
children, and Maggie came out of the door.
| had hard time killing her. Here hs
stopped and excaimed ''Oh I tell you it
was the bloodiest murder ON record" L
then took the ak, and placed tie other
children down on the floor, and put my
knee on their breasts, and took the head
of the ak so describing the action, hold
the ak by both hands aud chopping down, !
and cut their throats, and almost cut their
heads off. then put them side by side
on the floor, and tried to hang myself, but
could not succeed.
This was the substance of his story but
it was mixed up with other matters abou,
it being bloody murder, that they were
in heaven, and he was going to hell that
he wal ted TO be hung, etc. He said he
did not know what he was doing when be
killed them, and that he was sorry he had
done it.