Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-08-27
A Domestic Tragedy---An Aged Man Shot
and Killed by his Insane Son.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 24.-Early tins
morning, Mr.. Thomas l.. Evans, aged 62
years, was killed by his son, Marshall II.
Evans, at the house of Mrs. Belshaw, No.
306 Tenth st. The house is occupied in part
by the family of Mr. Evans. The lamily
were assembled at breakfast and had entered
into general discussion OF the strange be-
havior of Marshal Evans for some time past,
and they had determined that the father,
after breakfast, should visit the family phys
ician-Dr. Van Dyke (who had expressed
his conviction that the son was insane, and
should be sent to an asYlum) in order to
procure from the doctor certificate oil the
sons mental condition. Just as the CONVEX
satlon wns concluded, Marshall came into
the breaklast-room and took his seat at the
table. His father bade him good morning,
but he made no reply to this saluta'ion, and
it was suspected by all present that he had
overheard the conversation. He ate heart
lily, and while he was thus engaged his
father left the room 10 change his dressing
gown for coat, and, procuring his hat, Mr.
Evans started down the front stairway. In
the meantime Marshall had stepped out into
the hall. On his fathers reaching the hall
landing Marshall walked toward the front
door, and as his father was stepping into the
vestibule the son drew a revolver and fired
three shots IN rapid succession. The father
then retreated through the saloon to the hall
again, and back toward the dining room. In
passing the pantry he clutched at the door,
and then fell into the arms of Mrs. Belshaw.
She laid him on the floor. Marshall followed
his father all the way back, and as the
body was lying on the floor, he leaned over
it, but said nothing. Mrs. Belshaw remarked
TO him, "Marshall, see what you have
done" to which he made no answer. The
young ladies' hearing the shots, and seeing
Marshall with q pistol in his hands, ran
away smieking, and the alarm brought as
slstance from the street, when Marshall was
taken into custody. On being questioned, he
replied, II don't feel right" The father
died soon alter the firing of the shots.
Young Evans is 26 years OF age. lie has
been afflicted with rheumatism Tor many
years Recently he has behaved IN a frantic
manner towards his wife, threatening her
life. They were living at Riverside, New
Jersey. He came to this city yesterday, fol-
| lowed by his wife, and on reaching his
| fathers house behaved strangely. During
the night he threatened his father with a
knife. After tile father got up this morning,
the son got possession of the pistol that the
elder Mr. Evans had given TO the young man
as present years ago. This was the weapon
used in the tragedy, The scene of the homi-
eide is very near that OF The Twilchell mur-
der. DIR. Shapleigh has just concluded the
post-mortem examination. He found five
balls in the body; one entered the body
three inches above and to the left of the ma
vel, passing through the stomach and spleen,
and was found under the skin in the back;
another entered about an inch and hall
from the right end of the ensifOrm cartilage,
passing through the liVer and was found in
the back under tile skin; both of these
wounds were fatal; another entered the left
side, six inches below the arm pit; another
entered the back, one and half inches tc
the LETT OF the spine, and was found in tho
spinal column; the fifth entered the outel
side of the left foot, and was found embedded
in the bones of the foot. The inquest will
take place tomorrow at II o'clock.