The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1869-04-22

Thc reporter ofthe st. Paul Pioneer
visited the coll Of the ilfated prisoner
and took down his statement as fol
lows: ,-N.
HAD not felt well for several days
and Tuesday night, was uneasy about
one ofmy cows that was about com
ing in, and was up and down severa
times to look after her. Just before
daylight Event out again andmy wife
went with me. On arriving at the yard
found she had a calf but it was dead,
and another was sick that | thought
would die. ,
This existed only in his disordered
mind, as no dead calf or sick COW could
be found yesterday.) .Es
When found this, / thought I was
coming to poverty, that was sick and
would die soon, and my family would
be left destitute, and l thought it would
be better to send them to heaven at
once. l at 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
Weakened the children, and Maggie
came out of the door; | had a hard
time killing her The stopped to cxclaim
oh, ! tell you it was tue bloodiest muir
der on record; then took the axe and
placed the other children down on the
floor and put my knee on their breasts
and took the head Of the axe 50 (des,
cribiny the action, holding the axe by
both hands, and chopping down, and
cutting their threats, and almost cut
their heads off; then put them side by
side on the floor, and got a rope and
t'icd to hang myself, but l could not
succeed.
This was the substance of his story,
but it was mixed up with other matter
about it being a bloody murder, that
they were in heaven, and he was going
to hell, and that he wanted to be hung,
etc. lie said he did not know them,
and that he WAS sorry he did it, etc.
[By Telegraph
CHICAGO, April 1.-THE St. Panl
Press OF yesterday says that Gray, the
insane murderer of his wife and four
has been removed rom the
cell where he was first confined, and is
now fastened to the floor in the main
corridor Of the Jail. He lies upon a
mattrass with his supported upon pill
ows, one foot chained securely to an
ron staple in the floor, very strong
eathern strap passes over his body and
S fastened to the floor for the purpose
If securing him during his paroxysms
ron staples have been driven in the
loor on each side OF him, at about the
light of his arms, and one or the other
wrist is fastened to one of these all
he time BY means Of a handcuT and q
,hain Every hour or two the hand,
'ufl and hobble are changed to the 9th
II hand and foot to prevent WEAKNESS.
During Wednesday night he rested
pretty well until aJbut three o'clock in
he morning, and then for two hours
le struggled terribly to free himself
rom restraint After this poroxysm !
lad had passedby, he was compare
lively quiet up to dark last night. Fri
lay morning the deputy sheriff had .
conversation with him, in which the
risoner spoke freely of the deed he
ad committed. He stated in substance
hat he first struck his wife with grub
oe. down near the bals: that she
creamed terribly and fought him, but
nat he finally knocked her down with
lie axe and then stabbed her nine
mes; after which he carried her to
he granary, where her body was found
lat the screams Of his wife aroused
Iaggie, his eldest child, said he had
ard work to kill Maggie, she struggled
} hard, but that he killed the others |
ssily.
The statements that the prisoner has o.
ade have all been drawn out of him
questioning, and they are incoher
II and in some parts contradictory.
e certainly at times knows something
'out what he had done, and always "
'rsists in saying / have killed them, "
1t ne has never yet given detailed '.
atement of the affair, and probably u
'ycr will be able to 10 SO. T.
VI
The prospect is decidedly in favor il
John Jay, of New York, being made tt
mister to England, Motley, to Vienna o
eneTal Daniel Butteriield Minister to G,