Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-04
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT PHlLA-
DELPHlA.
A Man Murders His Family
Wife. Son and Daughter
and browns Himself.
Details Of the Horrible Murder.
From the Philadelphia Press, March

| tEOu tn0 uliductpuih IIeeSs march
A deed OF blood ss sickening in its de-
tails and as horrible as that of Anton
Probst, was brought to light yesterday
morning.
| Upon our arrival at the scene we found
highly excited mass of people gathered
together in the street. 1t may be well
to describe JudSon street as running west
from Twenty-third street, south from
Parrish street, the wall of the House Of
Refuge being at the north end of the
street, No. 815 is on the east side of the
way, and is one of a row of two story
brick buildings. Passing through into
the kitchen we beheld q most touching
and CHASTITY sight.
| The body Of Mrs. Blackstone was
lying about two feet from the range, the
body being straight, one leg drawn up,
as were her dress and skirts. She was
attired in red figured delaine, trimmed
about the breast with black velvet was
fully and warmly clad, and her dress
was complete in every particular, both
shoes being carefully laced.
Lying just below her left hip was the
body of her fair haired boy. He was upon
his stomach, the left side of his little face
being upon his mothers dress; his left
arm was under him, and the right ex-
tended. Lying upon his arm, her head
also resting against and above the
mothers hip, was the little girl. The
boy had on o white night-dress and the
girl a figured night-wrapper. Their
little feet were close together, and as
white as the driven snow. The poor
mothers head was almost severed from
her body, and the wounds in the chils
dren's heads were frightful.
A pool, nay, lake Of blood, ran from
the mothers neck toward the door on the
east. The perpetrator of this triple
deed of murder meant that this hors
rible tell-tale fluid should not escape I'M
der the door and run into the yard. A
table~cloth, carefully folded, was packed
against the lower portion Of the door, so
that not drop escaped from that room.
| The floor seemed to refuse to soak it up,
but to let it stand forth to form full
| surface. A slight coagulation had en-
sued, but there was the blood from the
arteries and heart of fond wife and de-
voted mother. On the north side Of the
furnace, resting against it and the jam Of
the door on the west, was an axe, smeared
with blood, but the handle very little
stained, and not sprinkled even.
The bodies were made as decent in
appearance as the surgeons needle could
| do it, and Immediately sent to Mr.. Cyrus
| Horne, the undertaken.
Upon their arrival at Mr.. HoTne's
place there lay the father and husband.
| His body had been fished from the Della
ware in the afternoon, and brought up.
Here were all of that once happy family,
but in what horrible condition ! The
box containing the body of the father
was opened. He is six feet in height,
with whiskers and mustache, and his
| cOuntenance wears an expression OF deep
agony. 1t was said that his vest was
covered with blood, but it was not perS
ceptible by gas-light.
Mr.. Blackstone formerly lived in
Branford, New Haven county, Connect
cut, and was member Of the Congregs'
tional Chnrch in that place. He married
his wife in Madison. He has brother
who is engaged at farming, is well of,
and lives at Branford His father is now
living at East Haven, Connecticut, and is
| well to do.
Mr.. Grady, the cashier of the firm Of
Funston & Blackstone, states that Mr..
Blackstone left the store about = P. NJ.
on Saturday, and returned in about fif-
teen minutes, telling Mr.. Grady that he
(Mr. Blackstone) had taken five dollars
from the drawer. lie then babe Mr..
Grady goodbye in such a manner as to
make him think there was something
strange in his conduct. Mr.. Blackstone
has stated frequently that he did not re-
| gret his change of business, and he ais
ways spoke in the highest terms OF his
partner in conversation with Mr.. Grady.
| He referred to his wife and family inva>
riably in an affectionate manner.
| Mr.. Funston, the partner, states that
in conversation with Mrs. Blackstone
| on Thursday she stated that insanity was
hereditary in the family Of her husband.
Upon q recent occasion his little son
asked him why he sat as though he was
looking down his nose. Mr. Blackstone
has attended the Courch Of Rev. DIR. Ed
| ward Halves since he has been in this
city. Mr.. Funston further states that
he understood Mr.. Blackstone had
money coming to him and was man Of
considerable means, and his wife was
said to have money in bank.
These are all the facts that we obtained
in relation to this unfortunate man. In all
probability he was seized with an insane
| fit after his wife left her bed on Monday,
morning, and while she was making the
fire, he felled her with an axe, the first
blow doubtless being the one on the back
of the head, and knocking her senseless.
The lid being off the range, and the
chips about it and fresh coal in it, besides
her close proximity to it, all indicate this
1t is probable that she brought down
with her the little girl, and placed heI
upon the lounge, where she probably fell
asleep.
The little boy might have been attracted
down stairs by the noise of the blows,
when he was dispatched. Then the girl
was killed as she lay upon the lounge
for her being across her brothers arm
shows that she was the last one laid
upon the foer.
The table had probably been set fol
tea and not been cleared. The absence
of eatables of any kind in the house in
Dictated that the wife was preparing for
breakfast and would purchase supplies
from some neighboring store. When the
body of the husband was taken from the
water he had SIS in his pocket. On Sun
dav the children were heard by the
nsighbors playing in the yard, and at
. O'Clock Monday morning Voices wer'
, heard in the house. The fact OF the
, work. basket being near, together will
the spool of cotton and thimble, tends tC
p show that Mrs. Blackstone was at worl
j Sunday evening. This can be explained
, BY the fact that she adopted the old
Puritan custom, her Sabbath comm enc.
ing at dark Saturday and ending at darl
SUNDAY. Her husband was in the habl
of leaving the store earlier on SATURDAY.
night than any other, and always before
. 6 O'Clock.
After the horrid slaughter was per
.. fscted, the husband seems to have washed
his hands, as towel with blood upon
was found in the sink under the hydran
in the kitchen. Some of the blood upol
. it indicated that he wiped his hand
D whilst there was fresh blood upon them
Q He then left the house through bael
!: window, bowling the shutters, whiel
d would lead the neighbors to suppose tn
g presence of persons within. As neithe
e he nor his family seemed to have visite'
the neighbors, they would not notice tn
n | =. ~ ;rdoursohufters Of the narIo