, 1869-03-11
DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
A b an and His u lie murd ered In Leb-
anon, lno.-Horstb1e 3csne-Nn Clae
10 she EtFpatlatoFa.


10 sac Ftfp4xiatoFa.
F.ora the II d!atarolts journal, March 9.
On Friday last, about noon, tbe fearful
rews was brought to Lebanon that durlnc
the previous nicht wen.known citizen and
bis wife bad been, In the pnracy Of their
OWN donac,l, mercileasly butchercd, creating
The most intense excitement m Town and
Ecther With large uumber Of other persons,
we're, in rariou. Kinds OF convegaLces, soon
on the way to the scere Of the murder.
George Todd'4 dwelling, where the fearful
deed aas committed. is oa a lone couatry
road branching of IRON the Jimtown and
Lebanon State road, three miles west OF Mil
lsdgtyilfe. Il Is In what Is called the Bright
eet1leu ent, netshborhood composed OF sec
ond-rate iatmcss., who live mostly Ia cabins,
and whose farms do not present the Ordinary
evidences OF Thrift. --.
William Bright went to Toda's house on
Friday morning, ahou! 8 O'Clock, to see him
about hauitDg wood on that day, III passing
to the coor ne looked In ut the window. and
the horrible spectacle Of God that me. bis
gaze 50 terrified the farmer boy that he did
not 70 iu, bur immediltel 1.d and gave tue
alarm. The house was not entered until
noon, on the arrival Of the Coroner, when
the door WAS opened aud the scsae presented
to the eSts Of tho gathered crowd Was sick.
cLfrg in the extreme.
Tue man LAY stretched out on the 0oor,
near the centre OF tho rhon. stflfeued
corpse, grim and gaunt-FitA his head near
the bed.post, and his feet toward tue arc-
to car, severi1g the juEular rein and ~iEd.
pipe, and exposing ~ open wound iu which
| one might bury a haud-1ls 6taf1ny eyes
gsv1dly recalled the terror Of the death crap
pie. A bullet wound near tho ceu'Ee Of The
breast. an inch ip diameter, Was hid eY his
clasped hands. The bail had detached two
Of the ribs from the hreast bone, md passing
!, near the shoulder blade. An I'D
| army muzket, the barrel OF which near the
hfs teet. Only lew drops Of blood were On
his hands, and tie floor where he lay was
comparatively free from SANS Of 1t. He
had on q barred Woolen shirt. blne .au
pants, and was barcfo. .ted. lhe throat of
pos = a n ,ese s osa vi.
! was saturated with blood; but the shot In
! the breast was supp poscu to have been re-
| ccived uear where he Was found. 4 few feet
from the bed-post his pocket-b7ok wss
appearances Of having been untoucbed. The
| kline ling for the the morning fire was iyiug
! on the hesrthstoue.
Il the dead body Of Todd w2s frirhtful to
to look apou, that Of his vile, havlng eight
gaping wounds on The taee, head aud arms,
was more appalling sti1l. Her distorted fea.
| tures md disheyeled hair, matted with blood
| the Rlassy e3ea wide open and gaziug with
a terrifying starc At the brown raflfrs above
her bead, was sl2ht which will never be
| forgotten By those present. She lag On the
iront side os the bed, With one l!mo haugias
| over the edge, exposed to the knee. The
bed c1~thlDE had been replscea over the
body, leayirg bead, breast aud arms e1posed4
The appearance Of disorder nod the corpse
itself told nj mletakably that there had been
struggle, lasting untn the effects Of the
| cruel blows rendered her helpless aud unre-
! slsllug.
On The left check, from the inner corner Of
The eye 70 the lover Jaw, was cash made hT
cheek bore; which, Of itself would have
been sufficient to produce death. On the
| right check, g1anctng blow from the same
iu.t.ument had chlpped ont portion Of the
terribly. She had TWO wounds on her fore
head running dtaEoualiy across 1t, and. over
| the right temple, the skull WIS badly irac-
turcd BY powerful stroke OF the hstchcs. On
the crown Of the head The nost irightfni and
death dealing b1oEs hsd been inflicted witt
| sknll was all crushed, exposing the brain
and leaving the jagged isagments pro,sud.
| Ing. The neck Of the WOMAN bore the prints
Of the mnsacser':s Fails, produced BY his e.
lying in the centre Of the bed; It Is An old
one, with the hammer broken Oh, but was
immersed In blood up 10 the handle.
An old case kniie, worn down
to point, was also found lying near
~ith gore from handle 10 point The u1usket,
hatchcs and knife have al been identified al
belonging to Todd. On the floor, Eear the
bed. leading TO the window. are traces Of
dripping b:ood. An old boot, hxviog blood
on 1t, too small for tho murdered mlr was
found near The window. Todd's boots were
lE the room Tree from blood stains There
are no boot tricks or other traces to point
out the course taken by the murderer alter
ledytrg the cabin.
There is great difference Of opiulon a. to
whether 1t Hts double murder or suicide
and murder. Todd Is not known to have had
an enemy h the world. and decomposition OF
murder ior money is dEape1lcd By the fac: that
qaence, and also by the finding Of his pocke..
book on the floor Of the cabiu, uutou shed.
The tmpEobahillty Of suicide is slso apparent
when it Is remembered that bis haods were
pnsta!ned With blood, while the handle Of the
There are a thousand wlld tnmors al bat
in the relghborhood, many Of them without
fact OF circumstance for foundation, some ot
which are a. follows: Allen Bright, brother
Of the murdered Toman, aTa1e Of the dsed
though sent for. The Coroner, desiring his
testimony. WAS compelled to send summon.
Tor him before he made his appearance. II
Is said, iD certatn contin2encies, the THIRTY
AcFeA Of land owned bF Att. Iodd Would b.
inherited by Bright. There has atss
been dispute between the. fanI
lies In rtgard to the -ownershio 0
ten acres Of ground, which man,
corstrue into 4 motive to kill. Another n
NOR says that desperate character nance
Davis. living few miles from the Bright set
1!emcnt, owed Todd about ninety dollars ,au
| when Is on the eve Of leaving the State, va
! Informed By Todd few days before his dest
that Re {Davts) len without ltquidatine III
claim, be Eou1d attach his property. Man
|. see In this circumstance motive for takir
Todds life. The officials are ma!ng ever
: effert 10 discover the perpetrators OF th
dlabolicat crime, and 70 doubt they viii 500
be brought to tic bar Of Justice.
q An Altering 8cen<-KI&tinH q WI,
wn,ls Dying Of HydHophobts.