Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-07
IIO TAIH 4 4 U
Washington, March 81, 1870
From the Chicago Times.l
The Vanderheyden Murder Sup
pressed Dispatch--Scene i'm AN Ed
itor,S Sanctum.

The editorial rooms of morning news
paper, though the 0n1atltno gat7te1'atna of all
the startling events daily occurring else
where are not usually very prolific in
startling Incidents or dramatic situations
and seldom, indeed, does an episode of so
painfully interesting a character fall M
der the immediate notice of an editor,
while in the performance of his somewhat
mouotonous routine duties as the follow
ing And this is how dispatch came to
be suppressed:
A little before IL o'clock on Tuesday
night, while the night editor of the Times
was engaged in the reading and prepare
ton of the numerous Geographic mes
sages which were to appear in the next
mornings issue. he was visited by young
man of 25 or 26 years, evidently person
in a situation above the middle walks of
life. accompanied by an elderly gentle
mana relative, or an intimate friend
and from the shadow that passed over
their countenanees it was apparent that
their errand was painful one. Hesita-
tatingly, anxiously, and in subdued
done, the young man inquired if any news
had been received of murder committed
at Troy, N. Y, during the day. Being
answered negatively, he then explained
that he had been informed in brief
dispatch that his brother living in that
city, had been shot and killed, and
that he was anxious to obtain additional
particulars, with lingering hope that the
message he had received was some horrid
mistake. He was asked to wait until the
next dispatches arrived, and told they
would probably contain information OF
the affair. He took seat and anxiously
awaited some minutes the arrival of the
messenger, the silence being only broken
by an occasional sigh or groan, as the
dread reality, or some tender recollection
of boyhood's days, when he and the broth
er he mourned were playmates, came over
him, escaped him. 1t was bitter enough,
and it was plain that his quiet demeanor
was only the result of powerful effort at
self-control. aa........ .r..
The messenger came ; the looked fe1
dispatch was found. 1t was not mere
confirmation of the terrible news he had
received. Terrible as that had been, the
reality was worse, infinitely worse His
brother had not been murdered, but was
himself murderer, and in the agonies OF
his remorse had committed suicide Some
time previous he had killed his father-in.
law with whom he had had quarrel. He
does no seem to have been accused OF
even suspected of the crime, but con
science had done its work, and he CON
fessed his guilt and then took his OWE
life. The grief of the brother when thi.
intelligence was read to him was terrible
+. He became fairly transformed, frenziee
, with grief. "My God, my God, why die
! he do IT" burst from him AGAIN and auaip
as he paced the room. "Sorry to give yol
bad news, SIR" imperturbably remarked
the night editor, and it was as well as h,
could have done, for no human consolation
e could reach grief like his.
{ he finally became sufficiently calm t.
ask that the dispatch might be suppressed
which was cheerfully acceeded to, tn
other morning papers doing the same.