The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-07-06

/ her mistress. After the tray had been
carried off, and Mrs. Somers was alone,
she began to take herselfto task. about
feeling SO uncomfortable. Yet 1t
might have been some consolation to
| her that a good many other people.
much better defended than she was,
were even much more uncomfortable
that night.
The man of Whom Rose had spoken
William Peters by name the
hero of. tragedy that had shocked the
whole county a few weeks before. He
had been an epileptic al his life, and
the disease was known to have affected
his mind, but people thought him on
| ly little ssfoolish," and gave him no
credil,at all for any possible,malignancy
lof disposition, How mistaken they
were in this conclusion, events Mt last
proved. as events, in similar cases,
have often proved before. -
Although he was a married man,
he led a wandering, erratic kind of
life, and had not been heard of for
several weeks, until one day he enter
ed fieighbor's house, where he ex-
hibited a sharp knife, of which, by
some means, he had become the pos.
SCISSOR, saying that he had been called
to a high mission that of killing all
the children in the country.
The people, who were accustomed
to this wild, aimicss talk, laughed at
him, and this laughter, contrary to its
usual wont, Immediately enraged him.
'seThis is how will do it!' he said,
and laying hold, of a child standing
near, in moment the keen blade
would have put end TO its life, if
the startled lockers on had not prompt
ly interferred. The frightened. un.
Willing victim was summarfly taken
from him. but as there were two 'or
three stout men on the premises, they
feltno fear of further violence, and
with culpable careiessness, suffered
him 80 take his leave, swearing vens
geance, and still carrying the knife.
He went directly to his own house,
where his family, consisting Of his
wife, and one child. lived. Immediate
ly on his entrance, he laid violent
hands on the latter, and when the ter-i
Tified mother interfered, a desperate
struggle ensied, in which both moth
es and child, were barbarousIy slaught-
cred. Having accomplished this, he
built a large funeral pyre, and laid |
the bodies thereon, going, however, to
summon, his neighbors and friends,
preparatory to lighting it. 5n"Hf
They were at first Simply mercdu
lous of his story, but, yielding at last
to his persuasions, and going to sseef
for themselves, they found the horrible |
tale true in every particular. OF
course he w s Immediately taken into
and confined in the: Jail of /
", less for legal trial than as a
place of security, until he could be sent |
to an asylum for the insane.
~ With all the details of this story
fresh in the public mind, 1T can be
that the good people of
Ross county were not a little Panic-
stricken 10 hear that the murderer was
once more at, large. ard that Mrs.
Somers shivered as she sat in her
close, room, by her bright fire, clasping
her baby in her arms, and thinking off
that poor mother, who had died SO
shortly before, in the very act OF de-
Tending her child. She looked down
on the little head nesting against her
arm, and the baby lips smiled at her
with that sweet, angelic smile which
we never see. except on a baby's or /
saints face: It a was very pretty child
parental authority apart, there could
be no doubt of that-a child showing
already its mothers graceful features
and soft brown. eyes; but III she had
been the ugliestcreature in existence.
the strong mother love would not have
thought with a mightier throb that the
poor murdered woman had done we'll,
and that death itself could be gladly
met, and bravely borne, for its sake
:, .>=l (Toi BE Continued