The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-04-20
EXECUTION OF A MURDERER IN
OHIO.

Particulars Of the Crime and Attempted
Suicide.
HE CONFEsSEs TO FOURTEEN MURDERS.
Thomas ID. Carr was executed in the
County Jail, at st. Clairsville, Ohio, on
the Oath of March, for the murder of
Louisa c. Fox, near st. Clairsville, in
january, 1869. No one was admitted
to the Jail but the Sheriff and his as
sistants, and the newspaper reporters.
Carr was cool and collected through
out, but the recklessDess which charac-
terizcd his conduct during the trial had
entirely disappeared. By his own con-
fession, he is believed to have been tile
greatest murderer born in this or any
other country. He acknowledges hav-
ing perpetrated fourteen cold bloOdef
murders, and made five unsuccessful
attempts to take life before the killing
of Miss Fox. His execution was the
first that ever occurred in Belmont
County, and created great excitement.
Miss Fox, whom Carr murdered, was
only thirteen years old, quite comely
in appearance, and sustained good
reputation. Like her murderer, she
belonged to the lower classes, but was
vastly superior to him socially and
morally. He made her acquaintance a
few months before the murder, and
conceived strong attachment, which
she refused to reciprocate without con-
sent of parents. Carr went to them;
but the mother refused to consent to
the marriage because the girl was too
young, yet promised assent in two
years, provided Carr wonld prove him
self able to support her by industry
and show good behavior in the mean
time. The decision fred Carr's indig-
nation, and he went away swearing
vengeance.
The girl was living as servant with a
neighboring family, and, fearing harm
to her, the parents sent a younger
brother to bring his sister home. Carr
met them on the road, and walked a
short distance, talking in an undertone
to the girl. When within a short dis
lance of her fathers house Carr seized
the girl and pushed her off the road
into the ditch, and holding her against
the embankment dew from his pocket
cleaning razor. At the sight of this
the little boy fed toward home shout
ing. The screams of tue girl, mingled
with his, penetrated the parents ears,
and they ran toward the scene. What
a sight met their eyes. Their daugh-
ter was butchered. Her throat WAS
cut from ear TO ear, and the head al
most severed from the body; her
hands, arms and breast, were fright
fully cut and slashed. The body lay
in the ditch, trodden down in the mud,
as if brutaliy trampled upon after life
had fled. The murderer was seen run
ming across the fields, and the alarm
was given, but night came before he
was overtaken. Meantime an inquest
was held, and while the jury examined
the horrible remains of the innocent
young girl the murder0us fiend, under
shelter of the night, approached the
place with stealthy step and gazed I'M
seen and unsupported upon the sicken-
ing result OF his butcbery. He had bor-
rowed a gun two miles off, and armed
with this he passed the night in the
spring house of Mr.. Fox. When day
dawncd the miserable wretch fastened
the gun to the beam or post and by
aid of string pulled the trigger with
one hand, while with the other he held
the mnzzle to his breast. The ball
passed through the upper part of the
left lung and lodged in the shoulder
He tried to reload the gun, but the
ramrod broke; he then hacked away
at his throat with an old shoe knife,
but death still refused to answer his
summons. The report of the gun
alarmed the Fox family, and they SAN
the murderer of their child, bloody
and helpless, reeling out of the spring
house shiyering like an aspen leaf.
The neighbors were aroused and Carr
was taken into custody. He soon re.
covered, was fried. convicted and sen
fenced in June, 1869, to be hung on
the goth of August ensuing. Mean.
time the Supreme Court granted .
hearing on motion for writ of error
but after hearing the argument deci
ded that there was no error and deci
ded the execution to take place on thii
day. In September last Carr opened
the large vein in his left arm and biet
profnsely, bat failed again to end hi
miserable life.
He made ~ confession on the Stl
inst, detailing the murder of Louis;
Fox and giving history of his life
which is published in a pamphlet form