, 1870-12-21
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.


Murder OF an Old n1nn md His Wife
By Their Hind Son-Dlspntc About
Property the Causc-AKrc.t md
ConfesNion OF the Murderer.
7fos tLke. l7.) Cor'x.pond<"ee er the ss~ lark
Tho dead bodies Of Franklin Kettle and tis
wife wero found lying eido by aide on tho door
OF barn adjoining their reeidence At Stephen
town, in thiA county, On Friday morning. The
f1sTat.nses Sas;an s e. attending The finding Of TIE
deceased, rendered it certain that 4 double
murder had been committed, and the discoy-
cry sent thrill Of horror through the quiet
farming community. A Coroner WIS sent for,
and on his arrival the horror was intensified
By the fact becoming known that the murder
ct was blind son OF tho murdered couple.
Two yen1s ago Nr. Kettle maae will, by
the provifions OF which bis ptoperty, by no
meaua inconsiderabfe, was all left, on his
death. to his son. Some time subsequently,
probably about two months ago, tho father
jonty oxn he sssa e s Pso% e
this disagreement was the destruction Of the
will By the father. This act ergendeted
feeling Of bitter hate On the part Of the son,
and from that time up to the moment when
the fearful double crime waa committed tic
two had frequent disputes.
Thursday night, the father, who had been
out late, went into the barn in an intoxicated
condition. His son was in tho barn At tho
time. and the old man, going up to him,
caught him roughly By the collar. The son
bzoke from his ETesp and drew revolver At
that moment Mrs. Kettle entered the barn,
and stepped between them. The parriclde
being blind, II has been already stated, did
not see her, and discharged The contents Of
cne barrel OF the weapon at hls father, al he
thought: but the bullet lodged in l,s mothers
abdomen. She fell to the door, and within
few moments expired. Mr.. Kettle. seeing
pEHAt hia hail foYn fnt1o1 1f17,h k1,t
the blird murderer aGain discharged the wea-
pou. and the ball lodged in bis fathers brain.
The Old man fell, and the son pounced upon
him, beating his head upon the aoor until ii
Has crushed into ahtpe1eas uasa. The
murderer then LETT the place aud went to bed.
The whole transaction WIS witnessed by =
dauEhtes-n-lAw OF the murdered couple. At
first che Tss too much mortified to cty out.
hui, when her eenees returned, abe maintained
silence to save her own life. There waa no
dwelling within half mile of the scene, and.
her husband being absent, she concluded that,
been done, she Houh become the murderer d
next victim Friday morning she had intellt
gerce OF the awful tragedy conveyed to the
village Of Hoags Corner, and from there
word was cent to Troy. The news created An
intense excitement IN the Little vil!.ge. aad +
they arrested the pAtricidal murderer.
At the Corpner'a inqueet tbs woman gave
the details Of the murder. and the murderer
himself stated to the jury thst he designed
numbering his father. but had no intention OF
killing bis mother. He Was Of course held for
the crime. In the afternoon he WAS brought
to this city, whe1e he is NOW In JNL He sp-
pears to be the lAst pereon in the world who
Eonld commit I crime like this, AMI seems to
DC possessed Ut lees than ordinary intelll-
gepee. At any rate he does not act as il be
comprehended the atrocity Of his cT,ue- but
deporte himself In Ao uuconcerned manner.