The New York herald., 1870-12-20
THE STRANGEST MURDER ON RECORD.
The Double Homicide Near Hoag's corners-A
Blind Boy Kills Both His Pareats.
IFrom the Troy wnlg. Dec. lol


city saturday noon. Although Httle was known or
the facts at nat time yet the bare results succd at
once TO engage the attention OF The community.
we preface the testimony taken at the Inquest py
brief r6su,ae OF the horrible aiair.
on Thursday afternoon the old man. Franc!s
Kttle returned home intoxicated and very cross,
and among other things reminded his son that he
destroyed the wil IN which. was known 20 all. he
matter, as we learn. had little 10 do
with the subsequent homiclie. II doubtless,
however, served to inname the minds OF both. The
old man continued IN an ugly frame OF mine-s0
much so thai his wife, Lucinda Kite, consented ro
give MIN another glass OF liquor 10 quiet hlm and In
duce sleep. This towards The close OF the aferJ
noon. In the house were living another son (Davdj
ana his wife and baby. They occupied what III
called The north room while rhe Other large room
the south room--was occupied by the old couple an6
their blind son Asa.
Before going out TO mk-whch was the business
OF the Two women-the daugnter,li-kiw tMarthaf
take care OF the child. The enid, we are in
formed, was an object OF great affection on the part
oi both the old man ana Asa. and the con-
test as To who should take OF IL seems
TO nave been The direct cause OF the encounter
between tne drunken Iaiher an fritated son.,
olu people The old lady :od hin NOT 10 touch tha
enid. probably fearing that IN MS drunken sate he
the od man called out from lie south room, "Les
c 'ahe tne pany." out he answered by refusing,
barn, according TO the story OF the accused whicn
IN TINS case there can he no reason for disputng,
Kept out by his son shutting the door against hifn
When the old lady came in she took the
ola man ana his sc IN to have bro,
ceeded ut once To hlgn WORDS AMI soon 10 n
struggle Al least when the daughter .in-law came
III she round The Old man endeavoring to push tbs
son out into the woodshel, the Old lady eXplaining
the matter by saying that her husband had tried 10
take the baby, and tlat Asa she TN ought. choked
him. Becoming separated in some manner the Old
man came 10 the norm door ana sain demanded tn
take cldfge vi the infant, but was refused bv the
daughter-ln.aw. The sou Then appeared at the
same door, and was selzed by tae Old man, VINO,
however, al the instance OF the two women let him
Let go OF him, he'll come back means
south room and not remain taking charge
OF the child The evidence conrinues:-"Asa saidv
Let 20 OF me- III come right back and said il KIND
o. qu.el." This understood by the witness AZ
she explained. AS an expression on the part of Asa
implying that ne wonld come back ana do some.
thing extraordinary. lie himself says Ia his evils
dence that he mad thought OF the pistol previously.
When his father let go OF hun ne went straight To
breaking away from his siSter-in-law, VINO tried to
prevent his getting 1t, encountered his mother as
INN. In an interview with our reporter the blina
boy said that when the pistol was ds-
charged his hand was hanging at his side. This
must be true rom the nature of the wound made,
and strong proof that the shooting accidental.
in his blindness ana fury what ne had done he fired
his father. lHc ne only snapped the revolver
and does not remember firing it,. ter the shot tha
old appears to nave been pushed up against the
west wall from the door, near winch he was stand
ing. or perhaps he retreated tither at sight of thu
PISTOL When the daugher-in-law passed through,
however, with her child 10 alarm the nelghbors sha
found the old lying with his 1eet partly before
the door, aud actually stumbled over him. She dis
covered the son sitting astrlde the bo1y and despite
her protestations. dashing the mead repeatedly
.,gans5 the fiOor, all the while swearing horribly
tnat lie would kill him. This Is the last transaction
pertaining strictly TO the homicide that wit
messed. We have enteay ored to give as clear run.
ning account vi the matter could be gathered
IRON The means at our disposal, but many INTEREST,"
ing details viii be found m the testimony which We
suboln. Asa KlEtlc Is now In the Troy jall. From
au interview of our reporter with him we are ml
clined TO believe rhat he IS by no means idiot,
hut l,tlt psh Ia n nurin dnA-a ~
sight from birth and deprived Of intercourse with
the world in back country home until his twentleth
question why lie killed ms father at that time after
tne burning Of The VIII, thus cutting himself rom
all hopes oi recovering the property, he replied"1
did not tinnk apout the viii, was mad"
TIE PRISONERS STATEMENT.
Asa kirtc being called and being informed by
the Coroner that he might might not answer
any questions put TO him. said:-My name Is Asa
next April: Am blind; never had the use of my
eyes I" my knowledge; 1--we 10 StephentowI; waI
Thursday; the homicide was committed yesterday,
between four and ave o'clock In the afternoon:
Mother ana Martha went out TO milk and they told
ine 10 take care oi The baby; while they were gona
my iather, Francis hitte, trcl get in the norts
room. where was. ana smut the door ana kept
nni out; mother, Lucinda kittle came IN; my
laher pushed The door open uhis door Is the Ona
netween the north ana the suutn ROOM and look JLe
baby from me; tlen | started 10 go out into the
Woodhouse, and he partly taIew me out there, and
he went out there, 100; hey got me IL little mads
rne first thing thought oi was the revolver In ths
drawer: started 10 20 back Into the other room
anu he caught hold OF me, aal that made NE n
ttie worse; they got hini away rom me and I
stepped 10 The drawer aud iooA out the pistol;
mother tried 10 get IL away from me; she was IN
between me and father; was not mad at ncr, AMI
the pistol went on accidentally: did NOT know az
the lime taat ! shot AMI Killed her, but recolecr
hearing her fal; then snapped it, but DO not know
whether IL went OF again or not; was making for
my father when snapped the pistol the second
tme was lnst about going through the door when
and hit MIN on the head with the pistol; the secon1
time the pisto! snapped he fell; ii reccliected
pounding nIs Gead against The floor should tell H.
know tilat my iathcr = dead and suppose have
Killed him: | told Henry Bogart. my broGner.is-laW
liat meant 70 XII InJ father, but did mean
10 XIII iaother.
STATEMENT OF NJ. 4. TURNER.
". y imtner, = hei2hbor, testified that he came
~ alter tnc murder anc tonni the old man dead on
the moor isa sal u, = chair with his back against
me side Of the aouse II Tie same room south OF the
old man, and was shci.ing l then icIt Tho
house and went and alarmed the neighbors. ; wenE
back 20 the house later IN The evening. Went
the north room and saw The old lady lying on ,ha
moor, apparently dead her feet toward the northeast
and her head between the stove and the door.
winch is between the two rooms. Saw Asa sitting
III tue north roou. He said he broke the revolver
over The old mans skull. The pistol lay pieces ON
the door ln the souah room.
TESTIMONY DR. JOHN HAYNES
Found on the boay Of Francis klttle place where
= ball entered, Just at the lower part OF the under
lip, and passed beyond the reach OF the probe from
the direction 1t took probably entered The base Of
the brain; discovered seme lacerated wounds ON.
the upper lip and about the mouth and large
wound on the back OF the head the wounds might
not have caused DEATH on sxan.ination OF Lucinda
Nittit icuuu excepting one,
made By a pistol shot. in The PIT OF the stomach;
IRON the direction, Leading upwards and little to
the left II probably entered the heart.
jury Was enpanelled and verdict Of death
rom injuries received from pistol in the hands OK
their rendered. The verdict also states that
;he killing was neither lusriaple excnsable's
Asa was brought down to the Troy jail by uoroner
Brennan on saturday where he Is now confined.
The only intimaton that the affair had happened
WIN ch was received in Troy Friday was the fol-
towing meagre telegram rom steahentown to Coro-
ner Brennan:--
'.Come to nosgs Corners at once; important
w. +. KITrLE."
This ca the Coroner obeyed pro nptly and set out
Al one O'Clock on what 10 him was mysterious
Quincy.
ARMY MTELLeGgCs
Second Lieutenant w. +. Reynolds, OF the First
artillery Is ordered 10 report in person to the Super