The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-12-02
A WIFE ROASTED ALIVE.
Fearful Tragedy at Lynn, Mass.
A Husband Charged Win
Throwing Kerosene over
his VYIfe. and then Set
ting Her on Fire.

One of the most brutal and inhnman
tragedies which ever horrifed any COM
munity was enacted in Lyons on Satur
dsv night The actors were man
named John G. Clinton, about forty
three years of age, barber by trade
and his wife, who was made the victim
of treatment that could only be expected
from fend, she having been shock
ingIy beaten and then
LITERALLY ROASTED TO DEATH.
The scene of the affair was on How
ard street, in one of the small wooden
houses which are set back from the street
and accessible by means of narrow alley
ways from the street The parties lived
in the rear of No 49, the family con
sisting of Clinton. his wife, and four
boys. ranging ia age from three 20 seven
teen years. About half past s o'clock
last evening two women, named Mar
garet Brown and Charlotte Moody, who
lived directly in front of Clinton's house,
had their attention called TO the latter
by the sound of heavy blows, screaming
and groaning which proceeded from it.
As the sounds increased, the two women
vent out and listened beneath the win
dows, but the sounds suddenly ceased
and all was quiet.
They then returned to their houses,
but in about fifteen minutes were again
disturbed by the same noises, which they
again sought TO trace out as before, but
the sounds ceased as they had previously
done
After this everything remained quiet
until ten minutes past nine clock, VIII IN
the same women discovered that the
house was on FIRE inside An alarm was
at once raised, and three men, named
David Lee, Frelinghuysen Moody. and
Fred Wslton, rushed into the house
with buckets. On entering they found |
that there was fire on table in the front 1
room, alsoin 10 entry way which led up
stairs, and pile in the middle of the 1
floor, consisting of what appeared to be
a BUNDLE OF CLOTHING,
was also burning. On examining the
latter it was found to be the body Of |
Mrs. Clinton, horribly bruised and burn
ed in a most sickeniDg manner The /
clothing was almost entirely burned from
the body, which was scorched and roast
ed The flames were put out with some
difficulty. One report is that while the
men were endeavoring to extinguish the
fire the poorvictim threw up one of her
arms aud breathed percepiibly, but
another. and probably the correct story,
Is that lite had left the body when 1t WaS
discovered. About three feet from the
head of the victim lay the fragments Of
kerosene lamp, which had been Dor
rowed from a neighbor on that night,
aud traces Of the oil were also seen on
different parts of the floor City Mar ]
shall Barrett aud two officers went at
once TO the place. Clinton was standing
over the
BODY OF HIS WIFE,
doing nothing, but appearing consider
ably affected. He was arrested, taken to
the station house and locked up. One
OF the sons, named Frank. lad ten
years OF age, who was first to enter the
house, says that be bad been attending
an evening school that night, and had
returned home just as the FIRE was dis
covered He went into the house and
saw his mother burning on the floor
Recoilecting that his little brother was
probably up stairs abed, he rushed up
aud met his father coming down. He
found his brother, took him down stairs
aud into neighboring house As soon
as the flames had been extinguished
Coroner j g. Pinkham was called in,
and he ordered the body of the woman
to be carried TO the police station, which
was Immediately done
The CoroDer then summoned Jury,
who viewed the body aud then adj journed
APPEARANCE OF THE BODY.
The corpse presented a sickening sight
There were marks of violence on the
head consisting of two OF three cuts,
looking as though they had been made
with some dull instrument On the
breast were also wounds which appeared
to have been caused by something beside
the flames. The features were rendered
and the hair was burned
close TO the head leaving the skull bare
and horribly crisped and black. the flesh
dropping from the hands, arms, and
body, rendering it sight which could
not be beheid without shudder at the
lwful atrocity of the crime aud the black
less OF the soul which could execute it,
rHE HUSBAND AND PRISONERS STORY. I
The husband and prisoner has said !
'ery title, but told brief story. 1t is
hat he was in bed up stairs about !
o'clock. all being quiet, when his little )
10Y came rushing up and told him the '
iouse was on FIRE He went down and d
ound his wife lying on the floor in the :
ondition in which she was found by i
hree men.
The belief that the man is guilty is
lmost universal One theory of the
fair is that he had some difficulty with /
is wife, during which he threw the c
erosene lamp at her, striking her on the ;
reast and iuflicting the wounds referred /
o; that the oil scattered over her cloth L
ng aud the "
Other people firmly believe that the L
Killed her by blows and then c
ctuaIly set fire to the body, leaving il
D burn His previous character has .
cen rather bad He has been known a
a Lynn for upward of twenty years. ?
bough not cunstantly resident, and .
uring that time-for the past two or =
hree years-he has carried on the bust
ess of barber at the Railroad House.
n Market street, aud has been known as =
lueh given to drinking and of an ex "
eedingly bad temper. There has fre
uenty been trouble between him aud
is wife. partly caused by the fact that (
he latter was possessed of some prop r
rty which he could not have the con- o.
rol of. ~
THE rapidly growing traffic which IS Q
ow seeking our railroad to reach the y
outh. will necessitate the building OF a
ridge at Henderson before ten years Ii
ill have passed We prophesy that j