New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-17
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN HERKIMER
COUNTY.
AN OLD MAN KILLS HIS WIFE WITHIN HEARING
OF THREE CHILDREN-HE THEN COMMITS

AN OLD MAN KILLS HIS WIFE WITHIN HEARING
SUICIDE.
Lion, Herkimer County, n. Y, Aug TO-
One of the terrible tragedies enacted i'll Cen
trail NewYOrk occurred at East Frankfort In this
county, Monday night. gray headed man, Ga years
Of age, Dyer PAngburn, murdered his wife, who was
about years old, in the kitchen Of their own house,
wtha heavy potatomasher literally crushing In the
left side of her head that brain oozod out He
then went TO barn the premises and deliber-
atey hung himself These people lived IN what is
known as East Frankfort about half way between the
villages of Frankfort and lion. Five persons in
the house-the homicide his victim, and three of her
children by former husband The-Oldest child Mary,
aged TO- went bed with her mother in the parOr the
latter not feeling well The other children slept on the
floor In the same All of them usually slept up
ISstairs Onrerng, Mrs Pangburn requested her hus-
bandto 20 TO bed upstairs but he refused to do He
lay down the parlOr floor also behind door. For
the particulars Of the murder which followed, little
Nary's statement wasrelied She Is bright inte
gent girl All her Stories repeated to different per
sons were consistent and straightforward.
The first che of the awful crime the shrek Of
her morer crying Murder, murder" from the kitchen
adjoining This cry awoke Mary. Her little sister
to her bed and said, oyer is killing ma" Mary sprang
to<hedoor and entered the kitchen. There was Pang-
-purn standing astride Of the mother with potato
masher in his hands beating her head Mary distinctly
him strike two blows. When the wretch saw the
go back Tneive you of the sass" They
terribly frightened Mary and Allie went back to bed to
their lives. They afterward heard the murderer
strike four five blows. AS the clock struck II the
mother gave her last shrek of agony After the murder
the end OF the back door three four times
for what purpose the children did not know. His
awful threats kept them in the paror, where
to the neghoors for assistance till O'Clock. They then
ventured out of window to house short distance
gathered and search was made for the murderer. He
shortly found In the barn, suspended by the neck
from beam about six rect high The rope was short
one, and TO it attached strap which fastened
the beam The beam was so low that in order to
cessfuly take his own life the suicide had allowed his
body settle back on the noose srangng himself His
feet rested on the ,d The %ansed CORPSE OF the
the night clothing upon ~ while about the body were
great pools of blood and the walls of the room were be
spattered In scores Of places.
Blary testified at the Coroners inquest yesterday
and her mother during Monday, though they had little
trouble Sunday how her mother got from the parOr
burn strike her mother before. A physician testified
that Mrs PangbuTn, widow Sprague" $ she was
she a nervous woman, and had frequently said to
him that she afraid or her husband; she never
showedgns OF INSANITY ne sbr bad Seen er as an honor
the Methodist Episcopal CHURCH at Frankfort several
Roland Her drst husband, Lucen sprague,
died the army leaving her an insurance policy on his
home for herself and children. She married her
derer about-S year ago. Dyer Pangburn was old in
tant in regard him. He had served term in state
Prison for bgemy and il Is not doubted here that he has
at two wives yet living one near Cyue, wayne Co..
who was section not long ago, ana one ewhere
In The of German Flats. liz was not drunkard,
but as "a day laborer inclined 10 be Industrious.
Mrs. spragues marriage with Pangburn had been very
unfortunate predicted at the time OF the wedding
Not many weeks elapsed before this was evident He
Jealous of his wife and he wanted her TO sell Their
house that be might the proceeds INTO h own hads
At the beginning she purchased barrel OF nOuI then
he another and mine" and yours mol ours were
household terms. He brutal and she drove nun on
10 o him WAY she
her Al one time they settled their differences agreeing
10 live apart lie begged 10 be taken Dack, ana
promised 80 much that size finally consented and for
some time they had endured each others presence
Beside the three children mentioned, Mrs. ihhgbnrh
had tw o boys, aged u and 49, who were living away
from home. Pangburn had two daughters hVlng IN the
town of Columbia, married and IN pleasant circuh-
stauces