Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-11-25
AWIFn ROASTED ALIVE.
A FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT LINN
MASS.
A Husband Charged with Throwing
Kerosene Over His Wife and Then
Setting Iycr on Fire.


A Husband Charged with Throwing !
Kerosene Over His Wife and Then |
Setting Bcr on Fire.
BosToN, Nov. 1S.-One of the most bru-
tai and inhuman tragedies which ever hor-
riied any community was enacted at Lynn
last night, and is to-day the leading topic
of conversation in that city. The actors
were a 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
q fiend she having been shockingly beaten
and then literally roasted to death.
The scene of the affair was on Howard
street, in one of the small wooden houses
which arc set back from the street, and
accessible by means of narrow alleyways
from the street. The parties lived in the
rcar<of No. 33, the family consisting of
Clinton. his wife and four boys, ranging in
age from three to seventeen years. About
half-past eight O'Clock last evening two
women, named margaret Brown and
Charlotte Moody, who lived almost directly
in front of Cliht0h's house, had their atten-
ton called to the latter by the sound OF
! heavy blows, screaming and groaning which
proceeded from it.
As the sounds increased the two women
went out and listened beneath the windows,
but the sounds suddenly ceased and all was
quiet They then returned to their houses,
but in about fifteen minutes were again dis
turbed 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
about ten minutes past O'Clock, when the
same women discovered that the house was
on fire inside. An alarm was at once rails
cd, and three men, named David Lee,
Frelinghuyscn Moody and Frederick Wal
ton. rushed into the house with buckets.
On entering they found that there was
fire on a table in the front room, also in an
entry way which led up stairs, and pile
in the middle of the floor, consisting OF
what appeared to be bundle of clothing,
was also burning. On examining the latter
it was found to be the body of Mrs. Clinton,
horrible bruised and burned in most
sickcning manner. The clothing was al
most entirely burned from the body, which
'"o scorched and roasted. The flames
report is that white ti,U 'oo u. an were endea M
ing to eXtinguish the fire the puUI ,;nt;n
, threw up one of her arms and breathed per
| ceptibly, but another, and probably thu
correct story, is that life had left the bod,
, when it was discovered.
About three feet from the head Of thu
t victim lay the fragments Of kerosene lamp
3 which had been borrowed from n neighbo
, on that night, and traces of the oil were
also seen on different parts Of tho door
D CITY Marshal Barrett and Two officers wen
= at once to the place Cllnton was standln!
+ over the bod, Vi his wife, doing nothing
, but oprotring considerably affected. lie
was arrested, taken to the station hous
c and locked UP.
r One of the sons, named Frank, lad tcr
f years of aye, who was first to enter tht
house says that he had been attending AZ
evening school that night, and had return
ed home just as the fire was discovered
lie went into the house and saw his mothe
1 burning on the floor. Recollecting that hi
little brother was probably upstairs ahet
he rushed UP and met his father coming
down. lie found his brothr", took hi"
j.. down stairs into n r-:,uuorlng house.
"a o,,"m I as ST the flames had been extin
guishcd 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 Coroner then summoned jury, wht
} viewed the body and then adjourned.
The corpse presented Il sickcuing sight
! There were marks of violence on the head
consisting Of two or three cuts, looking al
though they had been made with some dul
instrument. On the breast were alsC
, wounds which appeared to have /. n caus
cd by something besides the flames. Tho
features were rendered unrccOgnizable, an(
l the hair was burned close to the head
, leaving the skull bare and horrible crispct
t and black, the flesh dropping from th
hands, arms and body, rendering it n sigh
} which could not be beheld without a shud
! der at the awful atroc.ty of the crime anC
the blackness GtLc soul that could execute
it.
The husband ard prisoner has said yer
little, but told bIiet story. II is supposed tina
he was in bed up stains 8 about nine o'cloc'- a
being quiet, when his litllo boy came rush
f ing up and told him the house was on fire
1 He went down and found his wife lying o
the floor in the condition in which she wa
found by the three men.
/ The belief that the man is guilty is al
t most universal. One theory of the afai
: is that he had some difficulty with his wife
c during which he threw the kerosene lam
y at her, striking her on the breast and in
\ dieting the wounds referred to that tn
: oil scattered over her clothing and til
S flames were inhaled by the victim.
! Other people firmly believe that th
i monster killed her by blows, and the
c actually set lire to the body, leaving it burn
i His previous character had been rathe
bad. lie has been known in Lynn for VI
wards of twenty years, though not col
. siantly resident, ard during that time
5 for the past two or three years-he la
! carried on the business barber, ut III
@ Railroad House, on Market street, and la
l. been known as man much given to drink
d ing and of exceedingly bad temper.
a There has frequently been trouble b,
: tween him and his wife, partly caused b
g by the fact that the latter was possessed {
l. some property which he could not have til
II control Of The officers have been lrequcn
S ly called into his house to quell disturbar
Q ccs, and Clinton has been before the polio
court ON one or two occasions lately Core
ncr Pinkham is 10 make full inyestig,
d. ton Of the affair
g Ecnriul Dealrnciinn nfIIrr