The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-14

a Woman Attacked with an Axe by the
Crazy Patient OF Lunatic Asylum
Details OF the Horrible Nfutilation-
How the Demon Attacks Her Would-be
Oeliverer.
CINCINNATI, August II, 1872
A most startling tragedy occurred in this city
about I'VE O'Clock yesterday morning The theatre
of action was cellar In the buding-occupied as
tenement house above and saloon on ground floor
located at 277 Broadway, near Eighth street. The
parties participating In the drama were o crazy
man, rendered perfectly maniacal In his passions
by an indulgence in liquor, and man and woman
of mature age. The woman's name was Duffy, and
she occupied apartments in the tenement The
male members Of her family 90 to work at a very
early hour in the morning, and she has accordingly
to bestir herself from the break Of day in preparing
breakfast for them
Yesterday morning, at about the hour named, she
went into the cellar to gather material for making
her breakfast fire. She had not the faintest idea,
upon entering that there was another per.
son in the cellar, but just as she stopped
down to gather some chips she heard a
cracking noise behind her as Of footsteps pressing
upon loose gravel She turned round and met the
piercing, demonac glare of lunatic's eye while in
his hands she could plainly see he held an axe the
blade which sn0ns plainly in the
with terror this fearful sight burst upon her. but
scarcely had the sound issued from her lips before
and brought the blade Of the axe down upon her
head with force that sent 1t through hair and
shrieked again as the cold steel cut into her. and
the second sound was compounded OF terror ana
agony, . blending that fell upon the ears Of but
one person, and he at once made all haste
came. Tnis man was John Platfoot,. q
man in his work Of horror He was as courageous
Cellar steps, at the foot Of which lay the Shrinking
woman, while over her the maniac stood with up
1eSs S give into ow %ha
seemed the very Jaws OF DEATH Before his en-
feebled limbs would permit him to reach the bot
tom OF the stairs the woman received two more
frightful cuts one on either side of the neck, and
then tainted quite away ,, AS soon as Paot
bounced at him and struck him blow with the
'''>'' y CRUSHED THROUGH HIS HEAD
into the brain. Then, being satisfied with the re.
suit Of his handiwork, the maniac rushed up the
stairs and out upon the sidewalk, but, before he
had gone far, encountered two policemen, who
captured and overpowered HIM after short
but sharp chase. He was taken to the Ham
ali nationally but gave his name as William H.
SOuthgate, and his residence Covington, Ky. He
10 the station IL n the # s
Carter, and, after q brief examination, remanded
to jail In default Of bail TO await the result Of his
victims injuries.
S0uthgate Is now the miserable wreck OF once
very promising young man. MS parents were AZ
time the leaders of society in sister city Of
Covington, and when his father died, some years
Of the family. Their skeleton In the closet"
however, Is O fearful one. Insanity seems to have
laid hold Of the family with q grip that
nothing but death canrelinquish. The murderer has
already served long term In the Lexington, KY,
L9natic Asylum, and was believed to be cured
when discharged. He has also been In the Long
view Asy.H & near this CITY, For the past two or
circumstance is attributed by his friends the vim
dictvenesS that charactertzad tba return NJ his
naladay.
The doctors In attendance upon Platfoot expect
death to ensae IN MS case at any moment but the
present stage. 1t Is feared however thai nnam NJ.
nation VIII ultimately ses In, and In that event her