Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-04-16
Chapter of Horrors.
a IKonsou Frozen to Death and Child
Burned to Death an Brarton County.
From the Weston Democrat

From the Weston Democrat
SUTTON, w. Va, March 27.-On Monday,
the 1lth inst, Miss Margaret a. Cutip,
daughter of Allen CutliP, residing in this
county, ir locality known as .Crites' NJ oun>
tain" left Mr.. Rase's after dinner, to go home
with Mrs. John Perkins, and her cousin,
Miss Lucinda Cutlip, di>tance of abont.two
miles. The party concluded to take ''near
cut" As to road, there was none, except
an occasional blaze upon tree, and they
never thought of-having missed their way
until near night. when they discovered that
they were utterly lost. During Monday night
it first rained, and then wound up with a
thr"e inch fall of snow. Yet by budding
together the party kept from perishing. AT
early dawn they resumed their journey: aud
notwithst,nding the snow from the overhang-
ing underground soon commplete!y saturated
their clothins, they wandered over large
scope of ground.
During Tuesday Miss NJ. A. Cutlip cons
stantlv complained of cold and fatigue and
though physically the most robust looking one
of the party, required much aid from the
others to move at ALL and about half an hour
before dark she fell from sheer exhaustion-
Notwithstanding her prayers and entreaties 10
remain, her comrades bid her fare we'll, saving
shat thev too would perish If they remuined ,
When last seen her extremties were blue and
cold, her features having ceaSel to qniver. and
it is supposed that she died that night The
other two scarcely got out of hearing of her
cries and ernans, when they took shelter in a
hollow chesnut tree. and after daylight
travelled but short distance, when Mrs Per.
kins came in full view of ,her own home,
which, through irigth and exhaustatinn she
would not have recognized, had not her little
dog ran to meet her
On the 18th instnnt.. search was made f,r
the corpse which was found and transferred to
the house of her father, and on the next day
was inferred.
AS as practicable. Justice BENJAMIN
Hoffman had Jury of Iuque,t summoned,
who in consequence of the absence Of some
"f the most important witnesses. had make
two trips, respectively on the 18th aud 25th
nStantA
learn from relinble sources that the house
of john Perrne, of Washington township,
was burned dnwn on the 18th. together with
every atticlo OF household and kitchen fnrni-
tnrc: and his babe. an infant three months oil,
was consumed in the burning house The
facts related to me, are substantially as fol
lows: Mr.. Pcrrine was ahscn, from home on
business. aud his wife had gone abnut ones
tnu,th of mile from home tn sugar CAMP
leaviug her inin't in a Grad e IN the house in
care OF two small children. After some time
they discovered the house on fire, and imme-
diately closing the door behi.d them, ran to
give the mother word. In the meantime
Irving johnson, q clnse neighbnr. discovering
the fire, ran to the burning house, arriving
but a minute before the mother. Mr. john
son, hearing the shrieking and CRYING of the
child, burst open the door. aud was met bv the
flames as they proceeded from within; still he
heard the child. which occupied the center of
the floor. At this dreadful moment the
mother came, aud would il she had no, been
promptly rcscned, rushed into the flames to
save her child; but Mr.. johnson seeing thut
no hone for the recovery of the infant re-
maned, held the poor frantic mother willie
the scathing fumes closed in upon and silenced
the voice of her child.
The same authority says that the good reo-
pie of that neighhorhood fully restored Mr..
Perrine's loss of goods and chattels But it
would appear that no earthly eoods, or any,
thing else short Of the bliss of Heaven. could
give solaee peace to this grief.strcken
mother, while she can remember the voice of
her child in that trying hour. May God whu
tempers the wind to the shorn lamb be with
and comfort her.