The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1872-04-03
Desperate Struggle with Maniac.


| POUGHKEEPsIE, March 7.
A terrible affair happened near Marlbo.
rough, Ulster county. this morning at the
house of George WIN. Purdy. who resides
seven miles north of Newburg. near the frs,
named place. While laboring under tenn
porary insanity Mr.. Purdy madda desper-
a:e attempt to murder his two sisters. He
resided with his mother. Mrs. Phebe Purdy.
and his sister. Miss Eliza Purdy. He was
i'll with an epleptic attack and partially de-
ranged. Another sister, Mrs. Anna Conk
ling, spent the night at the homestead to
assist in taking care of her brother. The
| three ladies occupied bed on thu floor of
the sitting room. Purdy slept in room
opening into this room. At four O'Clock
this morning George entered the room oc-
cupied by the ladies and stopped the clock
saying that the ticking annoyed him aud
prevented his sleeping 4 few mi.,u,es
| sfiee ftt,riug 70 his rood Is hpaiu en- re i
- - tLrew himself fiat gu
the floor and remained motioniess. The
sisters took MIN up and laid him on the bed
and then went iuto his room and occupied
his bed. The mother remR!ned with him
In few minutes he started up from the bed,
seized fire shovel. and went to the room
where the sisters were. Opening the door
he shouted I'm going to kill you both
The next place l will meet you isn't the bar
OF Cod" and commenced striking them on
the head with the shovel Then throwing
tha, down he seized each by the throat and
tiled to choke them to death. After ter
rible struggle they freed themselves from
his grasp. and escaped to the sitting room.
de followed them, and the struggle was re.
newed. The stove was overturned and the
house was set on fire. At length the sisters
succeeded in breaking away from the ma
MAC. Miss Purdy running out at the front
door and Mrs. Conkling started for rear
door. Purdy pursued the latter. and
having got razor out of the burea
drawer. overlook her just as she got outside
OF the door. Here another struggle took
place. and the madman endeavoring to cut
his sisters throat and she battling for life. |
In the effort to get the razor from him she |
received two cuts. one in the right arm |
just missing the main artery, and the other |
IN the hand, but he drew the razor across |
her throa. making terrible cash, laying
bare the windpipe and the root of the tom
que but missing the main arteries. While |
this struggle was going on Miss Purdy had |
run to the houses of several of the neigh
oors and alarmed them. The first one of
mem TO reach the spot was Daniel Van
Orsdell, who. on hearing the alarm had
dressed himself as quickly as possible and
followed Miss Purdy to the house. She
reached it first and met the brother. Hav-
ing. as be supposed. finished Mrs. C,nklng,
be attacked Miss Purdy. and seized her by
the hair of the head, threw her down on
The ground. Mr.. Van Orsdall coming up
1t this time, he knocked the brother down,
and after another struggle managed, with
he help of his young son and Miss Purdy,
% secure the madman. But it took their
United strength to hold him, and they feared
hat Mrs. Conkling would bleed to death
o"ov-7-~l-,.s l4is. s.<.-,s,ll-..-;..--AAi- i-----AL
George was tied, and Mrs. Conkiing was
Jared for. She had made her wsy into the
house after receiving her wounds. and the
sister, knowing that the building was on
ire, was afraid that her mother aud sister
would be burned up, but the flames were
soon extinguished, and all danger from
hat source was averted. In the course of
he morning an officer arrived from MARI
a mile north of the scene
If the tragedy-and George was handeuffed.
lie went to bed and refused to say word
10 any one, but lay in the bed as if asleep.
Tomorrow he will ba taken to the State
House at Poughkeepsie.