The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-05-16

2 @8a 4h8 EtfkHhAtetf iAteo0 ih safety tht
. burning fmbers being silll strong enough
! @ usisiH dc passing lraia
rfrnstowS, M.
We lcaru that ! murder was con-
mit,ed q Read Hollow Ga Friday eve
ming last The person murdered was
Peter Bay, a aax dealer and produce
acaler and was supposed Is have 4 large
sum q money about his person he was
attacked in bis wagon and shot through
the bead aud dragged from his wagon
aud horribly mutilated. The assassin
secured only about one hundred dollars
which was al he bad Al the time. III
supposed that two persons or more were
concerned IN the murder aud robbery.
bot no arrests have been made.
From the Troy Times we gather farther
particulars Of this horrible tragedy. Mr.
Ray returned from Troy about 8 O'Clock
on the afternoon Of Friday. lie remained
At his dwelling until o'clock, when, a.
bad invariably beenh is custom, he pro-
eeeded 10 Willis Brundago's store in the
village. He remained there chatting and
gossipiug with the other frequeuters Of
the store, which Is also the post office, I'M
iii fifteen minutes after 9 O'Clock. Then
he started for his home which is situa-
ted Just about third Of a mile from the
store, and a quarter Of mile East Of the
village. lie passed Luke Reads Hotel a
few minutes afterward. While passing he
was recognized by some of the persons
who were standing in its vicinity. They
did not see his features, but knew il was
him from a slight limp in his walk, aud
from the fact that he carried a cane. Amer
he passed the hotel nobody who has vet
spoken saw him again. His dwelling sets
back about five hundred feet from the
main highway and il was while passing
il at that distance that he was attacked
how or by whom none can say. The best
possible hypothesis appears to be arrived
at by physicians and officers, who OF
course made carful and minute exami-
nation OF the murdered man. lie was.
the supposition is, walking along the road
close TO the fence which encloses his own
land when he was shot at The first shot
probably entered the right cheek and,
knocking out one or two OF his teeth and
fracturing the upper jaw, passed ont
through the left cheek under the eye.
The indications are that fearful struggle
followed the shot. Ray, who was man
who never lost presence of mind, cried
out murder" and prepared TO fight for
his life In the struggle one of the pick /
cts OF the fence was broken, evidently by |
his cane, which, in his stunned condition |
he probably raised and struck, as he sup
posed, at his assailant. Then must have |
followed another blow. This time tie |
inference is that the cane struck the pistol .
and forced it down while it was being
discharged the second time. This view
seems plausible, because there is wound
in the right thigh, evidently made bya
bullet from pistol which was elevated
when fired above the wound, and be-
cause the cane bears marks of having been
indented by coming in contact with some
hard substance. This attack, without
any additional horror, would have been
villainous enough, but the events which
followed converted it into brutal MUIR
der, almost without parallel in the re-
cord of horrors. The murderer-or If, as
some think, there were two engaged in
the devilish expedition-the accomplice
of the one who discharged the pistol,
to pound Ray about the head
with cord wood hemlock stick, four feet
long and an inch and half in diameter.
Ray, still clutching his trusty cane, held
1t up to protect himself and staggered,
from the effects of the blows, across to
the other side of the road. The top of
the cane was broken by the repeated
blows, and the imperilled man fell to
The ground. He raised one of his arms
10 shield his face, and probably kept it
raised until the blows from the bludgeon
forced it down. Then the demon fearing
that he had been recognized and being
determined that he would make sure
dispatch of his victim stood over the
PROSTATE man and pounded him until the !
stick, which was strong enough to fell an
1x, broke into three pieces One Of them
was found afterwards close by the dead
mans body, and had, after being broken,
oeen used in striking him upon the
stomach. Another was found further
away on the road, and the other under
rec about ten rods distant. The pieces
we're all covered with hair and blood
md gave evidence of the terrible pound
ne to which the man had been subjected.
Not satisfied even then, the vindictive {
murder OF murderers picked up a large ,
,Obbe stone from the road and threw Il
lpon the face of the PROSTATE victim.
This last action was superhuous. All
emnants of life had before the stone was J
escorted TO been pounded and dubbed
,ut of the body of the unfortunate Peter
?. Ray. In the darkness Of the night the
men who wrought this foul crime stole
WAY, carrying with them, for some dis
ance at least, Rays watch and the pistol Il
which had been used The pistol shots 5
lad been heard by the murdered mans q
wife and two daughters. They heard
.lso the cry Of murder which followed,
md the wife, who seemed TO have had
ort Of presentment that her husband
would be murdered in the very spot
where he was attacked, believed that il 4
vas her husbands lips which gave utter e
moo IN tbaf pTv Ghn and har dat, ,Htara