The Republican journal., 1873-06-19
PLAN OF THE GROUND FLOOR With ELL

MI fLOOh, WIN ELL.
ing; John T. started for front door, and aid
let's clear the house,; I Went in and got a
chair; then thought of Almon's room; unbolt-
| ed door to shed: Asbury Harmon asked
Where are the tolksf'; John T. went to
clearing front rooms; next saw him in door
yard; told Asbury where family was; came
round to room with him; no one came with US
John Il. did not come; we two got bodies out
threw the axe into the yard; got Almon and
wife out before there was any attempt to put out
fire; Almon was on foreside of bed saw moth
ing of John 7. during all this time; next saw
him in yard laid down; we went to putting on
water; got out youngest child last, and both
children after water was thrown; Anna and
| little girl slept in room next John T.; when
coming back met them going toward Mr.. ar
mons; John T. and Almon were not cordial
did not speak to each other sometimes; Mr..
| and Mrs. Gordon the elder and John T. made a
separate family in the house.
Anna Gordon the niece, 10 years old Was
here all day yesterday: Eden went to bed be-
fore l did; father, mother, the children and
did; | slept with Eddy; uncle Johnny this
| morning took Eddy up and led me to front
door; put quilt round me, and told me to go
to MIR. Harmon's; we put on our boots and
| went there; he said-'' Come, Anna, get up
quick; didn't tell me why; saw smoke in the
house; told him house was afre; he run and
came back with Peter Harmon; aunt Emma
| used lamp in her room; Ca candestick was
found in ROOM; the candlestck was used to 90
| down cellar; they had candestick like this in
grandpas part.
F. Asbury Harmon. Brother told me Cor
don's buildings We're on fire; got up and dress
! ed run to the fire; brother Peter was ahead
Of me; met the children first; met John T. at
door; I said" What's best to doT'; he said
|" Clear the house,: went into house and came
II as foff ily,2 H.
| said" oh, dear, dear, they are all burning up
| in the other part of the house,; next | saw FL
| den Ward; / said let's save those bodies" :;
John T. was Juggling things from front door
went round house, saw axe inside door looked
/ at it and said" there has been foul play
then went to bed room; he pulled bed railing
off; | went in and took Alinon cut; carried
body to yard; went in again and smoke drove
l me out; then went back and got Mrs. Gordon
| out; the bed was all afire; then father threw
water in; then l threw water, and took babe
| and passed it out window then shut door to
keep fire in. and rolled feather bed over; father
took the wounded child out; next saw John
II. near door; he had on vest and pants, no
coat he had nothing to do with taking out
bodies; he was Juggling things out; noticed no
blood except in bed room and on bodies; this
was between 9 and 3 O'Clock.
Peter N. Harmon; aged 49, heard cry of fire,
bumped out Of bed and showed window came
down, put on clothes, and soon overlook Ward .
Il
we came along, and at door he SAID "let's get
| the things out;' we went to work at it; said
we must have help; asked for trumpet, to call
help; went after 1t, started down road; then
knew nothing of the murder; heard some one
| ask John L. where folks were: was gone half
hour; when got back bodies were out; John r..
| stood near house, still crying; he lald down on
ground; last | saw of him.
/ John N. Harmon; Heard alarm; could lust
see daylight; came to Gordon's: saw fire and
1 al 10 lfrt In9n wi ~,
and others were Juggling furniture; went round
house, and at door of ell brought out a body {;
John L. was crying and moving furniture; fol-
lowed my son to bed room; came back went
| round outside to window; opened it, or it was
| already so; reached into room, into crib; took
child out, took him to shed; came back and
sent son up stars to look for old folks; after
wards heard they were away; then worked at
tre,and got it out by help of others; stayed till
sunrise; John L. was crying and seemed to be
| beside himself; he was one time hanging his
head, and some one said his nose was bleeding.
| R. S. Rich; got to fire before sunrise; can't
| say who was here, good many: saw John T.
come out of one door, some one holding him,
and he was crying; they said he was feeling 50
bad he was liable to make away with himself;
when he was lying on grass it was said his
nose was bleeding; the bodies were on grass,
! and children on lounge; one of the children
still breathed; John T. was taken into custody
at O'Clock; l searched his pockets. and found
knife (knife produced); saw no blood on his
clothes, did not look for it; he said first he knew
of the fire the little girl hallooed "Uncle Johnny.
the house is full of smoke; he made no other
talk to me.
DR.. Benz. Williams I'd; Examined bodies
this afternoon, with DR.. Thomas and Billings ;
on Mr.. Gordon's body there was wound on
head, fracturing both Jaws, extending to corner
of eye; appeared to have been made by blunt
instl ument; another on top of head, clean cut.
los by sharp in strument, three inches long and
through to brain; one on back of head, star
shaped, as though by blunt instrument, fractur-
ing skull body was burnt black at lower eX-
ltremties; the skin had come off; one wound
might not produce death, that on top Of head
certainly would; death resulted from them
Mrs. Gordon had on her head cut above eye
hrows, crushing down bones three and half
inches, made with blunt instrument; poll of
an axe would have made it; another wound
crossed it. flattenng the nose and cheek bones
another wound on mouth, smashing upper and
lower jaws and teeth, and cutting flesh on chin
another wound on back of head, through flesh,
but not fracturing skull, make with blunt in
strument; these wounds caused her death: the
hands and fOrearms were badly burned, the
flesh entirely off the fingers; the clothing on
body all cinders; legs were badly burned, ex-
posing cords; on the babe, wound above right
ear. not breaking flesh but depressing bone
skin slightly broken on face, but not the bone
a chid's bones are soft, and fatal blow might
not fracture the skull; the child was severely
burned; the burn would produce death, the
blow might; the living child has scalp wound
and tacture, by sharp instrument, with clean
cut.
Doctors Billings and Austin Thomas con-
Cured in the foregoing.
| Axe produced and identified by Ward as the
one found in the room, and as belonging on the
premises. The blade and handle are covered
with blood, and the dark hairs Of A woman ad-
here to the back. The surgeons testify that it
would produce the wounds on the murdered
persons.
THE PRISONERS TESTIMONY.
| At this point it was announced that the EVIL
dence was all in except that of John II. Cor
don, the accused, who would be examined, af.
ter having been conducted into the presence of
the bodies. These had been washed, shronded
and laid out upon tables in the she'd Some
thing of their shocking appearance was gone.
but their ghastliness was still horrible. The
prisoner, his arms confined by handouts, was
led in by Sheriff Norton. Hundred of eyes
were levelled straight at his, but he never
fnched, as he walked to the head of his MUIR
dered brother. Looking into the face of the
corpse, his own gave no evidence of emotion,
save movement of the lips and low moaning.
Then to the side of the murdered woman he
went, still keeping up the inarticuIate moan as
he gazed upon the white shroud over the once
lovely form. and the uncovered horribly bat