New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-22
4 SORDID TRAGEDY.

AlmOn and John Gordon were the sons of Il
small farmer, living in Thorndike, Waldo
County Maine Something like tho old rivalry
of Jacob and Esau seems to have grown up with
the Young men. AlmOn was thrifty, industri-
Gus and close "a man after his old fathers
heart. John was a no account" young fellow;
ho liked squirre-huntng and seighng, but
was avcrse to hard labor The old man, after
various experiments, decided to lease his little
farm to AlmOn, who wrought industriously in
the field and woOd-lot. John, meantime, had
done chores" about among the neighbors,
had let himself at intervals as hired
man, and had lived a generally thriftless
and shiftleSs life. Almon finally secured from
his father certain writings which gave him
absolute control, if not ownership, Of the farm.
At this John was exceeding wrOth. He had
also been unprOsperOus in his little love al
fairs; and he was embittcred and disappointed.
Some person had written anonymous letters
TO the object of his affections, warning her
that he was necr-do-well and u vagabOnd.
This meanness he charged to his sister-in-law,
the wife of Almon. He swore he would be
even" with the whole family. The feud
eliminated in a quarrel about a saw which
belonged on the farm, and which John
took, without leave, to saw wood for ono
of the neighbors. One night, after some bitter
talk, the brothers went to bed under the same
roof. Toward morning, John rose up stealth
iIy and crept into the room where Almon
was sleeping with his wife and two little
children. With an Ak from the w0od-shed
this sordid Cain slew his brother, the wife,
aud one of the children, leaving the second
child for dead. He then fired the house and
alarmed the neighbors. His alarm was prema-
turc; the fire was extinguished: the borrid
butchery was manifest; he was arrested, tried,
and on Wednesday last convicted of murder
in the first degree.
The details of this sordid story, brought out
in the course of the trial, give glimpses of
mean and commonplace life which only
through violence and blood rose into tho dig
nifty of tragedy. There was the weak old
man beset by his natural affection for his sons
and their selfish greed. There the sbrothers
yrangling over petty details of homely farm
life and infamed with heart-burDings abOut
the ownership of field and wOod-lot, and the
Use of saw. And there was the poor old
mother trying to keep peace in the family,
and secretly telling John that he should have
$500 IA his part of the birthright. The covet-
business and rancor OF the disappointed brother
famed and famed until he was on fire with
q desire for revenge. He was not violent
man. nor of dull moral perceptions; but no
hated his brother, and so wore the brand of
Cain before he lifted the fatal Ak. Nursing
his wrath, he fancied himself most ill-used
and outraged by supplanter. His passion
grew on him as he unused over his wrongs,
and the sight of his brother enjoying the
comforts of a frugal homestead drove him
wild. SO for the poor sake of revenging him
self for the loss Of few hundred dollars he
imbrued his hands in his brothers blood.
Just as men more deiicately nurtured and
more profusely tempted become defaulters,
thieves, or murderers for the sake OF thou
sands, this young Maine farmer brought three
awful murders on his soul, desolated what
should have been "A happy home, and threw
once more lurid light on the old. old
proverh, The love OF money is the root of
I'LL evil.