The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-02-17

The ladies of the South Carolina
Monument Association haye, in the
ardor OF their zeal to raise the balance
needed to erect the beautiful monument
to the soldiers OF the Confederaoy, and
with q practical sagacity which is highly
to be commended, provided some beau.
tiful entertainments, 1auked by sub.
stantial refreshments. to be given this
evening at Twins Hall. Our friends
who may be in tho city in attendance
upon the convention und the meeting OF
the State Grange, will bo pleased to
learn that they can sec On exhibition in
Mr.. Hix's art gallery handsome life
like portrait of General Stephen Elliott,
the hero of Fort Sumter. It is expected
TINT it will be disposed Of ut private sale
or by rattle, ind part Of the proceeds
be added to the fund for the monument
It will also probably be engraved ut no
distant day, and copies Of tho engraving
sold to promote the same Object. The
portrait is good likeness Of General
Elliott-one of tho bravest, purest aud
most devoted men who wore the grey
and stood on the peri!ous edge of battle.
a FATHER Po1soNs HIS THREE Chill
DREN AND THEN SHOOTS H1MsELF.-A
letter from Rntleage, Ga, to tho At.
lanta Herald, dated the 18th, gives the
following particulars of the. carnival Of
death briefly referred to iu our lule-
graphic column:
Tho bloody tragedy enacted here last
night will send q thrill of horror to the
hearts Of our readers, and cause the
blood to cardle at tho brutal aud inhu-
man net which it is our sad province to
chronicle. John w. Woods, farmer
living about mile aud quarter f,om
this place, on Friday night. administer
ed morphine to his three children, aged
respectively fourteen. ten and four years,
and then deliberately shot himself
Mr.. Wood and his wife hud been
married about fifteen years, during
which time they had not lived very hap
PLY together lie was in tho habit OF
coming homo drunk, a,id when under
the iulucnce of liquor would beat and
abuse her terribly, sometimes pulling
her from ono room to another by the
hair Of her head. They separated seve-
raj times. but for the past year had
been living peaceably together. On
last Saturday. Wood cama home drunk
and commenced threatening aud abns-
ing her. lie finally made rush at her
and sought to seize her, it is thought,
with the intention of killing her. She
dubbed him, and fled to neighbours,
when tho horrible news reached her.
Wood went to Madison, Monday last,
procured morphine and returned home,
Tuesday night. a friend whom he had
thought was dead, called upon him
Tuesday. which delayed the execution of
his fell purpose. About 10 o'clock Fri
day night. he sent a negro girl to this
place, to procure more morphine, which
she succeeded in getting from Dr.. Mont
gomery, anu returned home. On going
to the house early this morning. she
fnnnd tha doors barred in such n man
i1St tiih1 ouc CouiO uOG OpCu luclu.
Going to q window and looking in, she
discovered Wood lying npon the carpet,
with pillow under his head, and disco
vered blood upon his breast. She i'm
| mediately raised the alarm, and soon tho
doors were forced open by some neigh.
bors. and sight met their gaze which
might well nppaIi the stoutest heart
Lying on the floor was Wood. the life's
blood still oozng from his breast, quite
dead. In the same room, lying upcn n
bed, with his head resting upon the pill
low, looking as though in peaceful
slumber, was his youngest son, George,
also dead. In an adjoining room, in
tho same bed, were his oldest son and
daughter. both sleeping The sleep OF
death.
The coroner held IN inquest over the
bodies this afternoon. Mt 3 O'clock, when
tho following verdict was returned
"Wc. tho jury, find that the deceased,
Chas. Wood, and the other children
came to their de,th by morphine. ndmi-
nlstered by the father" The same
verdict was rendered upon all the chill
dren. eve. the jury, find. upon exa-
mination OF the wounds, that tho de-
ceased, John w. Wood, came to his
death by pistol shot from his own
hand"