Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-22

SHOCKING DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT RosEDALE, PA.
A singular and terrible double tragedy,
the elimination of an equally singular
double family quarrel. occurred in the quiet
country village of Rosedale, Pa, on Friday,
Oct. lst Five years ago, VIM. Russell,
ia-mer, living a few miles from the village,
was left a widower with one daughter, Har
riet, aged lG. by the accidental death Of his
wife and second child, so Harriet and a
girl about her own age named Mary Stokes,
whom Russell employed, were given the care
of the house. Soon Harriet discovered that
altogether TOO close an intimacy existed be-
tween her father and the Stokes girl, and
shocked and Indignant, she dismissed the
latter. Russell brought her back, and his
daughter left home and went to work sew
ing in the neighborhood. After time the
Stokes girl returned to her home, and Miss
Russell came back and resumed her old po-
sition in her fathers house. Meanwhile,
Harriet had become engaged to young fel
low named Hurst, whose fathers farm ad-
Joined Russell. bat because years before Hurst
had defeated Russell in lawsuit about
some division line. .of their farms, on dis
covering the Intimacy between his daughter
and young Hurst he threatened to disown
her if she did not renounce her lover. She
obeyed her father, and all went peaceful
till about three months ago, when Russell,
one day, astounded his daughter by telling
her that be intended soon to marry the girl
Mary Stokes, and bring her back to the
farm house. Harriet was firm in her oppo-
sition to the old mans folly, as she termed
it, and assured him that when he brought
his wife home he would find his daughter
gone never to retsrn
Last week. Russell told his daughter that
he was to be married, Friday. She made no
reply, but at once perfected arrangements
pending between herself and Hurst for some
weeks, in view Of the marriage of her father.
Friday morning, Russell drove toward the
home of Mary Stokes, and his daughter,
after placing the house in readiness for his
return, started for Rosedale, leaving be-
hind her a note explaining that his pro-
posed action was more than she could bear,
and that she herself would be married in
few hours. Daring the afternoon she and
young Hurst were married, and, with few
friends, had nearly finished dinner at the
village tavern when Russell came in, pale
with rage, and singular glitter in his eye.
His daughter ran toward him with out
stretched arms, but he threw her aside and
sprang upon her husband, and began stab
bing him with knife he had seized from
the table. Hurst received the blows on his
arm and shoulder, and tried to escape. bat
was forced, at last to draw his pistol TO save
his life As he levelled it and fired at Rus
sell, his own wife sprang between, and, re
ceiying the charge in her brain, fell dead.
Hurst knelt for momen; beside his wife,
body ,snd after appealing in vain to her to look
up and speak to him, rose to his feet, and
before hand conld be extended to prevent
him, shot himself through the head, and be
fell dead BY the side Of his wife. Russell
seemed stricken dumb by the fearful scene,
and be Was led from the room like child.