The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-05
A NEW HAMpsHIRE HORROR.

Young Married Woman Shot Dead In Her
Own HOuse-A Terrible and Mysterious
AFFAIR.
IHaverhill On. H.) Cor. New York Herald.l
About ten o'clock yesterday afternoon
Mrs. Alma, wife of John 0. Emerson, of
Piermont, was seated at the stove with
her sewing. Her husband was at the
barn doing his chores, but, hearing the
report of gun, he started for the house
and beheld his wife sitting just as he had
left her, except that her head had been
severed from the body and blown en-
Grely to pieces, covering the further
side of the room with flesh, blood and
brains. Part of the skull went through
pane of glass, and with such force as
only to break hole the size of the piece
sent through. A gun laid upon the floor
by her side, but her position showed that
she could not have used it, she holding
her needle as if about to take another
stitch in her work, her spool and scissors
remaining in her lap. It is not known
that any one was about the premises ex-
cept an old man named Sawyer some
sixty years of age, who has been arrested
on suspicion.
The murder occurred early in the fore
noon. The weather was stormy, and
neither Emerson nor Sawyer went far
away from home. After breakfast
GAu10IbOu IlStS10 d p1S3t1StA1U E0I1x4IA W HIS
wife and kissed her and then went out to
look after his cattle. It is not supposed
that he ever saw her alive again. Saw
yer at the same time went into the door
| yard to cut wood. In the meantime Mrs.
Emerson performed her ordinary house
hold duties of the morning and then sat
down by the fire, in her cosey kitchen,
to do some sewing, The view looking
out of doors was desolate, but within was
charming and pleasant. The room
looked tidy and pleasant. Conspicuous
on the wall near her was the motto,
nGod Bless Our Home" It was q
pleasing picture of domestic peace and
happiness. At little past ten a terrible
explosion took place in the house. Mr..
Emerson heard it at his barn distinctly,
and started at once for his dwelling. The
nearest neighbor, John Flanders, about
forty rods northward, also heard il
plainly. Mr.. Emerson went through his
dooryard-where he saw Mr.. Sawyer al
work-to the house. He opened the
door leading into the kitchen, and for 9
moment stood almost paralyzed at the
sight.
Then he raised his arms and gave 6
shrek of anguish, and rushed to the
appeared almost like maniac. Sawyer
exclaimed, els she dead 2" and went
} quickly into the house.. The scene pre-
sented was enough to sicken and appal
the stoutest heart. Words cannot ade
quately describe it. In chair by th.
! stove was the headless body of Mrs. En-
erson. About three feet from her, ana
lying on the floor, was heavy double
barreled shotgun, the muzzle pointing
toward the chair. Almost the entir,
) head and neck were blown from tn
body all that remained was q small por
ton of the lower jaw, which hung upol
her breast, and small remnant of tn
neck near the backbone, not over an incl
in width. From this headless bod,
blood was squirting in copious stream
and gathering in pools on the floor. Th
head was almost wholly blown to atom
, and scattered on the ceiling and west an
south walls of the room.
On the stove, ceiling, walls and foo
! were scattered blood, flesh and hai,
! forming a scene ghastly and revolving t
> all who Witnessed it. The body rested i
the chair as natural as if in life. The fee
were on the fender of the stove on
! hand held a piece of cloth, while the otl
5 er grasped needle and thread as if
1 take another stitch in the work. Th
!! position of the body showed unmistakabl
! that not movement occurred after th
: weapon was fired.