The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-08-11
STRANGE TRAGEDY.
Murder of IN Wife Of STxGy-one by
Husband of EfghGy.tvwo.
Boston Post.l

! Boston Post.l
Between 8 o'clock Saturday night an,
daylight Sunday morning most horrible
murder was committed in the town o
Midway. A man named VIM. Pang
born, aged 50 years, killed his wife, 81
years old, nearly severing her head from
her BODY With an axe as she lay asleep il
bed. The execution of the deed caused
no noise, and Others sleeping in the mex
room were undisturbed BY any movement
or cutlery. Pangborn made no attempt
to escape, and at daylight was found sit.
ting in the doorway. He directed the
attention of the people in the house to
the room where his wife lay dead, and
1t was not till three or tour hours had
elapsed that he was taken into custody.
having remained around the place the
whole time, seeming hardly to appreciate
what had occurred. The preliminary
examination to-day resulted in his being
fully committed for trial for the August
term, and on this evenings train he was
brought to this city. The material evil
dence elected at the examination showed
that he frequently had quarrelled with
ms wife that he had recently threatened
her and that she had told her sister Mr..
Jones; with whom they were boarding,
interview with reporter of the Wing
and Courier, this evening, Pangborn
talked freely of the affair. He said he
and his wife returned at 8 o'clock on Sat
urday evening and for sometime were
talking pleasantly of house that he had
rented, and into which they were to move
very shortly. The next he remembers,
he was sitting on the front edge of the
bed, having gone to sleep on the back
side. He has no idea whether he had
been there half hour or three hours,
and as he gradually came to himself by
The light of the moon he discovered an
IKE lying on the floor by the side of the .
bed, and wondered how it came there.
Next he noticed how pale his wife was
her face being turned toward him. He
vent up to her, put his hand on her head
md found it was cold He did not notice
my blood, and picked up the axe and
carried 1t out of the room. When Mr..
tones got up to kindle a fire shortly after
'angborn sent him into the room where
he body of his wife lay. The head was
nearly severed from the body, having
'een struck at the base of the brain, and
Ie says he must have thought he was
ghting some wild beast to have struck
uch blow. He says he does not think
ny one else could have done it, but
las no recollection of participating in
he tragedy, for which he processes the
reatest sorrow, saying he would not for
he whole world had it happen. The
murdered woman was his second wife,
y whom he had nine children, six of
HON are living. He formerly lived in
parish OfKent. n b., but
Dr the last two years has been living in
Iedway Since last March he has been
t his old home, where he has some prop
rty and had some business affairs to set
e. He only returned to Midway on
riday. He says his wife was good
oman that they never had had any
eriOus trouble, and that he loved her. ,
While jealousy is assigned by his family
and neighbors, the attending
rcumstances are of so peculiar a charac.
II as to suggest insanity. Pangborn is
good height, has nearly white hair, and
face that is not unprepossessing, while |
general appearance he would readily
ass for a man ten or twelve years young
: than his actual age.