The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-07-24
MURDER AND SUICIDE!
A sALooSIsT MURDERS HIS WIFE,
And Then Blows His Own Brains Out.

Last night, about half past nine o'clock,
there occurred one Of the most revolving do
nestle tragedies that we have had occasion to
chronicle for years, in which John Bryson,
a Sedamsville saloon-keeper, shot his wife
through the heart, and then deliberately blew
out his brains with a shotgun. The terrible
affair occurred in house about q mile below
Sedamsville and the same distance east OF
Anderson's ferry, and directly opposite way
station on the l. q Z. II. Il. named West River
side, which station is on the property and near
the beautiful residence Of Peter Zinn, ESQ.,, q
Cincinnati lawyer.
A STAR reporter this morning, learning OF
the affair, repaired to the scene Of the tragedy
and gathered the following particulars:
John Milton Bryson, aged about 45 years.
and his wife 20 years younger, have occupied
the four lower rooms Of the house above men,
tioned-the property Of Mrs. Annie Pursel,
who has occupied the rooms above since the 1st
of November, 1874. One of the rooms--the
largest-he has used as drinking saloon, one
Of the worst kind.
He became acquainted with Miss Lizzie San
ders, the victim of his brutal rage, about eleven
years ago at Walton, KY, where they were
married. she being but Ia years OF age and he
nearly 35. Their life has been stormy one,
owing, 1t is thought, to the disparity Of their
ages. In person she was rather a pleasant fea-
light hair. He was a man Of rather repulsive
appearance and careless dress.
Last night about 8 o'clock Mrs. Bryson had
disrobed and retired to bed with her youngest
child. Her husband soon after came to the
bedside, still dressed, took the child in his
arms and laid it with its sister in another bed
in the same room. Quarreling about house,
hold expenses and other matters had been in
dulged In by husband and wife-he always the
aggressor-for an hour and a half previous to
this bed room scene. AS soon as the little girl
was removed the mother, owing to her fright,
arose too, and refused to remain In the room.
A scuf1e and thigh words ensued. BrySon
finally ran. to the bar-room. but few steps, and
getting pistol from cigar-b box on the shelf
behind the counter, went back to his wife and
deliberately shot her through the heart.
she staggered, screaming, to the bed, where
uttering a word, and in two minutes was dead.
The murderer stood and watched his victim
breathe her last, and then returned to the bar
room, picked up a double -barreled shotgun,
which was sitting behind the bar, and with
one OF the charges blew his own brains out.
He fell with his head within a foot OF the coun-
ter, his brains ,spattering the walls Of the sa-
loon and tho glasses and bottles behind the
counter at which he had been accustomed to
stand. The top of his head was blown COM
pletely off. ana his brains. which were remark
ably large in size, were literally scooped out,
a large mass Of them Lying two feet from the
body, with portions scattered on the top and
front Of the counter and on beer stand near
by.
While this last ghasuly scene was being en-
acted, the eldest child, who seemed to colnpre-
hend the full extent Of the horror, jumped
quickly from her bed, ran to the side of her
dead mother, whose clothes were on fire from
the shot that killed her,, Running to the kitch-
en- the little one, but about nine years OF age,
procured q basin OF water and extinguished
the blaze. This done she endeavored to subdue
the terror stricken cries Of her younger sister,
and dressing both herself and her as best she
could she started to leave the house, and in her
haste jumped from window, afterwards help
ing the smaller one out. BY this time Mrs.
Anne Pursel, who had heard indistinctly the
quarreling that preceded the shots rushed
down stairs and out the door to summon help
and give the alarm.
Her frat fall was for Michael Hahl, who lives
close by, and with whom the children had taken
refuge. Hahl's wife refused to let her husband
go near. Mrs. Pursel then ran across the rail-
road track to the house Of Peter Zinn, but found
that the family were absent, in Sedamsvillc.
At last she found neighbor Bush, who, getting
Che heroic ~ Hahl out at last, they boen went
for the Marshal Of Riverside Joseph Fenning
who at once visited the scene OF the tragedy
and soon after set off to SUNNI On Coroner Ma
ley, who was aroused at midnight. He waited,
however, until seven O'Clock this morning, ana
when arrived on the ground 1mpaneled the
following jury: b. +. Scnott, w. Mussey, A. Il.
SCOTT, j. II. Handbook, 2. Vogt, and Jake Mil
er.
The following is correct diagram Of the
portion of the house occupied by the parties,
Ind locatIon'of the rooms where the shooting
,ook place.