Wilmington journal., 1875-08-13
A HORRIBLE HOMIO4DE.

01aenlsruly,
GRANGRR.

A HORRIBLE HOMICIDE.
HOW they Murder i'm Nr4assachusetts
From the Boston AdvertBerl
SamuelJ. Frost, the supposed MUIR
dren, his wife's brother, Frederic P.
Rathbone, on farm three miles from
Petersham village, near the Hardwick
line. Frost was in dabt for the farm,
and also owed money to bis brother-in-
law, who owned the stock. On Sun
day, the 4th July, Towne went to the
barn early, followed by Frost, the
day before to remain two or three days.
Frost returned to the house alone,
and, when his wife asked Were<her
brother was, said he had had fight
with him and hurt him SO that he had
gone to tho pasture to stay until he felt
better. At nine o'clock Frost sent his
wife and children off to church. When
they returned, and Mrs. Frost
inquired again for her brother, she
was told that he felt SO ashamed
of himself that he would not come
to the house again, but had started
for Worcester on foot, where Frost
was to meet him Wednesday and ar
range their business, when Towne
would g4 to California. It seems
that Mrs. Frost believed her husband,
although surprised at her brothers
conduct. She appears to be woman
not much in the habit of questioning
her husbands conduct, perhaps no
daring to be inquisitive. Wednesday
he went to Worcester, and when he
returned reported that he haa bought
the stock, giving his note, and that
her brother had Immediately started
to the Pacific State.
On Wednesday, also, the Rathbone
boys returned. They mistrusted the
story that Towne had gone to Califor-
MIA, and their talk excited the suspi-
cions of some of the townspeople;
but yet nothing was done about it.
Soon they limited to Frost that they
did not believe his story, which an
gered him 10 the point of saying thatt
he would ''fi1 them" Meantime Frost
was observed to be very nervous and
to be acting strangely. He forsook his
wife's bed for lounge, and was out
of doors e great deal nights. One
morning butcher knife and pail we're
missing. He denied all knowledge of
them, but they were subsequently
found about the barn. He went to
the select men complaining Of the ru-
mos that were circulating, and was
advised by them, if he wanted to stop
them, to produce evidence that Tdwne
was alive. Then he wrote letters to
California and to Towne's former home
in New Hampshire. The Bathbone
boys, having found a patch of loose
earth in the barn cellar, from which
a ste nch arose, dug up the place, but
discovered nothing. One day last
week Frost was observed at work q
long time in a particular spot in his
| cornfield some distance from
the house. The spot was visited and
| marked. In the night aparty went
there to search. They found nothing,
but following trail into the oat-teld
they discovered sack containing the
trunk of q hum ! body. Searching
further the head and shoulders were
found. The legs have not yet been
| discovered, but the remains found nave
4 been identified as those of Towne
Frost was arrested, and has already
been committed for trial by Justice
Edwin Woods of Barre.
The indications are shat Towne wal
killed by a blow on the head, as th'
sknll is broken. It was probably dom
that Sunday morning when Frost tolC
his wife he had had fight with Towne
Very likely the body was buried in th
cellar while the family were at church
and removed after his return iron
Worcester by night. Frost is describ
ed as q small man, much smaller thai
Towne. The corpse was probably Gu
up in order that he might carry it mon
conveniently. Whether Frost foilowe
ToWne to the barn Sunday intending
to kill him, or killed him in momen
of passion during a dispute, will neve
be known unless hr chooses to tell, bu
there are some circumstances the
favor the opinion that the deed wa
deliberately planned. At all event
, it is the most horrible in its detail
that has lately been known, and WI
call to mind the murders Of DR.. Parl
man and Abijah Ellis. That it he
caused an intense excitement through
out the rural neighborhood and adJ'
cent towns is q matter OF course. Bot
Frost and Towne came from Ne
, | Hampshire.
| C1NCINNAr1, August 5.-A dispatc
from Tere Haute says that the Wabai
river is steadily falling, and tn
the railways began transferring passe
gers and mails can get through t
morrow at Seymour. The Ohio al
Mississippi bridge is gone and sever
wash-outs on that road besides FL
city appeared to be the center Of t
storm, spreading about one hundr
l miles in each direction. The tot
damage to railroads. crops and pr1va
le property in this Congressional dlstrl'
le is estimated at ten millions dollars.
D The water is invading cellars
al Broadway, Sycamore, Maine, VAIN
d and Union streets, land up as far
70 Second.
in WASHINGTON, August 5.-The M
l. sissippi river is eight inches abo
o. danger line at Helena, and has rls
10 one inch at Memphis. two inches
,e Vicksburg and nine inches at Car
20 and has fallen seven inches at
Of Louis.
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