Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-02-04

A terrible tragedy occurred at Lyn
don in Caledonia county, in this State
last Tuesday morning, in which Silal
Wilder murdered his father, aged so
and his mother aged 70 years, having
previously plunged knife into his wife,
body, and after an attempt to cut his
own throat, finally hung himself in the
barn.
THE MURDERED PARENTS.
Levi HI. Wilder and his wife, the aged
couple who were murdered, have long
resided in Lyndon, and have borne q
good reputation AT the time of the
murder the family consisted of these old
people, their son Silas, aged 33, and his
wife, aged about %.
THE SLIGHT PRovoCATIoN.
This morning when the family arose,
the young man made some remark to
his wife about the straps ON his overalls,
which she had shortened few days be-
fore. She replied that it could be easily
remedied, whereupon his mother, over
hearing the remark, said that she was
glad that she did not fix the straps. If
she had, there would have been fuss.
He replied that she need not trouble
herself, as she did not do it. He then
went to the barn to do his chores, and
his wife prepared their breakfast On
his return he sat down to breakfast alone,
the old people and his wife not being in
readiness. He ate very little, and his
wife, as she was pouring his tea, noticed
that his hand trembled and that his eyes
had strange, wild appearance.
THE MURDER DETERMINED UPON.
After drinking his tea he remarked
that :" This thing had got to be settled, .
and went out into the shed. His wife,
thinking his actions peculiar, followed
him and met him returning with an ak.
She caught hold of the AK and asked
him what he was intending to do. He
replied, You get out of the way or
will fix you!" The father then APP
peared and said "What are YOU
about?" and took hold Of the ak also.
HE ATTACKS HIS WIFE.
The young man then took knife from
his pocket and opened the small blade,
saying: " If you will not let me use the
ak III use my knife" and struck his
wife in the right breast, causing slight
wound, and then struck her again over
the right eye, inhicting wound which,
though not serious, partially stunned her,
so that she did not realize what was
going on for little time. The mother
becoming alarmed seized the dinner horn,
rushed out of doors and sounded it to
alarm the neighbors.
THE MURDER OF THE PARENTS.
1t is supposed that the young man af-
ter stabbing his wife attacked his father
and cut his throat with the knife, then
hearing the horn, picked up the ak,
rushed out to the corner of the house
where his mother was and killed her
with the ak; then he came back, found
his father in the kitchen and killed him
with the ak. Mr.. Henry Perry. the
nearest neighbor, upon hearing the horn,
looked out from his harm toward the
Wilders, saw the young man strike his
mother with the AK and heard him ex-
claim, " There, lie there,-!" After
killing his father young Wilder went up
to the shed, where his wife was Just re-
covering consciousness, and exclaimed,
For Gods sake, Fan; | havn't killed
you; have II" He then ran from her
toward Mr.. Perry's, and he heard him
say, its all settled now"
Several neighbors were soon at the ter
rible scene. They found the mother
dead at the corner Of the house where
she had blown the horn. AT first they
feared to enter the house, supposing the
murderer was there armed, but DIR. Ca
boon and VIM. Houghton ventured and
found the old man dead on the floor with
the ak imbedded in his head. Search
was then made and the murderer was
ioond in the barn hanging from the high
beams. As there was a cash in his
throat it was evident he first attempted
suicide in that way. He had sunk the
TX in his mothers head three times and
severed the head from the body.
1t appears that the murderer was of a
PASSIONATE nature and that his wife and
mother did not entirely harmonic, that
here has been an increasing i'll will on
lis part toward his parents for some
ime, since his marriage which occurred
little more than year ago, and that
e had been known to say: of it were
lot for the law there would be less Viii
ers in the world" Itappears also that
here had been trouble about the prop
rty. The father had decided his farm
0 his son on condition that he should
Import his parents while they lived.
he murderer was formerly subject to
pileptic fits, and the more charitable
hink he was suddenly insane, while 9TH
RS think it mainly the result of ugli-
ess. Thus suddenly closes a most fear.
u tragedy, and among the most horri-
lie in the history of this State.
- Noah's dove brought the first