The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-02-17
THE VERMONT HORROR.
Killing HIS Father and Mother, stat
bing His wife, then Hanging Him

lF4a ass an4 10 ftl4-f ~ tt
Killing HIS Father and Mother, Stab
bling His wife, then Hanging Him
NEWPORT, W., Feb. I'm East Lynn
don in this State yesterday, Silas Wild
er, well-to-do farmer, about 80 years
of age, killed both his parents, wound
ed his wife, perhaps fatally, and then
committed suicide. The details of the
shocking affair show that the murderer
must have been insane, for on no other
theory can his bloody deeds be ex-
planned. He had been married only
about five months, but had lived unhap-
PLY with his wife. His parents both
strenuously objected to his marriage
with her, but he persisted and brought
her home to live with them The
parents resented this, and there has
been much bitterness and strife, especi-
ally of late Wilder has been greatly
depressed in mind, and has shown
symptoms of mental unsoundness, but
has never been suspected of murderous
or suicidal tendencies. --..
As near as can be learned, the terri,
BILE events of yesterday began in war
of words at the breakfast table. Wilder
then started to get a new pair of over
alls, the straps of which his wife had
cut too short. He was very angry, and
began abusing her, when his mother
spoke to him, saying, &c am glad it was
not me. If had done this there would
have been greater row than there is
now," or something to that effect.
ThereupOn Mr.. Wilder, being further
exasperated, Immediately started for
the woodshed, threatening to kill them
all. His wife followed him, and, as
though seized by a sudden frenzy, he
picked up an AK which lay close at hand.
She grasped the AK and chung to him so
that he could not use it, at the same
time screaming for help. Seeing his
aged father coming to the rescue, Wild
er shouted, "If l can't put stop to
this with an AK, can with my knife. :"
He then drew large clasp knife and
stabbed his wife in her head and breast.
She fell to the ground, and Wilder,
turning from her, picked up the AK and
dealt his father blow on the head, the
bit penetrating the skull, and he, too,
fell bleeding and insensible.
noise of the struggle, went out to the
shed, and seeing what was going on
hurried back into the house, took down
large tin horn used to call the men
from the field to their meals, ran into
the front yard and blew it, hoping to
attract the attention of the neighbors.
Wilder heard her and following her into
the yard split her head open with the
same murderous weapon with which he
had felled her husband. She was in
stantly killed, but the old gentleman,
though terribly wounded, had somehow
managed to crawl into the house, a dis
lance of about seven feet from where
he fell. Wilder returned to the shed,
and finding his father still alive, lying
on the kitchen floor, he again struck
him with the AK, nearly severing the
head from the body, and fastening the
ak tight into the floor. --- ,-
The murderer's wife had in the mean
time regained her senses, and summon
ing all her courage and strength she
started for the nearest neighbours, half
a mile away. Wilder saw her as she
went out of the door, and started for
her, saying, "For Gods sake, haven't
killed YOU yet?" She eluded him, how
ever, and the desperate man cut his
throat with the same knife he had stab
bed her with. He, however, missed the
larger veins and arteries, and, though
he bled profusely, was not satisfied that
it would kill him. Throwing the knife
away, he went to the barn, took a rope
from the stall back of his horse, and
climbed upon the high beams under
the roof. Then making one end of the
rope fast, he tied moose to the other,
placed it about his neck, and jumped
off. His neck was broken by the fall,
and when the neighbors summoned by
his wife arrived, they found his bleeding
corpse swinging from the beams.
The murderer's father was IS years
old, his mother 20, and his wife %. The
terrible affair has created intense eX-
element in the neighborhood, and if the
wretched man had not hanged himself,
he would undoubtedly have been lynch
ed by his indignant townsmen.