The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-03-24
THE VERMONT HORROR.
killing His Father and Mother, Stab
bing His Wife, then Hanging Him.

killing His Father and Mother, Stab
bing His Wife, then Hanging HIM
self.
NEWPORT, VT, Feb. 2.-In East Lyn-
don in this State yesterday, Silas Wild
er, well-to-do farmer, about 33 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 a 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, F" / am glad it was
not me. If had done this there would
have been a 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 sudden frenzy, he
picked up an ak which lay close at hand.
She CRASHED. the AK and clung 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, elf l can't put stop to
this withNan AK, 1 can with my knife y
He then~dAew large clasp knife and
stabbed his wife in her head and breast
She fen 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.
| Wilder's mother, attracted by the
noise of the struggle, went out to the
shed, and seeing what was going on
hurried back into the house, took down
a 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, dis.
tance of about seven feet from where
he fell. Wilder returned to the she'd
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 near
time regained her senses, and summon.
ing all her courage and strength she
started for the nearest neighbours, hall
mile away. Wilder saw her as she
went out of the door, and started fol
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 tha
! it would kill him. Throwing the knife
away, he went to the barn, took a rope
from the stall back of his horse, an(
; climbed upon the high beams undel
the roof. Then making one end OF th'
rope fast, he tied moose to the other
placed it about his neck, and jumpee
, off. His neck was broken by the fall
and when the neighbors summoned b,
, his wife arrived, they found his bleeding
corpse swinging from the beams.
The murderer's father was IS year
old, his mother 10, and his wife %. Th
I terrible affair has created intense eX
,, , citement in the neighborhood, and if tn
wretched man had not hanged himself
, he would undoubtedly have been lynch
ed by his indignant townsmen. Z.
A MIRACLE has been wrought by. ma
ture in the oillage of Woonsocket
! Rhode Island. Frederick Luke sudden
ly became mute twenty years ago; whe
A was still youth. He rapidly fell il
to decline, and the physicians .onl
gave him a few months TO live. HI
however, fingered on from year to veal
!, and since 1876 a gradual improvement
! : in his health became perceptible.
I ew days ago he joyfully came to h
: mother and articulated some words, il
i stead of speaking in signs to her as b
J had done for twenty years. His powe
= of speech is rapidly gaining, and som
of the most distinguished physicians {
= Rhode Island are about to inyestigat