Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-02-11
Local..
THE MT. sOLON TRAGEDY.


THE ATTEMPT TO MURDER FAMILY
AGaME FIGHT BY WOMEN-FRIGHTFUI
WoUNDs-THE GAMEsT FIGHT EvEI
MADE BY WOMEN
3d., SC, &C.
s.That yellow cottage across the river
said the gentleman guiding us. And il
the front room of that cottage under almos
the shadow of those mysterious sentinel
known as 1.-THE Chimnies" near Mt. Scion
in the gray dawn last Thursday took place
one of the most terrific struggles that evel
occurred in this section Of the country and
one of the most heroic and unselfsh dis
PLAYS of woman's courage. just across the
river lay neat two story yellow cottage
the lawn of which reached to the river
bank. Along the fence were hltched sew
eral vehicles and horses, and the number
of neighbors gathered in the house showed
our reporter the general sympathy which
existed in the vicinity of the scene, for the
sufferers FROM the recent tragedy. On the
lawn we met the brother of MI. Staubus,
quiet kindhearted farmer of middle age,
who had come to do what could be done
for his brothers family, and standing in
the door was Mr.. Lum Staubus, a son OF
the unfortunate man, tall slender youth
with a good face. Going into front apart
ment we found the wounded child, BOY
of four years who was screaming While his
wound was being dressed-a CHASTITY cash
+l,n OH
His mother was attending to him though
she had collar bone broken and wound
across the head from the axe. In another
room lay the wife of Staubus with her
skull split open and blow on the cheek
from the butt of the axe.
THE PARTIES.
Augustus Staubus, the unconscious au-
thor of all this suffering, is farmer in
his fifty fifth year, a large heavy set man
with an amiable face and full gray beard.
He was universally liked by his neighbors,
being quiet obliging and inoffensive man;
or in short what is regarded as ga good
neighbor" and was very kind to his family.
He was a member of Co. D. SD Virginia
regiment land at the fight at Piedmont was
severely wounded in the ankle; a wound
which has given him a great deal of
trouble. His wife is a stout rosy faced
woman of forty-eight, who has been mar
ried nearly thirty years. The married
daughter who was wounded is small and
very pale blonde of pleasing face, about
twenty-four years Of age, and her child is
n +l,;,, o,,d da1iooto how of fOnr
PREMoNITORY SYMPTOMS OF INSANITY.
For the last three months the family
have noticed a change in the conduct OF
Mr.. Staubus, but not enough to excite any
apprehension of insanity. His pecuniary
troubles, which were pressing were thought
to be the cause. The farm on which he
has lived for twenty two years was about
to pass out of his possession and his mind
had been much distracted. His wife and
children.had often assured him that it did
not matter, as he and they would be able
to make living anywhere. On a Tues
day night of the week before, his son Lum
went to visit neighbor and not returning
the father started out at night saying he
was going to hunt him, and did not come
back, When the son returned next morn
ing he said he had not seen his father and
the greatest alarm was excited, especially
as Staubus had handed his wife his keys
and pocket book when he left, and it was
feared he meditated suicide. The whole
neighborhood turned out to hunt him, and
about O'Clock in the afternoon his son
and companion spied him walking along
the side of the mountain. He stopped to
avoid discovery by them and when they
came up asked in surprised manner
sswhat is the matter" When told the neigh
bors lad been hunting for him he said he
was old enough to take care of himself.
He asked the two young men suspiciously
If he was under arrest and being told mo"
he went quietly home. He was very sus-
picious of thieves and the roof of his corn
crit being blown off, thought thieves had
done it. On the Wednesday night Of the
tragedy he seemed very restless,and seeing
a light at the river thought it was thieves
and going out to the wood pile brought
his axe in; saying, somebody might steal
it. The giving up of the farm seemed to be
always on his mind, and just before going
to bed he asked his wife where she would
like to move when they gave it up. just
as he was going to sleep he asked if his son
Lum who had gone out was coming back.
THE BLOODY STRUGGLE.
Mr. taubus and his wife, land their daugh.
ter and her child occupied the same room.
and before dawn he got up and made the
fires. He then walked to the window and
stood gazing out on the river, when the
little bow commenced crying for bread. He
turned and said to the child, "You will
eat up everything in the country" The
another made some remark, and Staubus
then walked up to the bed and said to thu
child, 'sWhat is this?" To which the LITTLE
boy replied, .'Grand-pa, that is your ole
axe.'' AS he stood there his daughter saw
his face assume strange expression, an6
he made purring sound with his lips. He
without word more, struck her with the
axe, making fearful wound on the bach
of her head The weapon was raised again
and with mothers love, forgetting her
self. she threw the cover over the child
but too late, for the blow cut through the
cbild's ear and into his cheek. Mrs. Stau
hus leaned from her bed, and he turned or
her, striking her blow that split her skull
exposing her brain and the piece of skull
hone hanging over her ear. Ther
came a fearful struggle, the two wo
men clipging to him with desperate cour
age. Notwithstanding the mother receive'
another blow from the butt of the axe, OF
her cheek, and the daughter one breaking
her collar-bone, all delivered with tn
strength and fury of a maniac. Thel
screams aroused the rest of the family, ant
the first to rush into the loom was thei
Kata 1uhn immediate