Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-04
Double Murder and Suicide at Lyndon.
Vile.
A MAN KILLS HIS FATHER AND MOTHER sIAD'
HIS WIFE AND THIN HANGS HIMSELF.


A MAN KILLS HIS FATHER AND MOTHER sIADS
HIS WIFE AND THIN HANGS HIMSELF.
LYSpoNvILLE, Vt, Feb. The murder
and suicide committed here occurred DC
tween and O'Clock. yesterday morning
The family consisted of Silas Wilder, the
murderer. a man about 81 years DID, MS
wife, of the same age, and his father ana
mother, each about S0years old. Inc ir'y
commenced in dispute about pair Oh
overalls. The young man became enrageu
and rushed into the woodshed with the re-
mark that he would end the matter. HIS
wife followed him and met him on his way
back with an axe. She told him that ne
could not 90 in with that, upon when
he dropped the axe, took out his knife, and
stabbed her twice once over the eye and once
in the breast, neither wound being serious.
The father, hearing the disturbance. went
to the door, when the son grasped him and
attempted to cut his throat with the knife.
His mother ran out of the house with the
dinner horn and began blowing it, to call
the ncighbors. Hearing this the man
caught up the axe and ran after her, sp-
preaching from behind, struck her twice IN
the head, nearly cutting it from her body.
and killing her Instantly. lie then re-
turned to the house and killed his father In
the same manner, leaving the axe in his
head at the last blow. lie then attempted
| L - ht,t
went to the barn and hung himself, life be-
ing extinct when he was found. Great ex-
element prevailed through the whole town
Yesterday. It is est mated that 20 900 peo-
pie visited the scene of the tragedy. The
neighbors were so enraged that the hrst
ones that arrived at the barn where he
hung would not take the body down. for
fear that he was not dead 1t Is said they
would help hang him, if it had been neces-
sary.
LATER-ApDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
ST. JouSsBuRY, Feb. 2.-Silas Wilder was
a well-to-do farmer. and known as man
of very impetuous temperament. 1t seems
that this morning he asked his wife to
shorten a pair of overalls. She did 50. but
by some means made them too short This
enraged him and he commenced abusing
her. His mother interfered with some re-
marks, which still further exasperated him
With the exclamation, "D-n you, I'll
dry you up" he started for the wood
shed and got the axe. After stabbing
his vile and killing his mother he
returned to finish his father. The
old man had crawled back into the
kitchen. and was lying helpless On the
floor. The son raised the axe and sunk II
crashing through his fathers head with
such force that he was unable TO remove It,
The monster then sought his own destuc-
ton. lie first cut his throat finding It
did not Immediately kill him. he then took
a rope, climbed upon high beam, fastened
the rope about his neck and the beam, and
then jumped off. HIS neck was broken by
the fall, and death doubtless ensued imme-
diately.
THE LATEsT-THE PARTIES AND lAE NAiAH-
The old man Levi II Wilder was in com
Portable circumstances, owning farm and
stock worth s., goo and having $4,000 or
50 900 at interest. A few years ago he
decided his farm 20 his youngest son and
took a mortgage Of 1900 to secure the
support of himself and wife. The neigh
bors with one accord pronounce him to have
been a quiet, peaceable man, with no bad
habits and govd neighbor. His wife, too,
had no marked qualities of character which
were bad. She and her son had lived on
the most friendly terms till the advent OF
the new wife, little more than year ago.
She then seemed to be jealous Of her, and
begrudged any expense which the young
man incurred on her behalf. She had COM
planned to the neighbors of the " French
clock" which her son had introduced into
the family, the wife being Of French de-
scent, which undoubtedly the young man
heard Of