Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-02-02
MURDER IN VERMONT.
A Fiend Murders his Wife, Father
and Mother.

Boston, February l. a special to the Herald
from East Lyndon, VI, states that Silas Wilder,
resident of that town, killed his father and mother
this morning with an axe, and cut his wife
throat. He then hung himself in the barn. The
wife is still alive. No additional details yet.
ST. Johnsbury, February /. The quiet little
village of East Lyndon was thrown in the widest
excitement about o'clock this morning by the
knowledge of a most horrible and dastardly dou-
bic murder committed in lis very midst. The
facts, as lar as can be ascertained are follows
Silas Wilder, farmer resided at East Lyndon, to-
gcther with his father and mother 1t seems he
had bought a rair of overals, and the shoulder
straps being rather long, had asked KS wife to
shorten them. She did So but on them too >n"r;,
which maddened him and he gaA aou.Ins hei,
when his mother, aged 10, intcGiered. Where
upon W Wider being further exasperael, started
for the wood she'd His wife, fearing he was in-
tending injury TO them, started after him and
overlook him in the wood-shed. He turned upon
her and picked up lying sear. She caug ht
at the axe, to interfere with his going into the
house with it. His father, hearing the noise, went
to sec what it was, when the son said, eff | can
| not put a stop to tbs with axe, ! can with my
knife" lie then drew a large di,k from his
pocket and struck her tremendous blow, cutting
terrible cash across the breast, afterwards srik
ing another blow the left eye knocking
her senseless to the ground. He then hit his
father on the head, which felied him. The
mother, seeing the atfray, thought she would call
help from the neIghbor-, if she could. She pro-
cured large dlnaer horn, went to the front yard
and blew ii.
The son heard her and went for her and struck
her with the three or four times in the neck,
nearly severing her head from the body, and left
her lying in her blooi, and returned to finish
the father and wife. When be got TO the shed he
found his father had gone into the back kitchen
from The shed and was lying the floor. lie
started for him and the poor Old man unable to de-
fend himself was at the mercy of his own SON.
He raised the axe and sunk it through the top of
his fathers head into the floor 18th such force he
was unable TO remove the and left it as it
was
He then returned to the shed and found that his
wife had recovered somewhat and was starting
for the nearest house to procure help He started
for her. She escaped and succeeded in reaching
the neighbors.
Finding himself defeated in this place. he went
to the barn and cut his own throat. Fearing he
had not cut enough to Kill himself, he went and
took the rope from behind the horse and started
for the high beams. He fixed the rope around
the beam and threw himself thcrefrom and broke
his neck, The murderer 80, the wife about
-, while the father and mother were aged - and
| 70 spectvely.
The widest excitement prevails 1t is thought
by some that he wanted to rid himself of the old
people, 10 supporting them and to secure
their properly. Others think he was in a fit, as
he was subject to such, and in the frenzy of his
| wrath had no know ledge of the extent of the
crime