The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-20
TRAGEDY IN THE CATSKILLS.
An AGED FdTTER'S DESPERATE At
TEMPT TO MURDER ms SON
Stealing into his Chamber In the Dead Of
Night-The Blow Intended for the Son
Failing ON the Head Of his Eoung wife.

Stealing into his Chamber In the Dead Of
Nighttime BLOW Intended for the Son
Failing the Head Of his y Dung wife.
ELLENvILLE, June 19.-Twclvc miles north
OF this village. among the spurs OF the Cats
kills that overlook the valley Of the Lackawack. !
there was yesterday morning enacted a tragedy |
that should have no place among the simple
people Of this remote region.
Some years ago Frederick Grinnel q Ger |
man. with his wife and family settled in upper |
Lackawack. BY hard work. cutting timber. |
pecling bark and the like. he secured tract OF |
land some fifty acres. which he cleared. He |
was known rs hard working. industrious and. |
like his people. economical. but he was also
called |" an ugly man." aud his irritable temper |
and savage disposition were also we'll known.
As he grew old these dsagreeable characteris-
tics became more pronounced. He frequently
threatened TO kill his wife or any member OF his
family who dsplcascd him. His daughters
married. and his sons left homo. except Leon
ard or Dick" rs he was generally called
Dick was In love with the comedy daughter of
the nearest ncghbor. John Amathor. who lived
a quarter Of n mile to the south. SO he patient
ly remained ON tho farm. and assisted his
father. or worked at pceling bark in tho neigh
boring woods. He developed into lusty
young man six feet and more in height. and
weighing 200 pounds. His father. though "A
large man. hadawholcsome respect for Dick"
and often the latter had occasion to use his
great strength TO restrain MS iather from lhIur-
ing his mother.
The elder Grnnell grew moro and more mo-
rose and dangerous. Two years ago. in a par
oNysm of anger. ho decided TO kill himself, and
swallowed tcaspoonful of arsenic; but the big
dose neutralizcd itself. and he WAS simply very
i'll. Again he seized his gun and threatened 10
Kill his wife but when Dick disarned him he
said h" WIS only going TO Kill himself. About
year ago he decided To- give up hard work. for
n. Nyus thpn sixty wears old md he ,,tv,, his
farm to Dick stipuintiu4, that the latter should
give him and his wife n home ns long NJ they
last married prrty Mary Amathor who was
seventeen years old. AK wears his iui,ior. They
| lived Vrrv hnpuilv tn,Dtipr saw, when The old
man exhibited his Unreasonable and savage
disposition He did this 80 often that DIX dare
not keen gun sRou, The house But Re wanted
hc procured n revolver. with which lie soon be-
came proficient. but which he always carried
WIN 'r 81" WI. NO. ali Grirroll r,ncv.cd
| his threats to killhiS wife Thr cause he gave
was TINT She Ind done some triiliug household
ir a nhs dny wnrm nsr ynmhg
| TIM, Iict sent bis ,notb@r a. lie" with Le,
,i,,,,-i,,, IL, Hr,imr,a,.iiia a s.,r 81 i,. t,,,,
'r,.' , II III @ @ Nv ~ IN 1,
ne SAN thn' DIX W ns gu, v' tile way then ,ne
lttiI., ~, .,,,, ,,,,,,', fii,,,,,,.-,',.l III
% f ts ,E ~" '"unE Nv XXI ,r',,
ihS ler inIse " To- whrn le nAd crown W.,
n,'uS,on'u; NM ~ Guy To- pee peel naIN upon ,nc
TF"JJi,"',., LUZ, 49, i~" ~ hf,, ~, ~
a. ss 49, ''S gu, ~, 80, i ~, INV h tW'', i.'a
M, ~ r ~, ~ b,d ii, ,, , ~, t,
bnr with n c6air f. In. v"up, man went home
IL ",'a -, 49,. ivy, - ~, H. -, -,
ILL.,. 49,, h-,l, ' NJ Ia H., 49,,
| ,.,,,r-r,,,,j ',,I 80, ~, MI f'Tbr IA nm,
| w. ~ -" - i,r, s,oi,."' ~ nii
-" - .i,, -. a., go, ~ -, i.
tt, ~. ~ III y, ,,,it T.. 49, III, NIL 80
IL ~ 49,. - H., 49,. =" ,, - . ~, ~, ,,
-, 49, " L..,i a., - D. 49, Ia, H. ~ ,,
,.t,.r H., a.. 1,t,,L, h., 80 ,., l. ..,,,i -
scream from his Wif, and =, blow ON his arm,
II I'm '' M, ~" a. "a ,', s.r'
', r"i ,rr r,ii,' aroe,,s.I H. ~ w. r.,
J,,L,,.s ,t a., A., 49,, - D., 49,, a.. Ga
80 ',,,J H. nr.J ,,,1'n a. ~" n,.H , ~
,,is,ci H.. ,,. tn, ,i',, 49,, "a ~ lie ,,, t,,h-
MI ,tic ,r,a,,',,' a.. i,,',,,t ,l,, ii
M n'p,.i ~ HI. i,.ty vnun,, man nnd H." WIS
I'm chnL.t I'M, .tti,n,t.-,nu H. tbn me-, :,
Tine thn hir.i man LINES Kocans ,yhn sl.,i
in the neyt room. had slip,ed on his ,T"iis,.1s
a., r,,, mo ~. i,,,ir.,,n, Mr. ,,,ns stiu vi
iu,, his faih.r DiI / iit Won ~ n" asked 81
| th- IA man ye. ,v,inn - v,n. tho nnsyvsr
| lnmn wis lighted There on the h.sI I,v tho
| vounn wife Lnth.d in blood the old man wns on
ihr i1or blood streaming from his lace and
Ii,k F. arm w,,s l,i..llnts a iarre hri,,hf NJ
l,v ON tho bed
! " Run down to Amathor's Jim" said Dick :
| aui Jim Just as he was ran a'ross lots .throug h
stumIs, and over logs. liz was not gone over
| fifteen nuuutH - when he returned. The old
man WIS sitting iu "a chair ia his own room.
MARY lay unions 'ious ON the bed, and her nus
band WIS STRIVING 20 rtauch the blood that
flowed from two great gas IS ia her head.
Mrs. AmatAor' tho wounded girls mother
then arrived. ~ she saw the would-hr muir
derrr sie exclaimed. ON. Mr.. Grunell. what
have You doneF' His answer WIS o. surlnl:
from thu chair with a large butcher knif.. which
be- had obtningd. and To- strike NJ the dls,ra't.d