The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-31
TRAGEDY In NEW JERSEY.
4 COLORED MAN's ATTEMPT TO MURDER
AN ENTIRE HOUSIsHOLD.


Peter Nixon Aroused from Bed and shot
Down In his Door-The Murscrer's Mifc'-
Fearful strusgie-uis Daughters Escape.
FLEM1NGToN, ~ j., May 30.-Pctcr Nixon,
n colored man Of forty. has for some years cul
tivated little farm on Sourland Mountain. a
dreary spot some eight miles from Pennington.
No section in New Jersey bears So had n reputa-
ton as this for crime and murder. and only
Nixon and n few colorcd people have dared to
live there. Several murders have alroady been
committed thcre-one within six months.
Nixons house Is n little one and half story
building. having two rooms on the ground floor
and an attic. II stands hidden among trees. a
long distance from the road. Some time ago
Nixon. being widower. induced comoly
young colored woman, Elizabeth Peterson. TO
keep house for him. and takc care Of his little
son. Her parents lived in New Hope. Pa.
twelve miles away. Stories reached tho parents
that Nixon was living with their daughter rs
his wife, and about three weeks ago the girls
mother left her husband. Benjamin Peterson.
ostonsibly to make visit to her daughter.
After her arrival ut Nixon's the wifc heard
nothing from her husband. and set no time for
returning to him.
Last evening Peterson quilted New Hope. He
was tired Of waiting for his wife to come home.
and gave himself fully up 10 the jealousy that
he began to fe0l after she had been away only n
week. His preparations were very simple.
With all the money that he had he bought half
pint Of whiskey and little powder. He had
not enough money to buy shot ~ he broke
some tenpenny nails into small pieces and with
an old single barrellcd muskct ON his shoulder
ne started for Souriand Mountain H. drank
heavily In the first part Of his Journey TO norve
himself for the deed that ho had decided TO DO.
He walked very slowly. and II wss after two
o'clock this morning when he reached tho grove
a hlN lLyn
hours in walking twelve miles Then he stopped
and loaded his gun, putting in n handful Of the
and Peterson was afraid that the beast might
jump upon him when he was not prepared for
brush to the house. The bowling Of the dog
awoke Nixon, who WIS sleeping in tho attic
with his boy but Mrs Peterson and her daugh-
ter. who wcrc sleeping together down stairs.
were not awakened. Standing under the little
attic window. Peterson. N hoaTse voice.
though in Distress Helloa Nixonl"
Who's there shouted Nixon. rs he thrust
his head from the window
Come down quick and see. was the res ponse.
Nixon withdrew his head, and Peterson saw.
q minute after that he had lighted a lamp. and
steps lcd from me ground tothc door lctef-
son. IA he heard Nixon fumbling AZ the lock.
got on the lower step and ! laced the gun 10 his
shoulder. after cooking tho hammer Nixon ~
last got the door OPEN and. holding ny the light
90 ae 10 give Peterson Just the chance h.wshrd
| Tor pe.red out into the darkness. Paterson
| levelled the barrel at the left temple and prob
ably before Nixon recognized him. Tired. Nixon
| turned, staggered back q stop or two. and tho
lamp falling from his hand was oXtinguished
NIXON fell ON his facc on the floor.
He did not move after falling, and Peterson nj
| once reloaded his gun. Then he looked for his
| wife and daughter. who wore awakened 10y the
report OF the gun. Mrs. Peterson knew In IN
instant who wns outs ido and she told her laugh
| ter that Peterson had come To- kill them all. The
| daughter Jumped from the bed AMI blew ont
g THn mat she aw9yf kept burning al night.
| She heard her father in the hall and in terror
crawed under the bed Then she heard him
| calling. There is little window in this bed
| room hardly foot square The daughter IN
| large woman. and yet. in her terror. she man
| aged to crawl through this window and drop on
| her faco 10 the ground. In her night clothes
and barefootcd she ran over rocks aud IN rough
| underbrush about half mile 10 the nearest
Meanwhile the mother had crawlcd between
ne mattresses Of the bed; and she, soon heard
| the bed and fc, his wife under the mattress
Get out Of that he shouted; " I'll shoot you
| right there 4 you don't
:, Get out. then. where can see YOU
With a quick motion Mrs. Peter sprang 10
| the floor. darted past her husband. and ran into
the field. Peterson was 81 hcr heels, and She
had run only few feet before he seized her and
| threw her violently 10 tho ground
, save me-. for heavens sake. Don't shoot
Benjamin she shrieked but Just aa she said
| the words the man fired. His aim was bad aud
the charge graZed her forehead and cheek
making hesh wound. but The muzzle Of tho
=
had not Killed his wife, Pressing on her body
gun. but could NOT. for Tor Mrs Petdrs oHD was vas
| muscular woman and struggled violently. He
several iim me-, got powder into his hand, tut
| der in the gun. Mrs. Peterson saw what he was
| doing. and made desperate efforts 70 FOIL him.
| Thus husband and wife struggled for several
minutes. Then PetcrsOn's hand touched the
| flesh wound on his wifc's face, and he evidently
| learned for the first time that his wife was
| wounded "A
| took "A knife from his pocket, opening both
blades, one at each end, and said;
| Well, wife. We may as wei die together"
| just he said this Mrs. Peterson got away,
and although he followed her, he was not abcto
catch up with her before she got out Of hiz sight
| in the darkness. Then he thrust tho larger
| blade Of the knife into his throat severing the
| to the ground aud lay there until he was found
| by neighbors at + o clock this morning. These
neighbors, to whom Mrs. Peterson and her
venture ont nj night, hut when i bccnme light
| enough they cautiously went TO Nixon house.
| They found him on the floor whore ho fell. The
| left side OF his head mad been blown completely
| of and pieces Of bone were found on the rear
| wall fourteen feet away, but tho man was not
| for a worry faint pulse and few conyuslye
| twitchings OF the legs gave no slgn Of life. He
continued In this condition all day, hut Just be-
| fore evening the pulse was almost impercepti-
bic, and he must die before morning.
Peterson was found wet with rain and bleed
| ing. but conscious and even able Ia speak. on
his person were two letters addressed TO the
| public They were short and expressed the
hope that God would render judgment to those
who broke W his homo and would bless his
| soul. Revivlng about noon. Peterson talked "a
little. He said that he started from Now Hope
| with the intention of killing Nixon. Mrs. Peter
son. Jack Phillips. a cOlored man, whom he
suspected OF intimacy with his wife and Of
then going to Pennsylvania and killing Jim
Guess. another man whom ne SUSPECTED. Then
for what he had DONE and manifested no inter
| est I'm the condition Of Nixon or his wife,
Last evening Peterson was brought from
| Sourland Mountain 10 Pennington by the
sheriff and lodged in Jail. lie had n large
he was flint from exposure and lack Of care
| during the day. great throng collected
around the Jail as he was taken from the
| wagon, and there were shouts Of " Hang himl'
| " Show him upl' Let's have himl" but under
| strong guard he was taken safely into tha
Jail. His wound is serious, but not necessarily
| fatal.
| CaROTSIyG OVPR CORPSE