Connecticut western news., 1878-08-22
The Execution of John Ten EVck,

There are many Wno will read this paper who will wildly recall the thrill of hor- TOT which passed through quiet Sheffield, when it was announced on the morning of Nov. 3Oth, that worthy old couple, whose lives had been full of years, honest toll, and good will to men, had been brutally butchered in their own home, by some unkn own assassin, and left in their gore, and an attempt made to burn the building to hide all traces of the perpetrator. So we have deemed it in order, as something for preservation, to briefly review, in connec- tion with the execution of John Ten Eyck, the crime, and sketch of the life of the fiend, (for such he was), who breathed his last breath on the scaffold at Pittsfeld Friday forenoon.
 THE CRIME.
 A little way out from Sheffield village, lived Mir. and Mrs. David Stillman, one of the most respected old couple in that town. MT. s. was g carpenter by trade, and had by economy, saved up 8 little money, owned the little farm upon which he lived, and in the decline of life, nearly down to it's close, was enioyirg the fruits of the honest toll which had character ized all his years. We have yet to learn, that in all his acquaintance, there was one to doubt his honesty, his piety, or his good wishes for the prosperity of all about him. quiet, un- obtrusive old gentleman, then, was David Stillman, and one whose tragic death will live long in the memory of the people of Shelf field,
 His wife, Sarah, was fitting companion, 8 tidy housewife, kind neighbor, and known for her sunny disposition, and many acts of kind ness among her neighbors. She was a few years younger than her husband, and his sec- ond wife. Both were devoted members of the Methodist church in that town, and it's most prominent pillars. They lived alone, the two sons, one clergyman, and the other book keeper in the village, being both grown up, had gone out into the world for themselves Their home was peaceful and quiet, as .many another farm house is. There were neigh bors near, and yet 50 open were their daily lives, that they had no occasion to hide them selves behind heavy curtains at night, but the light of their evening lamp could easily be seen through the window pane, every evening, On the morning after Thanksgiving, or rather early evening, John Carey, Jr. 8 lad of fifteen, whom Mr.. s. had employed to do his chores, was mortified on entering the house, not recei- wing any answer to his footstep in the kitchen, ~~A~~ From the ghastly wounds on his head, and 8 bloody axe lying at the side. It needed no re- ffection to convince him that bloody scene had been enacted there the night before, and he at once alarmed the neighbors. On their return, & search was made of the house, and that revealed the fact that 8 double tragedy had been wrought. for, at the foot of the cellar stairs, lay Mrs. Stillman, her head bearing the wounds inflicted by the same bloody axe which had dealt the fatal blow to her husband, cold in the embrace of death. It was the most bru- tai affair in all this region, and many who saw the victims will bear it's memory as long as life lasts. On the table in the sitting room. was pail of butter, the steelyards which had evidently been used in weighing it, pitcher containing cider, and the patch work on which she had been sewing, while her husband was undoubtedly reading to her while she was thus employed. Further examination re- vealed the fact that an attempt had been made to fire the house kerosene had been sprin- kled on the stairs and stairway, leading to the garret, paper had been saturated, and fired, but it doesn't take 8 very wide stretch of i'm aginstion for one to believe it to be an inter- vention of the divine hand to stop the flames, and thwart the designs of him who had thus thought to cover his bloody work by the torch.
 THE SUSPICION
 at once fell on John Ten Eyck, colored man who had lived in 6 little house near the Still mans since the previous April. His reputa- tion was ra ther unsavory he was addicted to drink, and had made threats against this same couple only few weeks before. He had been in the village that day, and was known to be under the influence of liquor. When al 5 o'clock Thanksgiving night, young John Ca. rey was returning to his home from Stillmans he met this Ten Eyck, who asked him if they had any butter to sell, and if they had com pany; g MT. Holmes also saw him pass, an6 had spoken to him. Later in the evening he had been in the drug store, had bought hail dye, quantity of liquor and some cigars. Al one Nat. Johnsons he had exhibited money which he claimed he had taken from two tramps who had assaulted him, and at Nat Johnsons he had remained over night. He was arrested on the following morning, and ta ken to the house where he claimed not to rec ognize MT. StilIman, whose bloody remains Ia. before him. Upon him was found sum O. money, which he claimed he had recieved from his brother, in a letter from New Haven with which to purchase butter, but by calcula ting his purchases. it was found to agree ex actly with the amount, 8 son of MT. Still man had paid the old gentleman only da. or two before. John Ten Eyck was suspect ed man, and no evidence or trace has as ye been found pointing to any other man. H' was arrested, and it was with difficulty tha he was not lynched then, and there. The at tempt to carry out that object, at the prelimi ary examination in Burlington, afterwards when it required the busiest work, entirely ol the part of the sheriffs, who only kept thu crowd at bay, by cooked revolvers, their es cape and hurried drive to Van Deusenville and thence to Pittsfeld are all fresh in mem | ory, and need no repetition here.
 THE TRIAL.
 At the January term of the superior court the grand jury found bills of indictmen against John Ten Eyck, for murder in the frs degree, and 8 few weeks later he was arraign ed before Judge Colt of the superior court 1 when he pleaded not guilty, and his trial wa set down for May IS. Hon. N. W, Shores o Lee, and H. c. Joyner Esq, of Ct. Harrington | were assigned as counsel, but at the openin, of the case, the latter was unable ta go on witl it, and Hon. s. W. Bowerman was substituted the government being represented by Attor l ney general Train and District attorney Leon ard of Springfield. The trial lasted thre <! days, and was attended by crowds every day During it all the prisoner was apparently COG and collected, and his defense was conducte
 with as much ability as though the client hat been worth million dollars. The jury wa one of the best ever seen in Berkshire county
 who gave the case the most patient and carefu
 deliberation. Judges Colt and Ames presided
 The number of witnesses was large, and eacl
 was brought in and testified separately. Tn