The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-14
TWO MURDERERS.

w ~ ~ " N0ENEflO.
FREDERICK GRILL AND DANIEL VAN oRDEN TO
III rGIED Tor THEIR LIVES THIS WEEK
rrFoRE SUSSEX COUNTY IN. J.) COURT
rms WEEK THEIR CRIMES GRILL SHAM
MING ISsAxrrY-vAN oRDEy pENIrENr.
NEWTON Oct. IL. 1879.
Frederick erin. who is imprisoned in Sussex
County Jail will be put to trial in the Court Of Oyer
and Terniner tomorrow for the murder OF his
daughter near Hamburg, in this county. in the
month OF June last. Grill has the cell which was
occupied by Jack Hughes. who was hanged at
Newton July 1875. for the murder Of his wife, The
cell is on the lower door of the Jail. and is small
apartment about ten by fifteen feet. strongly made
and very plainly furnished. with an old bed stove
a washtsand aud or two old chairs. When the
HERALp correspondent entered the cell Grill ap
pcarcd to be undergoing an attack Of dyspepsia and
at the same time passing through n variety Of con.
tortions. such jumping about the cell. striking
his head and body against the stone walls. twisting
aud wringing his hands. assuming all manner of
positions. coughing and presenting every appear
ance of painful internal disturbances. He told
me this the usual result consequent
upon eating. and that after his meals he always suf
fcrod such attacks which lasted from half an hour
to more than hour. It is the opinion OF the
jailer and many others that these contortions and
spasns assumed by Grill for the purpose of aus.
tanning plea of insanity. This Is the more espe-
ciay apparent from the fact that when he alone he
IL to MI appearances quiet and undsturbed by inter-
MAJ a nurs .ne pas 49,; summer Kindly dls.
she says that although his actions somewhat
peculiar yet in all her conversations with him his
mind seemed clear ~ bell His memory is strong
and retcntve.
STRANGE HABITS
His claim that ho is dyspeptic Is reasonable GER
tainly. for there is method in 1t. His style OF living
would make q cast iron man dyspeptic. His regular
diet is a compound mixture of stale bread old mo-
lasses, sour milk. lard and vinegar, and he mixes
them strong His dress COMFORTS with his diet.
From the day of his incarceration. and the hottest
days of our hot summer, in q close, sultry
CELL he has been enveloped In = thick. heavy
overcoat, buttoned closely to him. thick pants
around his neck and face completely covering his
mouth. making breathing difficult. and to cap the
request hot fire in his cell week in and week out;
the air has vitality and Is stihing.
NO STATEMENT MAKE
He expressed regret that newspaper men had not
called on him more frequently during his confne-
ment, he had been DESTROYS Of making statements
which, IL published would have been advantageous
to him. but now the approaching trial being
such benefit would be cut Off and publ
cation would do him no good. and therefore he
thought it would not be advisable for HIM to make
any statement. I suggested that many people
thought he was insane aud not responsible After
listeninp attentiycy to the suggestion he groaned
sputtered and went through variety Of facial and
bodily contortions. pounded the stove and bod for
often falsely represented" He was asked If he
membered committing the deed for which he was in
you more about that than can He then said to
me. "I expect to be cleared as much as expect to
live till the trial comes or
CHILL CRIME
Grill is apparently sixty years OF age little above
medium height and weighs about lao pounds. Hi
hair ia white, and he seems to have grown Older
during his Imprisonment. He and his wife fort
number OF years have lived with his daughter Eliza
who was married. Grill was what s known here.
abouts "pettfogger, practising before the JUS
tices Of the peace in his neghborhood for many
years. In his profession he was not dull somewhat
shrewd and had about much law the average
justice of the peace For some time before the
der he had taken dislike to his daughter and was
inclined to abuse her. The murder resulted from
q dispute about a half hushel measure. He wanted
it placed up stairs, aud she desired 1t put in
and then got it and carried it to tho outhouse
and returned to the room where she engaged In
Mrs. Grill looking another direction. Grill got
old musket from tho wall, and, walking up be.
head and the o contents
her in the head. killing her instantly. Mrs:
Grill asked him what he had done, aud
talized him until no couldn't stand it. and
he had put an end TO 1t. He said he was not sorry
for it and assisted his wife in removing the body.
He then to the field and called the husband
OF his daughter. and thon walked toward Hamburg.
stating to those he met that Eliza had had At and
died. He called DR.. Pellet. resident physician
of that place. and told him and others that he had
shot his daughter. He then gave himself up to
an officer and committed to jail It is said he had
often threatened to kill his daughter.
SHOT Ky ACCIDENT.
His first wife is said to have died from the effects
of gunshot and was secretly buried by him. He
said that she had shot herself accidentally Since
he has been in prison he says the shooting of his
daughter was an accident. Mrs. Grill. of course.
other evidence will be sufficient to convict him Of
murder III the first degree Grill will be defended by
Lewis J. Martin. Martin Roscnkrans aud Michael Il.
Kimble.
ANOTHER MURDERER
In the same prison is Daniel Van Orden, who will
be placed trial immediately following Grill for
the killing of his wife at Frankford Plains last june
He is occupying cell about twelve feet square. aud
decent as sauIt. When Van Orden was placed in Jail
he was bloatcd and presented the appearance Of .
man badly used up by, liquor. Nov he is looking
very much better, and his imprisonment seems to
have agreed with him. On being asked IL he had
anything to say through the HERALD he
efforts proved fruitless. Van Orden had a wife and
four small children. and was living in Frankford
township. He served all through the late war and
brave soldier. but on his return from the war
he became dissipated. and in consequences poor and
worthless. and when In drink would frequently
abuse aud maltreat his wife. On the morning OF the
murder he attempted to shoot his wife, but was pre-
vented by two young men. named De Witt and Jen-
kins who were with min. They and Van Orden had
been on long spree and then very drunk.
Later on about noon. according to the story OF his
VAN ordsn whs r recovering eS 0n from ii:
debauch. became angered toward his wife
a and struck her with his hst. telling her to
III the side. She died about five o'clock the next
morning. Mrs. Van Orden and had been In .
weak condition, and was pregnant mt tho time she
was killed She occasionally Joined her husband st
the bottle and this circumstance contributed no
small share toward making Van Orden much worse
than otherwise At the inquest the house presented
most desolate appearance. and doubtless one
of tho most miserable houses in the county. Tho
family was deplorably poor and rarely had enough
to eat, and hardly anything to wear.
REMEMBRANCE ASSAULT.
Van OrCcn SAYS he very drunk and has no roc
objection Of anything that happened from tho time
he became intoxicated until hc became sufficiently
sober to realize that his wife was dead. fow
weeks ago he visited frequently by Mrs. Price.
of Plainheld, who npending tho summer in
Newton and through hcr christian zeal aud Efforts
Van Orden has made u pfofoasion of religion. Ho
seems deeply penitcnt aud told Mrs. prioc that he
was resigned to any punishment tho Court might