, 1879-05-03
CRIMINAL NEWS.
A Tale Of Horrible DepfaVity from
Pocasset. Near Boston.
Heartless Butchery Of q Dau glitter
by a Religious Fanatic.
He Runs a Knife Through Her that
She May Rise from the Dead.
The Extraordinary Luck Of a Prisoner
In the Jail ut Portage, Wfs.
Interesting Scheme Of Two Wretohes Yes
to-day Convicted at Boston.

| ~As~&~~~~~Nf3 NVH~VAA"V ~Ns
to-day Convicted at Boston.
/ STRING UP THIS 5rruaRo, &
Special Dtspasch to The 7s1oune.
BosroN, Mass May 2-The people Of Cap
Cod are greatly excited over the most inhuma
murder Of little girl b. her father In Pocasset
part OF the Town OF Sandwich, sixty miles iron
here, yesterday. The mother was cousentn
party. Charles j. Freeman, the father, is
Second Adventist, and says the Lord told hin
to commit the murder, and the child vii
come to life Sunday morning. For thirty
SIX hours, he says, 1t had been impressed
on him that he must kill one Of his family, bu
he was doubtful whether it should be himself
wife, the older girl or the little girl. Finally
he made it clear 1t must be the little girl. HI
did not tell his wife at first, but at 2 yesterda.
morning he told her what he was going to do
They TALKED 1t over, agreed it was right, and
] then kuelt and prayed over it. Both then wen'
| to the room where the two little girls were
| sleeping, and, after looking at them some min.
| utes, he went to his shop and got large
sheath-knife, singing all the way out and back,
and meyer 1eeling so happy Us then. He coo1ly
turned the bec-clothes down to expose The child,
bis wife standing by, and stabbed her III the
left side. She turned towards him, lifted up
] her arms, aud sad "Oh, father!" and be then
] held her in his arms till she died, five minutes
! afterwards. She was only years old. The
! older Girl partly awoke, and the mother carried
| her out Of the room before she knew OF her
! SISTERS DEATH and she does not know OF It
now. Freeman then got into bed with the
dead child In his arms. and stayed till after
daylight. On the HaY to the station for
bis mail be met brother Adventist, and asked
him to notify all Adventists In the neighborhood
Of meeting at his house in the afternoon.
They came, supposng It was a farewell meeting
before Freeman went on tour Us a preacher.
In the meeting Freeman told the whole story OF
killing the child, and showed the body to them,
and they kept the affair q secret. The murder
leaked out through young girl. who was
present, and who last night WAS seen in appar-
ent distress by Constable. 4 little question
ing revealed the whole affair, but Pocasset is so
destitute OF means Of COMMUNICATION that It was
3 o'clock this afternoon before officers from
Barnstable reached the town. The house was
guarded by neighbors from o'clock this morn
ing, and people were badly scared by rumor
that Freeman had guns aud plenty Of ammunt-
tiou, and had threatened. to kill everybody
tn the place. The man and his wife we're arrest
ed without resistance, however, and laken to
Barnstable Jail, shaking hands with friends be-
fore leaving, and seeming to be IN good spirits.
Freeman was noisy during the ride, sang comic
songs, and he and bis wife talked freely togeth-
er, aud evidently we're not sorry for the deed
freeman says he. Is not insane, and all
Adventists say the same thing OF
him. At any .rate, he Is sane and
collected tonight. He asks all who do not be-
lfeyc in God to come to his house Sunday, and
they will see wonderful works. The child would
be raised, and would help him preach. he says
be never felt so teuderly to his children as on
Wednesday night when they we're put to bed |
He kissed them aud played with them,
and hoped before he struck the futal !
blow God would stay his hand as be !
did Abraham's, but, since the death OF the |
child, revelation has come to him, anu IT, the |
resurrection does not take place he will despair
On the train this afternoon he addressed the
forty passengers iu Justification of bis deed. /
Ho was formerly q shoemaker in Lynn,
then a.. Methodist itinerant, and about
eighteen months ago joined in Second Advent
revival crazc since when he has the idca that he
aud lis wife must awake the world to sense Of
its wtckcdness, as new d;spcnsation is near.
The excitement On the Cape is yery great, and
strong feeling is shown towards all Adyentists
To the Western Associated Pres.
BosTos, May 2-Charles 4. Freeman, Of
Pocasset, Mass, yesterday killed his 5-year old
laughter. The man is Second Adventist, and
las been attending revival meetings. About
week ago he claimed to have received 'wop-
lcrfu1 revelation,'' aud has not eaten or slept
ncc. He says the Lord directed him to sacri-
ice his little daughter, and declares She will
Use again in three days. Yesterday morn-
ny >he sent word to the nciehborhood he
rould make revelation known, and offer
rthodox sacrifice. In the afternoon q
lumber Of Second Adventists assembled at his
ousc, but the child had then been killed. The
title one was trans6xed with knife, and her |
lood poured out upon table, improvised as an
ltar. Freeman has driven every one from the
ouse, and locked and barred the doors and |
'iudows, and, having firearms, threatens death
, any Que who iuterferes. Alone with the dead
hild, he goes through horrible incantatfons, +
hich he says in three days will result in. the !
resurrection Of my beloved child"
BosToN, May 2-Furthcr particulars Of the
ocasset tragedy state that Freeman Is q mall
,rrier at Pocassct between the railroad station
i'd the Post-Oflicc; that he woke lis wife :
; $3.50 Thursday morning and told her be ! : :
! >
'ungcst daughter. lie got up, and took the | +
lid from her bed, and stabbed her in the side
ith butcher-kuife. Ills wife said it was all
sht, and that Abrsham would raise her nert
1ndaX Freeman says tile child gave one s
reaul, and died in minute. Ii
1t is stated that the Second Ad7enttsts held n Il
Getting at hls house the same evening, a,d ap- c
ared to wish the affair kept quiet. Freeman
rried the mail as usual, and showed no stgps
insanity. The cause appears to be religious
ciscmcus a1one.. II
He is uow at bis residence in charge of Officer d
'dding and DR.. Wood, OF Pocasset. Freeman ci
formed reporter to-day that he was told by oil
I'd to offer Edith, bis young and beautiful ct
aghter, as sacrifice to God, aud he did 50. + ST
God would not stay his hand, her had to do If
3 communal. He suid God would Justify him =
his act. '<
* is
THE ATLANTA TRIAL. vs
Epeesal Dtspatch to The Tttbuns ~
ATLANTA, Ga, May 2.-The defendants F.
1nsel in the Cox murder case are thought to Sc
vc introduced their strongest witnesses to- OF