The Portland daily press., 1879-05-03
A SAD TRAGEDY.
A Father Kills His Child in a
Fit Of Religious Frenzy.
And Threatens to Kill Anybody
Who Attempts to Arrest Him.

NORTH SANDWICH, Mass, May 2.-Some time yes !
terday, Charles f. Freeman of Pocasset in freak of
religious frenzy, killed his fve-years-old daughter
Edith. The man is Second Adventist, and has be-
come greatly excited during the last few days while
attending series Of revival meetings. About week
ago he claimed to have received wonderful revela
tion and has not eaten slept since. He says that
the Lord directed him to sacrifice his little daughter
and declares that she will rise again in three days.
Yesterday morning he sent word around the village
that he would make the revelation known and offer
an Orthodox sacrifice at O'Clock in the afternoon.
number of the Second Advent people assembled at
his house. Previous to their arrival the horrible
deed was performed with cool deliberations and ac-
companied with what was intended to be an impress
sive religious ceremony. The little one was trans
fixed with knife by insane father, and her blood
was poured out upon table, which was improvised
as an altar.
Those people present at Freeman's house In the af
ternoon refuse to state the circumstances Of the
terrible affair, and it is not known whether the
bloody deed was performed in their presence or
earlier in the day. 1t is intimated that all that
light be told about the tragedy has not yet been re-
veaed.
The mailman has driven everyone from his house,
and has not yet been secured. He has locked and
barred the doors and windows, and being supplied
with firearms, he threatens death to any one who
shall interfere. Alone with his dead, he goes
through horrible incarnation, which he says will in
three days result in the resurrecion of my beloved
child"
The community has been horror stricken by the
awful occurrence, and no one has as yet had the
courage to attempt to secure the maniac.
Freeman is about thirty five years of age, and lives
with his wife and family on his tarm in Pocasset He
has another daughter, about seven years old, Edith
being just five. He has lived in Pocasset about seven
years, and was man in moderate circumstances
He is insane only on this one subject.
(sECoND DEsPATCH)
NORTH SANDWICH, Mass, May 2.-The particulars
of the Freeman tragedy at Pocasset, near as can
be learned, are as follows: Freeman got up at about
two o'clock yesterday morning. and told his wife the
Lord had called upon him to kill Edith. He then
went to his shop near the house and came back with
knife with which he killed the child while asleep
In bed with an older sister. Nothing was known OF
the affair until the members of the society assembled
at the house in the afternoon, when Freeman told
them he had done the deed, "by command OF the
Lord, and that the Lord would raise her again.
The strangest part of the affair is that those who
went to the house in the afternoon should have kept
the matter secret ncarly all of them being so under
the influence of the faith that if not countenancng
the act, they at least trying to shield Freeman.
The resident selectman Of the village did not learn OF
the affair until last night at about twelve o'clock
Freeman is about thirty.four years DID, and man OF
good standing. His wife is equally fanatical and was
| accessory. Medical Examiner Smith aud Deputy
Sheriff Harris of Barnstable are on their way to the
| scene.