Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-11-18
INF4NTICIDE.
Heartiess Father Deliberately
Murders HIS Newborn Child ana
Places Its Body In am Old Pig Pen


Murders HIS se,s-Born Child an.
Places Its BOdy In am Old Pig Pen
Special Correspondence Of State Journal
ELEToN, Nov. 17.-Three hundred yard
from Bay View tavern, where recently al
almost fatal stabbiDg affray took place, a
reported in EVERY EVENING, is situated
the residence of Nathan Tyson small
frame structure, surrounded with bushes
IL the owner is sane and possessed of gooG
Judgment il Was the scene, last Saturday
OF the crueest murder ever perpetrated IL
Cecil county.
On that Jay Tysoh'5 wife gave birth {,
a h1c, health looking female child. III,
neiRhbOEs knew that tho birth ~ss sbuu
10 occur and sought to render assistance
knowing that the family were in abjec
poverty. But their offers were rejected
by Tyton and they We're refused admission
to the house.
Yesterday morning as Constable DeFort
ot North e 'st was passing through Bay
View he was appraised OF the facts ant
urged to forcibly enter the house. Pro.
curing warrant for the arrest OF Tyson
on suspicion the cfti1ef visited his house,
accompanied by number of persons, and
soon learned the awful fact that Tyson had
killed his own child. Three doses OF
laudanum had done the deadly work.
Tyson at first said that he had buried
tho body, but being pressed to deliver il
up, led the constable aud party outside OF
the house 10 u large store box, formerly
used as pig pen, and there, eramtned in
small box and wrapped with rags, was
the corpse of the infant Squire Joseph
Ber jau4in, acting a. coroner, hsld all in.
quest, at which DR.. Housskeepsr, of
North East, testified that the child did not
die natural death.
The mother, weak from her Illness and
fearful Of her husband, testified only when
she was ASSURED that the latter was not
near. Her statement WAS that the child
only lived IL hours that it took pourish-
ment from her twice and that after giving
it two dases of laudanum while IL lay "a
her bed, the father removed il TO another
bed, where he adm.nisle cred the third aud
last desc. Mrs. Tyson also deposed that
her husband had threatened, before the
birth of the cEild, To kill il. The jury
rendered verdict In accordance with
these facts, AID Tyson YVES committed to
Jail.
The accused entered freely into CONVEX
sation with u representative OF EVERY
EVENING, who visited him in his cell last
night, and gave his version of the upfor-
tuDete occurrence. He expressed the be-
lief that his neighbors, who had been so
Jealous in working up the case against
him, would not hesitate to 20 SO far as to
have hn hung but no felt completely
innocent of wrongd0ing, aud declared
that ne was moved by parental feeling in
his treatment of the Infant. He WAS not
able, he said, 10 go after q physician, or TO
summon assistance, when bis wife took
sick, but kindly aided her himself as best he
could. The infant, ia his opinion was
weak, and yellow matter ran from its
Dostrls. Twies 1t took its mothers breast,
but the last time did not seem to have
sufficient strength to draw nourishment.
He then gave it eight or ten drops of
iaudaDum, ms his judgment from expert
ence dictated, and at intervals Of three or
four hours repeated the dose. He also
soaked bread crusts in sweetened warm
water and gave the babe tue water; but it
was all of no avail. The infant would
die any how" he thought. The laudanum
last dose life was extinct.
The child WAS darker il appearance
ethan it might have been" said the
accused father, but he explained the
cause and removed all ground for belief
that lie doubted the fidelity of his wife.
As to threatening to kill the child, he
never did, and he hoped God might never
allow him to get of his couch if he ever
did. He bad sli the affection of father
for his offspring and wished that the child
had lived.
Questioned as to his relations with his
wife, ho declared that they had always
been pleasant His neighbCrs said that
he did not treat her kindly, but ne had
done all he could for her and at times
exertgd himself more than his health per-
milted to provide for his family.
Tyson says that he made tue box him-
self in which he first placed the child and
that he did not remove it from the house
until yesterday morning. lie desired to
get sotue ope to taks the body to the
uaion Church aud bury ii, hut could not
succeed.
Though not a member Of church now,
rs he Uno3 was, the accused man pro-
fessed readiness u die and his resignation
TO his fate whatever it might be- He said
with emphasis and evident emotion, ~
would not regret to die Tonight. | am of
no use 10 myself or my family. Prov
depce would take care OF my wife and
children" Sheriff Logan interrupted the
prisoner in his denunciation of his neigh
bors with the remark thet he knew they
had been kind to him. "0h, l know
some of them nave beer,' said Tyson in
reply.
Il was plain, however, that ho lGbored
under the impression that euemies had
plotted his trouble, in order TO separate
him from his wife and children. He wore
a Gej seted look and sat osTelessly on his
cot. He was deliberate in his thought
often thinking twice before speskirg once,
aud saying nothing that would establish
his guilt Of the awful crime. Those who
knew him could detect little change 10 his
mgunsr. Had he not said that he did not
expect to ''sleep wink" his interviewer
would have supposed tLat he was autie-
pating n full nights rest.
Neither Tyson nor his wife were ever
bright in intellect He is
about As years old she is oiuch younger
Until recent years he worked indussriously
aud was regarded in the neighborhoud as
a well-to-do laborer. Ha is now, and has
been for sometime a sufferer from asthma,
and depended almost wholly upon the
earnings Of his wife and the Small pen
sion he receives from til Government,
for wounds sustained at the battle OF
Winchester.
.