Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1880-02-28
Saturday, Feb. 2Sth 1880.
TERRIBLE DOUBLE TRAGEDY IN
CORINTH.
A Paupsr ON the Town Farm Mur"er'
Another Pauper and then cuts
his own Throat.

ms VWh
On Thursday morning, the l9th,
the usually quiet neighborhood OF
Corinth was startled by the an-
nouncement of u terrible tragedy
that had taken place at the Town
Farm, which lies little South OF
the center of the town.
just after breakfast, while three
aged paupers and a little girl we're
sitting around the stove one OF
them, ArOn FERN, asked where the
sharp Ak was, and when informed
that it was in the wood shed he
went for it, and began sharpening
it with milestone. He was asked
what he was going to do, and re-
piled "chop some WOOD" which he
sometimes did. After sharpening
the AK, he by stealthy movement
advanced upon William Terrill, all
old man aged about 70 years, who
sat looking out of the window, and
dealt him blow in the neck which
nearly severed the head from his
body. The other old man, Mr..
James Litch, aged 80 years, sprang
forward and caught his arm as the
ak was raised for a second blow,
but was not able TO prevent it and
tie ak descending second time
cut a fearful cash in his head.
Mr.. Craggy, the keeper of the
Town Farm, was in an adjoining
room, and rushed in and assisted in
disarming Ferrin. Ltch then said
to him, "come with me to your
rOOm," and lie went. Mr.. Craggy
at once started for Overseer Perley
Hastings, who lived in the next
house, near by, and when they re-
turned they of course found Terrill
dead, and after Strengthening him
out on the floor, they went to Fer
rims room where they found him
lying OH his bed with his feet
toward the head, and with a deep
cash in one side Of his neck, he had
bled profusely but was able to talk.
They left him for few minutes,
and on returning found him dead
with cash in the other side of his
neck which severed the jug4lar
vein, and his razor was lying be-
side him.
TerriIl never moved after he fell
from the first blow, he simply
moaned "Oh, DEAR" gasped once or
twice and was dead, The blood
spurted over the walls and floor,
and the whole scene presented one
of the most ghastly spectacles ever
witnessed in this section.
The two corpses were buried OH
Friday. Ferrin was a native OF
Corinth, came of a good family,
and his mother died only two years
ago aged 9S years. He was a hall
brother of Mr.. Granville Powers OF
Corinth. He was rather wild as q
youth and grew up a rowing char
acter. He went to sea when a
young man, and landing at the
Sandwich Islands, he married a ma
tive woman and had two daugh'
ters by her. BE finally tired of thai
life, left his family and came bach
to the q. 8. where he has roved
about, at times drinking charac
ter, till he finally brought up OF
the Corinth Town Farm.
1t is thought that Ferrin was in'
sane, as he left paper with Litcl
saying that Mrs. Craggy paid more
attention to Terrill than she did tt
him, and he could not staud it an.
longer, and as he had got to kil
Terrill, he had also got to kill him
self or else be hung, and he woul'
not be hung. He had also beel
telling frequently about his dream
or "visiOns" as he called them, an
that some one was going to dl
suddenly there soon, and 1t woul'
probably be him, and sometimes b
had limited that he was afraid som
one would be murdered there; bu
he was not thought to be sufficient
ly insane to be dangerous.
Terrill was an Englishman VIII
had no relatives or friends in thi
section 80 far as is known. >He wa
a transient poor person and hal
pened to drop down upon the COl
! inth poor farm. Ferrin's age wa
76 years aud TerrilPs 79. years.
There was great excitement
Corinth and adjoining towns, an
!. hundreds flOcked to the scene
d the tragedy during the day and I'll
next forenoon.