Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-17

SAN RAFAEL, November 16sh.-The little
community about Marshall was Mortified las,
Monday morning by the discovery that 6
most shocking tragedy had taken place at the
Prince ranch, just over the hill from the
village, towards Tomales. Last Sunday
when the boy from the Marshall Hotel went
to Mrs. Princes house for milk, he found nc
one at home. The next morning it was The
same, and the lad reported that he saw blood
on the steps OF the house, which the dogs
were licking up, and the cows were lowing
and troubled, showing that they had beer
neglected. The occupants of the house were
Mrs. Prince and Herbert Osborn, who
worked for Mrs. Prince.
DISCOVERY OF THE TRAGEDY.
On hearing this, S. Ephriam and Felix
Garcia went to the house, and found the door
fastened, though the key was on the outside.
They looked in at the bedroom window, and
were Mortified to see Osborn dead on the
bed, his body nude except an undershirt,
and his features showing that he had passed
through terrible suffering. Passing around
to the kitchen. and looking through another
window, still more narrowing and awful
spectacle was revealed. Prone on the floor,
which was covered with blood and strewn
with various heavy kitchen articles, lay the
mangled corpse of Mrs. Prince, her skull
crushed in, her neck nearly severed by a blow
from an ak, horrid cash across her face by
the same instrument, and everything in the
room telling of fearful and bloody encoun-
ter. Mr.. Ephraim Immediately telegraphed
to Coroner Eden and Sheriff Maron, and
Felix Garcia and Henry Wise were depu-
tized by the citizens to guard the premise
until the officers should arrive. The news Of
the frightful discovery soon few about the
neighborhood, and multitudes focked to the
place, only to be mortified by the awful spec
tacle within.
THE SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY.
Mr.. N. j. Prince owned and lived upon
that ranch many years. At the time of his
marriage to the woman now dead, he decided
born to them. The union was a stormy one,
and finally, year or two ago, their trouble
eliminated in separation, when MIR. Prince
sold her his half of the property, and took
the children and went to Washington Terri.
tory, where he now lives. The young man,
Herbert Osborn, son of Levitt Osborn, one Of
the good and substantial citizens of Tomales,
had worked as farm hand for Mr.. Prince,
and gossip coupled his name improperly with
that of Mrs. Prince before the separation, but
whether with good cause is not known. Os.
born remained on the ranch working for
Mrs. Prince until the tragedy. He was only
"a years of age, and has always been esteemed
good young man, except as to the liaison
intimated above. There were no living wit.
nesses to the facts of the double tragedy, but
the dumb lips of the dead told the appalling
facts with unerring certainty. It is matter
of common fame that the two often qua,.
relied violently.
THE LAST QUARREL,
Ending in the death of both, must have
occurred Saturday night about tes
time. as supper was found ready
on the table, but untouched. The
kitchen was in confusion. A heavy
frying-psn was on the floor, the bowl in one
place and the handle broken off, and having
some of the woman's hair twisted around it,
in another. A pair of overalls lay on the
floor wet. They had evidently been washed
out to cleanse them of blood. The bloody ak,
from which the woman received several
blows, was stuck in the ground at the wood
pile at The door. Osborn's body showed nc
signs of the fight. There was not fresh mark
or scratch on him. Saturday night, after
Osborn had committed the fatal deed, he
went down to Ephraim & Kowalsly's store
and bought trunk, looked at some clothes
bought some strychnine, and went home
Nothing unusual in his demeanor was OBJ
served, yet he must then have been strug
Cling with his emotion. What should he do
Whittier should he go All was dark before
him! He sought the quiet of death. Lying
dowa on the bed of his victim, he took por
ton of the poison he had bought, and how
long he suffered will never be known.
VERDICT OF THE coRoNER's JURY.
The verdict on Mrs. Prince was that she
was q native of Ireland, about 45 years q
age, and came to her death from blows in
ficted with an ak by Herbert Osborn ant
on Osborn. that he died of strychnine, witt
suicidal intent.