Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-17
a FARMHOUSE TRAGEDY.
Crazed Husband Murders His Young
Wife and Himself-LOcked IN Each
Others Arms

Other's Arms.
Last Saturdays MORNING NEWS CON.
tanned briet statement of the farm-hOnse
tragedy at Jerseytown, Columbia county.
Penn. The following account is taken
from the Philadelphia Press of the 18th:
"Ihe quiet farming village of JERSEY
town, Columbia county, is stirred to its
depths by an awful crime. William Run
van, prosperous young farmer, at least
nine days ago cut the throat of his recent
~ welded wife and, taking her bleeding
body IN his arms, cut his own Locked in
the bloody embrace of death, their decom-
posed bodies were discovered only yester-
day afternoon. There is every indication
that the slayer of his wife and himself
was the victim of hereditary insanity.
The tragedy brings grief into some of the
best families of the county.
"William 'Runyan was married last
March to a daughter of c. Kramer, an
extensive lumber merchant, and an owner
OF over 1000 acres of the best land in the
county. He is now engaged in business
in JerseytOwn. The young couple were
given farm two miles outside of the viii
lage by the wife's wealthy father. So far
as neighbOrhOOd gOssips knew, they lived
happily. On Wednesday afternoon OF
last week they visited the house of Mr..
Kramer, the wlfe's father, and after MAX
ing some purchases at the store in Jer-
Seyt0Wn, returned to their home.
UNDISCOVERED FOR NINE DAYS
1T IS an appalling commentary upon
the isolated life which even the more
prosperous of the farmers lead, that since
that time, though nothing had been seen
OF them, their absence was unnOticed un-
I'll yesterday afternoon. A brother of
Mrs. Runyan, the murdered wife, went
to the house the day after their visit to
.iHfGnVt0NVn. Il III aG hn Io
locked, he supposed they were making
visit, and returned to his home. Day
after day passed; the house was silent,
and told no tale to a casual pasSer. The
cows moaned for food in the barn: other
live stock rOamed untended in the fields.
~ 4esterday, however, a neighbOr nOtic-
ed that the horses and cattle were hud-
died together in the pasture during a
heavy rain. He knew that William Run
yam was careful farmer, and much per-
picked, he went to the house. 1t was
locked. Almost dazed, the neighbor went
to the barn, where he found the cattle
dead and chained in their stalls. Their
ribs stood gauntly out; they had evidently
starved.
THE HORRIBLE DISCOVERY.
Thoroughly alarmed, he dragged a lad
der to the house, and planted it against
the siding. Mounting to second story
window, he tOnnd husband and wife lying
IN bed locked in each others arms. and
covered with blood. The man raised the
window, but the bodies were in such a
state OF decomposition that 1t was impos-
SIble TO enter the room. An alarm was
sounded, and in few hours the entire
neighborhOOd was aroused. DIR. Truit
was the first to enter the room, but was
compelled to return after having made
the discovery that Mrs. Runyan's throat
a LOT. ts,I
This morning, however, several persons
entered the room. The dead wife lay
folded in the dead husbands arms. The
bed was soaked with blood, which had
OoZed to the floor.
Evidently, a double murder bv anv
one who had entered the house was i'm
possible. 1t was plainly the work of an
insane husband, and this was confirmed
by memorandum found in one of his
pockets, dispOsing of some of his and her
personal effects and stating that he had
committed the deed and that the families
would find out why. Only few days be-
fore the fatal Wednesday, while thresh-
ing in the barn, he told his brother that
there would be funeral before the week
was out. A sister of the murdered wO-
man says that Mrs. Runyan told her that
her husband a few weeks ago said that if
he was to die he wanted her to die with
him.
''The condition of the room clearly indi-
Gated that Runyan had cut his wife's
throat while she slept at his side. After
numbering her he rose and walked about
the room, as there were bloody tracks all
over the floor. Returning to the bed he
had evidently clasped her body in his
arms and then cut his own throat. No
inquest has been held nor is any likely to
be held, as both families are satisfied that
it is case of suicide and murder. Run
vans uncle and grandfather died by their
own hands. His father, when told of the
tragedy, said that he expected nothing
else, as William had been acting strange
ly of late
"Of course, the country people, filled
with morbid curiosity, have been tlocking
to the gloomy house from miles about.
The wife will be buried separately to-mor-
row by her parents, who are distracted by
grief. Runyan's family endure their sor-
row with kind of stOlid despair. To-
morrOw's funeral is expected to attract
crowds from tho putirp county