Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-03-11
The Virginia Tragedy.
DOMESTIC UNHAPPINESs FOLLOWED BY
MURDER AND SUICIDE.

MURDER AND SUICIDE.
Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-
REcToRTowN, Va, March 4.-The Glas-
cock tragedy in Fauquier county, reported
in The sam exclusively this morning, occa-
sions very much excitement throughout
this section Of the country. The coroner
has examined the case, but no inquest can
determine more than is now known. A
simple narrative of the case is this:
In 1876 GlascOck married Miss Mary
Frazier, daughter of Herod Frazier, Of
Loudoun county. They made their we'd
ding trip to Baltimore. He was twenty
one and she just blooming into woman
hood, belle of the neighborhood, spright-
ly, vivacious, and coquettish. He was the
youngest son of Thos. A. Glascock, one of
the wealthiest landowners of his section.
His father owns and operates over seven
farms. The home place is on the turnpike
which divides Loudoun from Fauquier
county, and is just between Middleburg
and Upperville. When John Glascock
married, his father established him on a COM
Portable place about three miles from Della
plane station. Here he has lived ever since.
He always had fondness for fast horses,
and kept number of them Within the
past two years he had periodically been a
heavy drinker. His. wife was sought in
marriage by several others when he mar
ried her. She brought him some land and
competence. John Glascock has an elder
brother. Bedford, who lives near Rector
town, Fauquier county. His only sister,
who married Robert Fletcher, a large farmer
of Fauquier, died shortly after her we'd
| ding. His entire family is now in Florida.
John was a great favorite through the
county. The farm on which the young
couple settled was on the best lands of
Fauquier, we'll stocked and we'll kept, and
SO it has been since. The house in which
they lived, low stone mansion, was as
comfortable in all its surroundings and ap-
pointments as any farm house in Virginia.
Glascock was always quiet and business
like; Mrs. Glascock chatty and gay, fond
Of company, and popular at every gather
ing she graced. They had three children,
a boy FIVE years old, named Rodney; little
girl of three, named Emily, and an infant.
suited the husband; the birth Of children
and the husbands will ran counter A year
ago efforts were set on foot for an amicable
separation, but newborn babe came to
prevent them from being carried out. Still
domestic troubles continued. The wife was
a woman that Glascock could not live with
in peace, and from whom he could not part,
because he loved her.
Last Friday night there was neighbor-
hood party. Mrs. Glascock was the gayest
there. Last Saturday, Mr.. Glascock drew
upon Mr.. Jameson, of Alexandria, for 800,
and, it is said by some, began to plan a
tragedy and an escape. On Sunday morn
ing early, cOlored man, called John, who
was accustomed to get Stops for his hogs,
came to Mr.. Glascock's house and found
smoke issuing from the closed windows and
doors. He tried to awake those within by
cries of warning, and then tried to break
open door or window, and failing, ran off,
crying aloud for help. About this time
Glascock called at a tenants house ON Mr.
Beverly's farm, about half mile from his
house, to see colored woman and ask hel
if she would go and get breakfast for his
wife, as her servant woman had left. Very
soon the colored man John returned with
J several neighbors. The house was broken
open, and the bedroom found wet with blood
: and coal oil, and on fire. The smoke almost
suffOcated those who entered, but the
smouldering fires were soon extinguished
and there was found on the bed the body
of Mrs. Glascock, with fatal shot i'll hel
head and another in her back. Beside hel
lay the infant, shot through the head. The
bed had been on fire and the child's body
was partially burned, and the left arm O.
the mother nearly burned off. On the foo
lay the boy ard girl of five and three, {
pistol shot IN each brain. Both wer,
dressed, as it was the custom of the fathel
to dress them himself in the morning be
fore the wife arose. From blood in tn,
passage way it was evident that the boy ha(
run out into the passage, been shot there
brought back and laid on the floor beside
his sister. The inside walls of the hous,
: were much burned. The heavy ston'
walls prevented swift spread of thu
flames. The furniture was found pilet
, against all the doors.
Hot pursuit of Glascock was made b,
the assembled neighbors, and he was foun'
in clump of woods half mile away
about fifteen feet from its edge, with u bal
!. through his head, his body life, less but still
l warm.
All the witnesses of the deed of horro
: are dead. A score of statements woven O
the circumstances are current. 1t seem
probable that quarrel took place after
had washed and dressed the children; tina
: he shot his wife near the bed, killed tn
oldest boy and girl to prevent them from
telling, and the babe to get it out of tn
way; that he then used all the coal-oil il
the house to drench the floors, furniture
&C., blockaded the door to prevent qIic
entrance, and setting fire left, in the hop
9 that the dwelling would be in flames befor
= any one in the neighborhood was awake
= From the top of a hill near by he coul
! have seen the colored man John try tn
doors and run off giving the alarm. The
: he called by the house of the colored wo
man at Beverly's, and, to divert suspicion
y sent her to get breakfast for his wife. The
= going to the top of the hill again and see
. . ing that neighbors bad arrived and th
!, |, flames were extinguished, he saw the rus
= would not serve, and in remorse OF fea
|" killed himself with the same pistol tina
: had murdered his family. The fathel
: mother and three children were buried sid
= by side yesterday in the cemetery near Mic
=, - dleburg.
n A SEQUEL TO THE GLAsCOCK TRAGEDY.
e Demand was made last Wednesday this
II young man named S. H. Hawley, who,
Y is said, excited the jealousy that led to til
It Glascock tragedy should leave the count.
: He left that night.
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