New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-20
REVENGE OF A JEALOUS HUSBAND.
A MADMAN's WORK WITH A JACK KNIFE.

A MADMAN's WORK WITH JACK KNIFE
THE ATTEMPT OF JOSEPH MYERS TO KILL HIS
WIFE, JAMES BARKLEY AND HIMSELF.
NEwBURG, April 19.-The house in which
the butchery of the Myers family took place is in the
upper end Of Anns in the First Ward The family
cupied the third story of It, They had small rooms
which connected with each other and the after the
tragedy beggars description The wife lay upon the
lounge with her head nearly cut off. There had been
the most brutal hacking her neck and the cuts
long and deep. Tie work was done with twobladed
jack knife the blade used being blunt pointed but
sharp II afterward found in open closet in the
OF the yard whore the who used had thrown
1t after he completed his work The woman could not
talk but by motions and low cultural sounds indicated
that her husband had the cutting Joseph Myers
lay upon the floor with his throat from
apparently dead but the physician in charge said that
he shammng, the quantity OF blood he had lost
did not affect his pulse. Barkley, whose throat was
also cut, fled without hat nearly half mile for
drug store passing several his way thither Myerss
cut was not as deep the Others although 1t took ten
stitches to 1t up. 1t extended from the left
under the chin to the right Barkey had
one long deep cut from his left in the side Of the
head. The woman's FIVE six ragged gashes severed
her windppe completely, and fingers also
hacked with the knife Both escaped from the inadman
by running down stairs The carpets covered with
blood, the bed red and the side walls
were besmeared The struggle for life was evidently
a desperate and there is question but that II
had been used all three would have been murdered
The two although badly cut will recover but there
scarcely chance for Mrs. Myerss life. She nearly
forty years old and has been married about fifteen years
There scarcely atractyeness about her. aud the
nfauaton Of young Barkey for her is OF the
est features Of the affair.
Lula Myers, age thirteen, taken by Sergeant
Moore the house OF her parents She said that Bark
ley had lived with the family in Montgomery about
year. Papa" she said, "tried get mamma to send
him away time ago. but she would do it," She
was then down with stroke or paralysis, and Lula
that Barley hung about the house all the time
paying more attention and seemingly more devoted to
Mrs Myers than any one else She said she would not
drive him away While she was sick, and Myers was
she said
neck I've often seen him do and she screamed Papa
had been sitting by the window, cutting his finger nails
think although could not say positively, that he cut
her throat while he had one arm around her neck As
TO up was afraid that Papa would hurt me tso
The lady down stairs said when told her that there was
also locking the door refused go up. then
down to the first floor and could get there
for the police when told them what had happened
Mamma followed me down stairs. She put her apron up
hanging down. She the blood out OF her apron
hall and told her that that not hall and she
as 1t got full OF blood she would wiring the blood
again. did not see what Barkey and Papa did fed
not any trouble before the cutting think Papa did
James Barkley in cell at the police station.
His shirt was red with blood his head
bandsged all over " Ir my poor bones hang they viii
hang innOcently," he said Continuing he said !;
Myers was jealous OF his wife. Myers came to the
house to-day little before We ate dinner and
supper together and matters appeared pleasant all
around. was boarding with Mrs Myers, and have
boarded with them for year moro in Montgomery
am between twenty-four and twenty-five years OF age
and Myers and his wife about thrtyeight forty
Myers In the house all the afternoon and so was l.
but he never spoke an angry word to nae won't say he
sober will say he was drunk but he had been
drinking. have seen Mr. and Mrs. Myers have spats
with each other In presence, and she has told me
he had threatened to take her life and choke of her
elopc with Mrs. Myers. came with her boarder
The first I heard OF any trouble to-day was
the screaming Of Mrs. Myers | was In my room
looking for my necktie. | found IL aud
putting when heard the screams ran out and
interfered Myers then slashing away at ats wes
them and his wife cried, o. jim! was doing the best
could separate them when Myers plunged the knife
In my throat He turned on me as quick az fash and
gashed two three times once on the left side OF
the side. The weapon had sharp blade aud the
keen that dld not know was cut until saw
the blood streaming down my clothes Myers had
pushed his wife the bed when nterfered, and
hacking away at her there. AS found that
seriously hurt rushed out OF the house for doc
tor Myers must have cut his throat after left. and
in order to conceal the crime threw the weapon out OF
the window He was slashng away at Mrs Myers when
left That Is the plain trath OF the affair and
his jealousy has done II. We left Montgomery Non
day to come here live, and Mrs Myers supposed that
her husband had left her She has told me that 1t was
the third time he had left her"
To-day Mrs. Myers made an antemOrtem statement to
the effect hat her husband did the cutting ant Myers
confessed that Barkeys story about the attempted
der and suicide IS substantially true.