Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-01-08
Mrs. Byrns Expires on
Tuesday Night.
Is RNS WRITES A LETTER
WITH HIS THROAT CUT.
He is Not Responsible for the
Deed-A Raving Maniac at
the Time-The Woman
Lives Twelve Hours
in Her Frightfu1
Condition.

The most frightful spectacle
that man ever witnessed was the
sight presented Tuesday morning a,
the home of Mrs. John H. Byrns.
4 miles west of Mexico, where her
son, Fielden T. Byrns, and his
wife lay with their throats cut al
most from earto ear. Strong men
turned from the scene and shud-
dered, the sickenfng spectacle be-
Ing too much for them. Fielden
Byrns had cut his wife's throa,
and then horribly slashed his own.
He was temporarily insane when
the deed was done.
In one-story frame house not
more than 200 yards south of the
Wabash railroad tracks at a point
about 2 miles this side of Thomp-
son, the Byrns' reside. John H.
Byrns, the head of the family, was
adjudged insane last May and
taken to the asylum at Fulton
George and Fielden Byrns and the
latter's wife and children live
with Mrs. Byrns. This made up the
household. At intervals Fieiden
has acted in manner to indicate
that he was not of sound mind
but nothing was thought of the
matter, as he was never consider
ed dangerous. Some few weeks
ago it was noticed he was getting
worse and a trip to Hot Springs
was made by Fielden and his
brother George, who returned Mon
day morning. The tip seemed
to have little or no good effect on
the mind of Fiel en-, who was
restless all day Monday and also
all that night. 1t seemed as though
be was possessed of an hallucina-
ton that he was going to die or be
placed in an insane asylum. Neither
his wife nor other members of the
household could comfort him.
Byrns and wife retiredMond ay night
together. On arising early Tuesday
morning tho wife found her hus-
band much in the same state OF
mind as the night previous-a lit.
tie worse, if anything. He talked
wildly of suicide, but nobody sup.
posed be would attempt to kill
himself, especially then. The trunk
the brothers brought home from
the Springs contained a razor and
this was the instrument of destruc-
ton used. Fielden secured the
razorMonday night on some pretext
or other. Before daylight Bryns
got oct of bed and dressed him.
self and left the house, starting
towards a woods pasture just south
east of the dwelling. Mrs. Byrns
followed and overlook him. This
was about daylight. Byrns still
had his mind bent on suicide, and
it is thought his wife, now knowing
he had the razor, pleaded with him
not to kill himself, probably TELLING
bim if he must die to kill her too
The supposition IS, that when they
reached a point about $50 yards
from the house, they stopped ano
were talking, when Byrns, in a iii
of desperation, threw his wife to the
ground, ca ght her by the hair,
held her head back and drew the
razor across her throat. He ther
cut his own throat. The frost or
the ground showed there had beer
a desperate struggle, which is also
evidenced by the cuts of the razor
on the wife's hands. The first tt
reach the spot was George Byrns
attracted by the cries of his broth
er, who, although his windpipe
was severed, managed to give the
alarm. When George arrived the
wife was PROSTATE, the blood gush
ing from her wound, and Fielder
was standing over her, razor IL
hand, a raving maniac. George
helped both to the house. The spo
" here the deed was committed wa
covered for space of six square
feet with blood. Man and wilt
presented a horrible sight-face
hands, body and clothing beinl
dyed in blood.
| When the LEDGER's reporter ar
! rived about IL o'clock, the hors
was full of neighbors and friends
| lending all the aid possible, Drs
/ Ro,hwelI, HalE, Cave end Basket
were operating upon the throat o
Mrs. Byrns. which contained
cash fully five inches across, whicl
had completely severed the wind
pipe. although the jugular vel
was not cut. A mans doubled fis
could have been showed into tn