The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-03-13
A Terrible Deed.

Collins, farmer living NJ NWai'Vu.
killed his own mother and then cut
his throat about s o'clock this morn
ing. Insanity was undoubtedly the
cause of the deed. A few days ag"
Collins moved to his father-in-law's
farm and let his own place. lie took
with him his mother, Dorothy Collins,
aged IS, and his son, Leon, aged ID,
and a hired man and hired girl, leav-
ing his wife at the old home to care
for his eight-year-old daughter, who
was ill. He worried considerably
about the change and talked great
deal about it. The matter seemed to
weigh on his mind, but no Importance
was attached to his uueasiness. This
morning he held family prayers and
read portion of scriptures. After
attending to few duties he re,urnt d
to the house. No one saw the deed,
but the story is best told in the words
of his son, who escaped the slaughter.
Said he: "Just as | came in the
door | heard papa say, If Father
Corliss should come here today l don't
know what l should do to him. He
was then in the dining room and had
grandma by the hand and his head in
her lap. He had a hammer in his
other hand. He looked awful wild
and l was scared. Ella and grand
ma and tried to get him into the
sitting room, where he could lie on
the lounge. We tried to get the ham,
mer away from him but couldn't.
Finally we got him to 60 into the sit
ting room. He still kept hold of
grandma's hand, ind when he sat
down on the lounge he made her sit
in rocking chair beside him. Then
he called to me to come in and sill
down beside him, but | didn't dare to.
He said to me, You and grandma
and | are all going home together
this morning. When / didn't come
he struck the table with the hammer
and then struck his leg. He kept
trying to get me into the room, but
was SO afraid | did not dare 60 near
him. His eyes looked awful wild and
| knew he was going to kill us when
he said we were all going home to-
gether. l told him / had got to go
out and water my colt aud do the
chores. Finally | went out to tie
barn and left papa and grandma still
in the sitting room. He was lying
down on the lounge, but still had hold
of graudma's hand. While | was
ont to tie barn Ella, the hired girl,
came to the barn door and called me
She said papa wanted me to come |
right into the house. While she was
speaking we heard blow and heard
grandma scream. | knew something |
had happened and started fol a
neighbor."
When the neighbors entered the
house they found Collins and his mo-
Their lying in a pool of blood in front
uf the stove in the sitting room.
Both had their throats cut from ear
to ear and Mrs. Collins skull was
Tightly cinc!ed in Collins
right hand was razor. Over in the |
corner was the hammer, with its ham
die broken off close to the head |
There were evidences of only slight |
Collins had evidently |
struck his mother Il frigHlful blow OH
The head with the hammer while the
old lady was sitting in the chair.
Ihat part Of The room vas splaSlied
With blood aud he evidently cut her
throat there and laid her down il
front of the stove. His body was
found SO close to his mothers theil
faces almost touched, and it appeared
as though he had lain d,wn beside
her and then cut his own throat. Mir.
Collins was church memb Der, and |
known as an honest, industrious man.
II father had fits of insanity, and
there is taiDt Of insanity running
back through the family.