Glasgow Courier. — 1863-09-17 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

TRAGEDY IN C.  Among the employes of Mr Buell, the mill man, at Austin Reese River, was an emigrant named Cornell, from Illinois, a peaceable quiet person, and very well, liked by such as knew him. For the past three weeks he had shown symptoms of insanity, and although these were not of a nature to excite much attention, it was deemed best to deal with him with caution. He went to bed on Saturday night last about eight o'clock, and at ten o'clock his tent-mate followed his example. Fearful of exciting Cornell if he entered the tent abruptly, the man first awakened him by calling him softly by name; he then drew aside the curtain, and was in the act of stepping in, when Cornell struck him a blow with an axe, which cut his nose and forehead badly, and almost felled him to the ground. Recovering in a moment, however, he ran for his life, and Cornell after him, but the latter stumbled over a tent rope and fell, and the accident enabled his victim to escape. The madman ran down into the midst of the town, entered a crowded saloon, and began to lay about him with his axe, bestowing his blows upon any that came iu the way. The first cut a man's arm badly, the second severed another's hand from the wrist, the third inflicted a wound upon a bystander's head, also smashed the chandelier, shrouding the saloon in total darkness in a moment. The invisible scene which ensued was of the wildest description, the crowd broke with one impulse towards the doors, making chaos of chairs, tables, and everything that was susceptible of being dismembered, and were met there by another crowd, attracted to the spot by the shrieks and shouts of the wounded, who appeared as anxious to get into the saloon as their brethren went() getout. Somebody in the saloon, in the hope of dispersing the new corners by the wholesome fear of firearms, discharged a pistol, which had the effect of increasing the panic at least. But in the meantime the crazy man had escaped. As the news spread abroad, the citizens, by common consent, took shelter behind bolted doors, and awaited the coming of the destroyer with whatever of comfort the circumstances permitted. After a while, a man came running from the direction of Clifton, with a ghastly wound in the side of his head, which had almost taken off one of his ears. Re only begged for water, and was too much stunned to answer questions intelligibly. When somewhat recovered, he said that as he was coming in from Clifton a man came running by, struck him with an axe, and continued his flight without stopping. This man will probably recover. A posse of citizens, armed with revolvers, started at once in pursuit; but they were too late. Cornell had slaughtered three foot passengers already between Austin and Clifton. At last he had desperately, and perhaps fatally, wounded three men. One named Anderson was reported dead on Sunday morning. Another, called " Frency," had his head gashed in such a manner that the brain protruded. The third, a German baker, it is thought, cannot possibly get well. As Cornell entered Clifton, he came upon Deputy-Sheriff Charles Tourman and "Nick" -- , a barber, formerly a resident of this city, engaged in conversation, and without a word of warning he levelled a murderous blow at the latter with his axe; Nick warded it off with his hand, the bones of which were crushed to pieces, and away the madman fled down the narrow street of Clifton (which was still lighted, and many persons traversing it), without turning to the right or the left, and without offering to molest anyone. Nothing more was seen of him until early the next morning, when his body was found about half a mile beyond the village, with his throat cut from ear to ear—in fact, the head was half severed from the body, the wind-pipe was cut in two, the back of the head was crushed in, and around about the heart were five stabs, either one of which was perhaps sufficient to cause death. The people were undecided as to whether he killed himself, or whether some one else killed him; however, that could and retain his strength and consciousness long enough to consummate both the others; consequently we infer that some benefactor of mankind disposed of the desperate lunatic. Thus eight men received wounds worth mentioning, and a dozen others got scratches from the random blows of the axe in the saloon. As we said before, three out of the eight just mentioned will die.—California Paper.