The Sun. — 1851-06-24 (London, England)

TRAGEDY IN AMERICA. (From the &won Courier, Julie 9.) One of the most distressing events that has occurred in this neighbourhood for many years, took place at Roxbury, on Saturday evening. A man named Ephraim L. Daggett, of Rope, Me., had been noticed, as if labouring under some religioushallucination, wandering about the city during Friday, and called at several hout,es. Ile represented that he was subject to epileptic fits, and Pleaded great poverty, and begged food. Among other places, he called at the house of Dr. Train, but the doctor not being at home, Daggett inquired for the residence of the Rev. Mr. "I'rafern, and being told where he was, he left and proceeded in that direction, though it does not appear that he called upon the clergyman. On Saturday morning, about eleven o'clock, he called at the house of Dr. A. J. Cummings, who resides in Church•place, Ruggles. street, near the Freewill Baptist Church; he said he way hungry, and that he was willing to chop wood, or du any other jibs about the house fur his dinner. He was supplied with fund, and after dinner loitered about the house until six o'clock, when be was furnished with tea. The doctor went out about seven o'clock on a professional errand, leaving Daggett, who soon after complained of pain in his heart. He asked leave to sit at the kitchen fire for the purpose of warming his feet, and permission was granted. He sub. se eniendY entered the dining-room, still complaining of pain, took a seat, untied his neck handkerchief, opened his shirt bosom, and said he wanted to see Dr. Cummings. His strange manner alarmed Mrs. Cummings, and she asked a Miss Crosby, who was present, to go and call in some of the neighbours. Miss Crosby. who was holding in her lap Dr. Cumming's daughter, a child about four years old, set the litile girl down for the The moment she did so Dagg purpose of complyirg with the request. tering in 4 One for a moms nt, exclaimed, "Itis no ett rose, and after mutuerse head, —she must go." Ile seize.' the child by the hair of h Pulled her across his knee, and cut her head almost al with a rez .r which he drew from his pucker. The appalled mother attempted to rescue her sweet innueeee from the grasp of the slaughterer, but she errs attacked, and sustained a wound in the hart. St e fieally succeeded in rescuing the lifeless body of her child, and with it ran into the street, the iefant'a head dangling over her shoulder, Daggett still in pursuit, attempting tc strike her nettle with the raised rexur. Tee appearance of the alighted mother, as she ran frantic through the streets fur help—holding in her arms Ler almost b,artless child, bleeding from every severed vein—was a sight too awful to be described. The neigh!Mill sown heard her outcries, and upon their approach Deggett, who had followed Mrs. Cumming,' home distance, receded to the piazze of the d star's house, arid there cut his throat in such a manner as to produce death in has than ten minute s. The scene of Wood was terrible to nehold—the bitting room and hall if the house, the piazze outside, and the street adjacent, were stained with it—but those blemishes can be wiped away. Tee neighbours, who were appalled with what they saw, will forget the sight; but the recollections of this awful tragedy will never pass away from the memory of the motle r. Dr. Cummings returned in the midst of the confusion. He found Daggett in his parlour, with his throat cut from sac to ear, feed still breathing. He attempted to dress the wound, but death rendered the task unsuccessful. All this time the (tooter was unconscious that it Wile the body of his only child whom he had caressed half an hour before, that lay bleeding upon the table. Daggett is supposed to have been insane. His strange manner the day previous to the murder and suicide would seem to warrant that supposition. He carried in his pocket a small Bible, and several times during the afternoon, and just before the slaughter, he took it out and pretended to read from it. The razor with which ne committed the deed be took from a shelf in Dr. Cummings' kitchen, unnoticed. Dr. Cummings showed Daggett to remain about the house due..ng the afternoon, in the hope that in the mean time be would be able to see some of the city authorities, and obtain for him a permit to the poor house. He did not regard him as a dangerous person, and though he seemed demented, there was nothing in his manner to excite fear.  Lord LYNDHURST did not want to defeat the clause, but to deal with it in a proper and constitutional manner. Lord BROUGHAM thought they ought also to:call the judges of the Scotch courts in Scotch typeals. The motion was agreed to. EPISCOk'AL