Northern Times. — 1857-08-19 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

RRIB LE TRAGEDY.  A WIFE CUT TO PIECES,  SUICIDE OF THE --HUSBAND. A terrible outrage has been committed in our settlement Living, as I do, near the scene of slaughter and being acquainted with the circumstances and the, parties, I have thought it best to give you a short sketch of the same. About a mile north of me there is, (or was), living a family by the name of Hurt, consisting of Hurt, his wife, his wife's methe-, and four children. The other day Heil went to the city for the purpose of ascertaining the truth of the report in circulation, which was, that his wife had succeeded in oh wining a bill of divorce. He came home a little before sunset, went to the well. got a drink of water, then picked up an axe and drove his wife from the house. Overtaking her is the yard he struck her with the axa on the back of hq• head. She fell to the ground and he ties hacked her up in the most shameful manner ; cat her right arm nearly off, and sunk the bit of the axe several times in her back and sides. He then left her for dead, and took after his mother-ir-law, who was running through the field to one of the neighbours. She had got so far off that he left her, went in'o the house, took some fire, went up stairs and set the beds on fire. In half an hour the .house and everything in it was in ruins. Two of his sons, yaung men, were present at the time, but dare not make the least resistance. While the house was burnin,e, Hurt was seen going through the fidd towards a thicket. About dark, some thirty of the neighbours c)l-ected around the burning ruins. Mrs. Hurt was found in a potato patch, senseless. She was carried to a neighboor's house, and it wee arranged to meet at daylight the text morning, to hunt for Hur'. The search was short. He went about twenty rods to the edge of a thicket, and stabbA himself twice will a pocket-knife.. ,He was heard c ying and moaning all night by some of the neighbours. He had lost his lode in the grass, and had no other weepoa with which to finish the work of self-destruction. One man was despatched to the city for a doctor. He had a double-barrel shot gun with him, and, in leaving for the city, he left the gun sanding under the shed. Hurt left the thicket in the night, earn to the house, or where it stood, polled off his right, boot, fas'ened it to a pole with his handkerchief, and got water from the well to drink. As soon as it was light lie saw the gun, and placing the m'rzzie to his lett ear, he di-eharged the piece, as is supposed with his toes. He was found lying on his back, with his left arm around the gun. Hurt was a drinking, shiftless, and evidently a desperate man. His wife was a hardworking, iuitustrious woman. The family were left without shelter, or a change of clothes. Mrs. Hurt had lived in constant fear of her life for the last four years, and seff:red a thousand deaths. The family formerly live in ihe northern part of Ohio. Some fifteen years ago Hurt killed a neighbour of his in a drunken affray, aue fled to Canal,. She remaiued in Ohio until about four years ego, when she received a deter from bins from Michie,an, stating that ha hod land there, and waned her to sell rut and join him. Her children heirig tux-:ono to come Wesshe did so. Hart was in debt fur grog and board bill when she foend him. She paid it, for she had about 1,800 do's. with her. She beught a place here; and not seeing any reformation in the man, the secure] the title in her owu name. Tory lived to;;: Cher as men and for a short tune. He Caine near killing he two years ago. She swore her life on him and applied tor a bill. Ha has been living in the family ever since, a terror to them ail. She employed Clarke & Brother to get a divorce. At her request t wrote them once or twice in her behalf_ Knowing her, as I did, (e'ag haviag worked for us several times, when compelled ter fl e her own home) I informed them of hertroubles, and they secured the diyeree, a,el her right to the little property she possess d. But she is not here now to thank them for it ; for I hive just learned that she is dead, and is to he buried this evening ; her hush ind has already hen buried. Thus ends 'he tragic scene.—Correspondence of the lowa Republican (SohnEoa County.)