The Sun. — 1806-08-23 (London, England)

AMERICA.  DREADFUL MURDER. " . AUGUSTA (KII4NRBEC), JULY 1 I.—At an 'early' hour on Wednesday morning last-the inhabitants of, this town were alarmed with the dreadful 'information, that Capt.`James Purrington, of this place, in ,cool blood; had 'murdered his wife, six childrea, and hiMself oldest son, with a slight wouhd,. escaped, and his second daughter was found desperately wounded, and probably,supposed dead by thefather. Between the hours of two:.npd three a near neighbour, Mr. Dean Wyman, was awakened. by the lad who escaped, with an 'incoherent:account of the horrid scene- frOm 'which he had just fled ; he, with a Mr. Billard„arrOttier Peig,hbOur;bistantly repaired to the fatal spot ; 'and .bere4, after, having lightpd ascandle, a scene was presented that beggars all description.. /n the outer toom iar'prosti-ate_on his face, algid welteriag in his gore;-the,perpetrator of the dreadlid c..eed--,-his throat cut in amost Shocking manner, and the blOody razor lying on a table by his:'side; in an adjoining bed-room lay Mrs. Purrington in her bed, her head alMost severed .from her body ; and near her, on the floor, a little Haughter, about ten years 'old, who, probably, heiring th 6 cries 'of her mother, ran to her, relief from 'the apartment in which she slept; and was murdered by :her side.. In another apartment were found the two eldest . and the youngest daughters, the first aged 19, dreadfully butchered; the second desperately- wounded, reclining her head on the body of the dead infart, twelve, months old, and in a stake of horror. and almost total iusensibility. In the room with the father lay in bed, with their throat:i cnt, the two youngest :sons,., the Oile eigW. the.other six years old. And ill zinoiher rborn-Was: found on the hearth, most dreadfully manglcd, the_ ,second son, aged 1.2 ; he had fallen. with his trowseri .under one arm, with which he IWI attempted to escape.; ..on, the breast-work c;fer the fire-place was the ditin6timpresision of a Woody hand, where the unhafipy. Vain peobably supported him-self -before he 'fell:. The whole -housd seemed covered with blood„ and,itear the-body of the murderer lay the .deadly axe. From the surviving daughter we lave to account-of this. transaction ; -her dangeous .pon.prevents any communication, and. but faint pe.6Wions are eutertained of her recovery. ~ Froth. the son, aged, 17, we learn the followitige„.... Thatbe:yi"-as -awakened by the piercing 43es of his mother, and involuntarily shrieked himself;.he leapd from his' bed,'and ran towards the dopr of his ...apartnienf; he was met by:his father witkan axe in his tiakid:kti;ip. moon shone verybriglit)lio struck at him; 110 being so near each other, the axe passed over' his shoulder,' and' one corner of it entered his. back, makitig.a-slight-wound; hisfather then struck at hit-a-once:or twice, andlnissed him. At this silo= ment'his 'y,outiger brotherovho slept in- the same bed with Inrnjurnped from it, and attempte4 to get out at the door ; to prevent this the father attacked him, Which gave the eldest au opportunity to escape.;-During this •dreadful coafliCt,. nut a' word was -atLiered.. • _  From the appearance of the wounds, generally, it seems to have beer the design of Purrington to sever the heads from the bodies,. excepting the two youngest, whose threats; it is supposed, .were'cut • with .a razor. The,oldest -daughter: and second soa had several wounds, the probable consequence of their resistance. We-have no evidence to lead us, satisfaCtorily, to the..Motives.for,-this barbarous and :unnatural' deed. Capt. Pur.:in;vton was 4.6 years of :Ise,. and had lately removed from. Bowdoinhaim_ to this town ; an independent firmer, with a hendsorne estate.; of steady, correet, and industrious.habits Of a,good charaael,,.and fair reputation ; and stron,ily attached to his family. He had been heard lately to say tnet he felt 'much distressed at the unpromising appearance, of his faun ; that he should-be destitute ..of bread for his family, ,and hay for cattle, and dreaded the-consequences. . The Sunday before his death, it is said, he wrote to his brother, and informed him, that on the reception of the letter he should be dead, and requesting' -him to take charge of his family. In the. letter was a death's head marked out, and it was sealed with. It was found on Monday hy his wife, and gave. -her the greatest alarm and uneasiness. This her .husband perceiving, and I,earning the cause, 'he attempted to console her by k assurances that had nojntention of comatitting suicide, but had a. Tresentimeritof approaching death. Capt. Purringtob was a warm.believer in the doctrineof.Universal-SalVatiort,.tiroagh it is not said of `hicii• that he•wasa bigotted 'maniac-or a religions enthusiast. -; His whole conddet .the .day preceding, and • during thelast and ,bloody scene of his life seemed marked with the utmost coolness and deliberation. Towards the'close of 'that.dgy, he ground the fatal . axe, and when the familyretired to betflac was left reacting .the The Jury df 'lnquest have brought hint in. Obsiity• of wilfid murder on.his wife: agd sift children, and that;:as.alelon, he-did kill and murder' himself. We' dog not recalled that the annals of Massachusetts can furnish a transaCtion-so distresslug. •