Year: 1869




March contains the following account OF
terrible tragedy which took place In that
city:


One of the most horrible domestic trag-
edies that has ever taken place in this city
was brought to light yesterday afternoon
A mother and her two children were dis
covered to have been murdered by the
husband and father, James L. Blackstone,
of the firm of Funston & Blackstone, pic
ture-frame makers, at No. 9l2 Market
street


The family resided at No. SIS Judson
street, running north from Brown and
west from Twenty third street. The hor-
rible tragedy, which evidently took place
early on Sunday morning, was revealed
through the following telegraph by Mr..
Funston.


Have received letter from James
that wife and children are killed. Tele-
graph Immediately.


(Signed) ZELAH LEA"


March 30, 1869.


Mr. Funston, Immediately on receipt of
the above, went to his partners residence,
and, being unable to obtain admission to
the house, visited the police-station at
Twenty-third and Brown streets, and after
informing the officers of the dispatch he
had received, requested assistance. The
police on visiting the premises, got over
the fence into the yard and found the kitch-
en- window shutter bowed and uufastened.
The window was opened and the officer
entered, and, on stepping to the floor, dis
covered the bodies of Mrs. Blackstone and
her children lying upon the floor, their
heads and part of their clothing covered
with blood The floor was also covered
and the flow of blood was kept from run
ming into the yard by roll of muslin,
which had been placed in front of the door,
as if purposely intended to keep all evi-
dence of the crime within the room The
kiehen is very small one, and from ap-
pearances, Mrs. Blackstone was about
deprived of life, her hands being stained
with coal dust The coal was freshly put
on. She lay at full length on her back, in
the middle of the floor, the head to the
south. Resting against her knee lay her
son, with his face to the floor. while the
daughter lay with her head upon his
shoulder, both in their night clothes, and
all having evidensly been killed number
of hours. An examination of the body of
Mrs. Blackstone disclosed that the wounds
were made by the sharp part of an AK /;
there was cash through the middle of
the chin, extending to the right and down
ward four inches, and two and halt in
ches deep, severing the roof of the tongue,
jawbone, etc. /; Immediately below this, on
the throat, was another cash, inflicted by
the same instrument, four inches in length,
dividing the windpipe and gullet, and
reaching the spinal column there was an
other, but very slight cut on the lower por-
tion of the neck; on the head back of and
above the left ear, was very severe con-
fused wound above the right ear, on the
back of the head was a wound one and a
half inches long; directly behind the
head was a triangular wound, made by the
corner of the blunt part of the AK the
bone was depressed aud fractured on the
right cheek there was also slight confused
wound. The other portions of the body
bore no marks of violence.


The body of the little girl was next ex-
amined. On the upper part of the right
side of the forehead blow had been given
with the head of the ak that had broken
through the skin, crushed the bone in
pieces down upon the brain, and driven
one piece through the skin on the left side
of the forehead on the other side of the
front part of the head was another confused
wound of similar character; there was
a wound near the right eye, and another
near the left temple; the head, back as
we'll as front, was crushed almost to jelly
no other wounds were discovered.


The boy had been struck with the butt
of the AK upon the right temple, and the
bone fractured At the back of the top of
the head the skull was fractured, and a
wound discovered two and half inches
long. Back of and little above that
wound was another, one and half inches
long Behind the left ear the skull was
also fractured On the right side of the
neck there was cash, evidently made by
two chops with the edge of the ak, three
inches in length, cutting off piece of the
jawbone, and severing the jugular vein.


All the circumstances indicate that the
wife and one of the children we're murdered
in the kitchen and the other child as it lay
on the lounge in the sitting or dining room.
A pillow on the lounge was covered with
blood, and the carpet was saturated with
blood underneath. 1t was believed that
the girl had been there killed, as she part
ly lay upon the boy. That an AK had
been used in inhieting the deep gashes on
the wife's face and neck, and upon the
neck of the boy, was manifest, as it lay
close to them, and was very bloody. The
wounds indicate state of Frenzy on the
part of the murderer, as the heads were
nearly severed from the bodies. And
yet nothing else on the premises betoken-
ed a diseased mind. Everything was in
order so far as could be expected in a
house in which the family had arisen but
short time before In the sitting and
dining room, between the kitchen and par
lor, was table with few plates, goblet
or two upon it, and a child chair was close
to it, which contained the girls clothes as
they had been taken from her the evening
previous.


The boys clothes lay on the lounge !;
the wife was fully dressed Tn the narlor