Year: 1870

A Man In nnsas City Kills His wife Inch by
Inch-He Is Hanged to the Nearest Tree by
His Indignant Neiahbors.


We learn the particulars of savage and
brutal affair which occurred at Medoc, small
town in Jasper county, Missouri, from cor
respondent of the Kansas City Journal. The
mans name who perpetrated the foul deed is A.
D. Taylor. He was taken from the custody
of the constable by the citizens of Medoc, and
hung about 10 o'clock on the evening of the
29th of May. The following are the facts as
stated by this correspondent


'For some months past Taylor has been
almost daily in the habit of whipping and
otherwise abusing his wife (who is said to be
most estmable LADY, His abuse of his wife has
been growing more and more aggravated and
severe, until Friday night last, when it seems,
he turned fend, and began to abuse her in
most brutal and outrageous manner-frst, by
kicking and cufing then he struck her to the
floor and stamped her with his heels. Alter
Furnishing her in this way until he was tired,
he took butcher knife and cut her hair short.
Still growing more and more devilish, he broke
a gridiron to shivers over her head. Then, with
a knife, he began to torture her by hacking her
in the face and on the breast until he had
literally cut her breast and face into Slices and
to make the torture more severe, stabbed her in
the different parts of the body with an old pair
of scissors.


'He seemed to want to kill her by degrees.
During all this time he kept up his kicking, cuff
ing, and stamping, and, by the time his fury
had abated, he had inflicted such horrible wounds
that lie was almost eAJlnCJ. SeVeral OF Ine
citizens, hearing the cries of the woman, were
attracted to the place. On finding that they had
discovered what he had been doing, and fearing
that they would take measures to punish him,
he fed to the woods near by, where he kept
himself concealed until Sunday morning. when
he called at Mr. Robert Wallaces farmhouse,
and asked for some breakfast. Mr.. Wallace,
having heard what had occurred on Friday
night, and knowing that there was writ in the
hands of the constable for his arrest, took it
upon himself to arrest him. took him to town
and delivered him into the hands of the con-
stable.


"The citizens in the meantime, hearing of the
outrage, and of the critical condition of his
wife, became more and more enraged, and by
evening began to show signs of violence. Seve-
raj were summoned to assist to guard him from
violence. About half-past nine the constable
decided to move the prisoner to Justice Ander-
sons house, some two miles distant, for safe
keeping, and for trial on the morrow.
'After having gone about a mile with the pri-
soner, posse of about thirty armed men came
up, took Taylor and hanged him to a tree, where
| he remained until this forenoon. He was then
| taken down and brought to town. When l saw
| his body it was lying in his own office. His
wife, all cut and bruised from head to foot, was
still alive on Monday. 1t is probable that she
| will not recover.


ga. d. Taylor was man of education, was by
profession q physician, and is said to have been
a very successful practitioner. He was about
forty years of age. A few years since he quit
his profession and went to preaching, in which
capacity he was very successful, being a fine
speaker. During his ministerial labors he was
connected with the Christian church. When
the war broke out he received an appointment
as surgeon in the Union army, which position
he held until the war closed. Since that time
he has been practising his profession. On in
quiring what could have induced him to abuse


his wife in such horrible manner, l was tolt
that there was nothing the matter but his owr
| vicious nature.


''It is doubtless the best policy, in most cases


to punish crime by law, but who will say tina
any man ought to be allowed to live one hou
after torturing his wife (whom he had volun


tarily sworn to love and protecD as this mar
did z"