OF A MURDER COMMITTED BY MR. J---- Y----, UPON HIS FAMILY,
IN DECEMBER, A.D. 1781.
The unfortunate subject of my present essay, belonged to one of the most
respectable families in this state; he resided a few miles from
Tomhanick, and though he was not in the most affluent circumstances, he
maintained his family (which consisted of a wife and four children,)
very comfortably.--From the natural gentleness of his disposition, his
industry, sobriety, probity and kindness, his neighbours universally
esteemed him, and until the fatal night when he perpetrated the cruel
act, none saw cause of blame in him.
In the afternoon preceding that night, as it was Sunday and there was no
church near, several of his neighbours with their wives came to his
house for the purpose of reading the scripture and singing psalms; he
received them cordially, and when they were going to return home in the
evening, he pressed his sister and her husband, who came with the
others, to stay longer; at his very earnest solicitation they remained
until near nine o’clock, during which time his conversation was grave as
usual, but interesting and affectionate: to his wife, of whom he was
very fond, he made use of more than commonly endearing expressions, and
caressed his little ones alternately:--he spoke much of his domestic
felicity, and informed his sister, that to render his wife more happy,
he intended to take her to New-Hampshire the next day; “I have
just been refitting my sleigh,” said he, “and we will set off by
day-break.”--After singing another hymn, Mr. and Mrs. J--s--n departed.
“They had no sooner left us (said he upon his examination) than taking
my wife upon my lap, I opened the Bible to read to her---my two boys
were in bed---one five years old, the other seven;---my daughter
Rebecca, about eleven, was sitting by the fire, and my infant aged about
six months, was slumbering at her mother’s bosom.---Instantly a new
light shone into the room, and upon looking up I beheld two Spirits, one
at my right hand and the other at my left;---he at the left bade me
destroy all my _idols_, and begin by casting the Bible into the
fire;---the other Spirit dissuaded me, but I obeyed the first, and threw
the book into the flames. My wife immediately snatched it out, and was
going to expostulate, when I threw it in again and held her fast until
it was entirely consumed:---then filled with the determination to
persevere, I flew out of the house, and seizing an axe which lay by the
door, with a few strokes demolished my sleigh, and running to the stable
killed one of my horses---the other I struck, but with one spring he got
clear of the stable.---My spirits now were high, and I hasted to the
house to inform my wife of what I had done. She appeared terrified, and
begged me to sit down; but the good angel whom I had obeyed stood by me
and bade me go on, “You have more idols, (said he) look at your wife and
children.” I hesitated not a moment, but rushed to the bed where my boys
lay, and catching the eldest in my arms, I threw him with such violence
against the wall, that he expired without a groan!---his brother was
still asleep---I took him by the feet, and dashed his skull in pieces
against the fire-place!---Then looking round, and perceiving that my
wife and daughters were fled, I left the dead where they lay, and went
in pursuit of the living, taking up the axe again.---A slight snow had
fallen that evening, and by its light I descried my wife running towards
her father’s (who lived about half a mile off) encumbered with her babe;
I ran after her, calling upon her to return, but she shrieked and fled
faster, I therefore doubled my pace, and when I was within thirty yards
of her, threw the axe at her, which hit her upon the hip!---the moment
that she felt the blow she dropped the child, which I directly caught
up, and threw against the log-fence---I did not hear it cry---I only
heard the lamentations of my wife, of whom I had now lost sight; but the
blood gushed so copiously from her wound that it formed a distinct path
along the snow. We were now within sight of her father’s house, but from
what cause I cannot tell, she took an opposite course, and after running
across an open field several times, she again stopped at her own door;
I now came up with her---my heart bled to see her distress, and all my
_natural feelings_ began to revive; I forgot my duty, so powerfully did
her moanings and pleadings affect me, “Come then, my love (said I) we
have one child left, let us be thankful for that--what is done is
right--we must not repine, come let me embrace you---let me know that
you do indeed love me.” She encircled me in her trembling arms, and
pressed her quivering lips to my cheek.---A voice behind me, said, “This
is also an idol!”---I broke from her instantly, and wrenching a stake
from the garden fence, with one stroke levelled her to the earth! and
lest she should only be stunned, and might, perhaps, recover again,
I repeated my blows, till I could not distinguish one feature of her
face!!! I now went to look after my last sublunary treasure, but after
calling several times without receiving any answer, I returned to the
house again; and in the way back picked up the babe and laid it on my
wife’s bosom.---I then stood musing a minute---during which interval I
thought I heard the suppressed sobbings of some one near the barn,
I approached it in silence, and beheld my daughter Rebecca endeavouring
to conceal herself among the hay-stacks.---”
(_To be concluded in our next._)
* * * * *
* * * *
THE VICTIM OF MAGICAL DELUSION.
_OR, INTERESTING MEMOIRS OF MIGUEL, DUKE DE CA*I*A._
Unfolding Many Curious Unknown Historical Facts.
_Translated from the German of Tschink._
(Continued from page 14.)
“Alas! Paleski,” I exclaimed, after a long pause, “how dreadfully have
you opened my eyes!”
“Compose yourself, my Lord, I am sensible that my time is very precious,
and I have to reveal to you a great deal more. The Count acted the part
of the ghost, which he could do with sanguine hopes of success, as he
resembles his deceased brother in a striking manner. He covered his body
with a doe skin, which as well as his face, was painted of a corpse-like
colour. A spunge filled with a red mixture was concealed betwixt his
body and the doe skin, which had five inscissures. As soon as the clock
struck twelve, and the lights were extinguished, the moveable cone was
drawn down into the lower apartment, the Count got through the aperture
by means of a ladder, and the cone snapped again in its former place, as
soon as the ladder was removed. The shroud in which the Count was
wrapped had been rubbed with a spirit that diffused a corpse-like smell
through the apartment. Whenever the Count gave a signal, a flash of
lightning illuminated the apartment, and you saw the pretended ghost,
who addressed the Countess in a solemn, serious manner. The red colour
penetrated through the inscissures of the doe skin as often as the Count
pressed the spunge.----Having finished his part, he stepped back upon
the moveable cone, and sunk down into the lower apartment.”
“Unheard of fraud!” I exclaimed, “so simple, and yet so
impenetrable--But, Paleski, can you explain how the lightning and
thunder, which was so extremely natural, was effected?”
“Both were produced by two men in the apartment over your head. One
shook a large round copper plate which the _Unknown_ had found in the
secret chamber, and caused the thundering noise by its vibrations. The
other was standing at a window, and produced the lightning by directing
the light of a magic lanthorn in such a manner that it was received by a
large mirror which was suspended opposite to the window of the apartment
where the ghost appeared, in such a manner that it reflected the light
into the room, and illuminated the ghost, who stood in a straight line
with the window. The trembling motion in which the mirror was put, gave
the illumination the appearance of flashes of lightning, which
disappeared as often as the shutter of the lanthorn was let down.”
“But how did it happen that I did not observe the mirror when I looked
out of the window?”
“It was fastened to the branches of an opposite tree, while you were at
supper; however the darkness of the night, the distance of the tree, and
the black cloth with which it had been covered till twelve o’clock, had
rendered it invisible. Your servant, from whom we carefully concealed
our proceedings, had been removed to a distant apartment, where he was
amused by a game at cards till midnight had set in.”
“But why did the _Unknown_ not endeavour to gain him over to his party?”
“We had really been charged by him to attempt it, however he displayed
so much fidelity and unshaken attachment to you, that we found it
prudent to drop the attempt.”
The confirmation of the good opinion which I always had entertained of
Pietro’s fidelity, gave me so much the more pleasure, because I saw
myself so dreadfully mistaken in my opinion of the Count and the
_Unknown_.
“I do not know,” Paleski continued, “whether the success of the whole
design is to be ascribed to the Count or the _Unknown_, the former of
whom had taken upon himself the execution, and the latter the regulation
and direction of the plot. All of us were enraptured at the successful
execution of that undertaking; however consternation soon stepped in the
room of joy, when we perceived the fatal effect which that juggling
farce produced on the health of the Countess, and we should certainly
have betrayed the whole cheat, if the immense presents which the
_Unknown_ distributed, and his solemn declaration that he would restore
the health of the Countess had not silenced us.”
“Was the illness of Amelia really so dangerous as I have been told by my
servant?”
“The accounts we gave him were very much exaggerated by the direction of
the _Unknown_, who persuaded us, that if you had a sincere love for our
lady, it would increase with the danger of losing her. When we asked him
on your departure, for what reason he did not oppose it, if he really
designed to promote your and her ladyship’s happiness: he replied, ‘Your
notions of love are very erroneous, if you cannot see my drift. The
spark which glimmers in their bosoms, must be blown up into a blazing
flame, by obstacles and difficulties; a forcible separation of two
loving hearts, unites them more firmly.’---Even the fictitious account
which I gave you of the death of the Countess was written by the desire
of the _Unknown_; for he pretended to try the strength of your love, by
observing the effect which it would produce upon your heart. The
intelligence which I gave you of the pretended miraculous restoration of
the Countess was forged, with the design to obliterate the impression of
the former, and to give you at the same time a high notion of the power
of the _Unknown_.”
“But, certainly, you did not write that letter by his direction?”
“Yes, my Lord, I did.”
“And your recantation in the wood near ****n?---”
“Was a new cheat.”