Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1871 — A Horrible Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

A Horrible Tragedy.

It is very seldom that we notice the commission of crime in any of its phases, believing as a general rule tluit a recital of the details tends to harden the heart and blunt the sensibilities. But a murder Has recently been committed so stacking iu detail, so inhuman, so barbarous, so utterly fiendish that we,are persuaded to suspend the rule and briefly relate the circumstances, which are as follows: Martin Mc ara, a well to do farmer living near Onurga, 111., an Irishman by birth, 4-I’years of ago, some three or four weeks ago murdered Ills son a 1;kI of 11 years, by placing him naked on a hoLslov9 and afterwards floggtnft him with a.black snake whip until the child fell down and expired. He then laid the corpse under the bed, in which his wife lay confined by child birth, until night,when he went out dug-the grave beside—a hedge row near the house and buried it. Next day lie posted notices through the county that the boy had’run away and warned people not to harbor him.— Miami's family consisted of a wife, an intelligent woman, and five children beside the murdered boy. Those he intimidated by threats so they dared not inform on him. Tho neighbors, -however,, suspecting that all was not right were making .continual inquiries, and finally promising to protect the oldest daughter from her father’s anger learned enough of the circumstances to justify the,procuring of n warrant for his -arrest and' at onee set about searching, for the limrilered child.— The body was found nearly throe weeks after-the tragedy, an inquest was held, the whole family tebtified to the father’s criminality and he was committed to jail. The man was defiant, expressing no sorrow for the deed and boasting that he would not be punished as public opinion thought ho deserved. The people thought the matter over; they felt that tho cruel parent was not a safe man to bo at large in the community; they knew that he was of a violent, revengeful disposition; they knew he was possessed of means and that courts were uncertain in the dispensation of justice and the execution of law; they knew that a change of venue would be taken to- a district where jurors could be found to believe that Meara was insane when he committed the fiendish crime and they felt the probbility was strong that be would be acquitted, so they arose in their might and with dignity and order elected a leader, went to the jail in broad day, quietly removed the guards and sheriff, beat down the prison doors, tool; him from his cell, gave-him twenty minutes in which to prepare himself for death, and then hung him by .the neck until life was extinct. They then gave the corpse into the hands of his friends for interment, and as quietly returned to their homes.

Prof. A. C. Hopkins, of Kokomo, Inch, has issued a circular to the teachers of Indiana announcing that a State Teachers Institute will be held at that city commencing “August 18tli and closing September 1st —five weeks in all.” Just exactly how he cyphers five weeks out of the month of August we are not informed but suppose that will be demonstrated mathematically, metaphysically and satisfactorily to all who may attend and pay their hash bills. Seriously, while we must decline to publish the circular in full there is no doubt that a State Teachers Institute may be conducted in a manner to result in much good to the school interests of the State. Those desirous of obtaining further and more detailed information in regard to the Institute are invited to correspond with Professor Hopkins.

The Rochester Sentinel has recently been enlarged from an 8-col-mnn folio to a 7-column quarto —32 columns increased to 56—making it one of the largest newspapers in the District. .The publishers complain that" some of the merchants of Rochester have withdrawn their advertising patronage on account of its opposition to the New York Western railroad tax; this circumstance ought to wake them out of their fpgy notions and bring them

mjJ 10 the spirit of thc.ngo; this id a day, age and land of railrohds and tlio man, paper or ’community that oj.poaca them is 'isolated and without the- pale of advanccd'civilir.ation. Wo arc glad to note Onr neighbor’s improvement and sincerely hope his usefulness will increase with his growth. <m *•- From Franceivllle I steal Topic.