Daily Richmond Whig

WILLIAMSPORT, (Pa.) Jan. 13.

Atrocious Murder!—We have been favored with the perusal of a letter received here by a gentleman, from his brother resident in Dansville Village, N. Y. by which we are furnished with the particulars of one of the most horrid murders, that ever disgraced the annals of New York or any other State.

A man of the name of Miller, went to the barn of a Mr. Markham, who lives near Dansville Village, and requested a man named Smith, who was employed in dressing flax for Mr. Markham, to take his team and go to Howardtown, for his (Miller's) family. Smith told him that he was merely a laborer, and of course had no team of his own. Miller replied that he could take Markham's, but Smith refused to do so, whereupon Miller made an assault upon him, Smith defending himself with his swingle knife, until an opportunity was afforded him of retreating, which he did, and fled into the house of Markham. Miller followed him, and on his way snatched an axe, which, together with a club, he carried with him, and rushing into the house, knocked Smith down with the club, and then with the axe severed his head from his body!

Mrs. Markham was present during this transaction, but made her escape through a window, alarming the neighbors with her screams. Immediately on decapitating Smith, Miller took the axe, and cut him open the whole length of his body. The fiend was apprehended a few rods from the house, but flung stones at his pursuers with the hope of deterring them from pursuing him.