Lynchburg Daily Virginian

From the Auburn American, 30th ult.

Another Horrible Tragedy—Murder in Weedsport.

Yesterday at noon, a man named Daniel Ryan was murdered at Weedsport, nine miles from this city, under the most painful and shocking circumstances, by a man named Patrick Sage.

Sage and Ryan—both Irishmen—are brothers-in-law. Their mother-in-law, an old lady, lived with Sage. She was ill—indeed lying at the point of death—and utterly helpless. Sage, who has one child, does not live with his wife. (One of our informants says his wife is dead—another says she is not.)

Ryan, who was a farm laborer, and a peaceable and temperate man, hearing that his mother-in-law was ill-used by Sage, and grossly neglected in her illness, yesterday repaired to the dwelling of Sage about noon, and on entering the room in which the old lady was lying, walked up to her bed, and announced his intention to remove her to his own house where she might die in peace. Sage at this moment was in the same room with a woman of the town, who had been an inmate of his house several days. Ryan remonstrated with him upon his outrageous violation of law, decency and ordinary proprieties of domestic life.

Upon this, Sage—who, as well as the woman, was much intoxicated—became incensed, and leaping from the bed in a great passion, made a violent assault upon Ryan with his fists and feet. Ryan made but little if any resistance. He fell to the floor, where he was stamped to death by Sage, whose heavy boot soles were full of nails. He received a gash in the forehead, but the physicians were of the opinion that his death, which occurred in a very short time, was caused by internal injuries by the kicking he received by Sage in the chest.

Having committed this dreadful deed of murder, Sage took up the body and threw it out of doors!—Some women picked it up and took it in.

The murderer was at once arrested by officer Jackson Rude, and placed in custody. The Coroner's inquest is being held to-day, and Sage will probably be lodged in jail here this afternoon. He is an intemperate and a very bad man, and is nearly sixty years of age! His victim was about the same age.—The excitement in Weedsport was very great yesterday afternoon—rising almost to the determination to execute summary justice upon the wretch.

The murdered man leaves a wife and two very promising boys, who are approaching manhood and who are greatly respected.