The New Hampshire Gazette

NEW HAVEN. April 28.

The following Account, is, as it was related to us, by a Person belonging to the Place where it happen'd.

Mr. Dyar of Stafford, in this Colony, and his Wife, had lived together some Years without having any Children, which seemed to occasion some little Dissatisfaction between them. He was somewhat violent in his Temper, and frequently discovered a natural Moroseness of Disposition, which however, he kept under a tolerable Restraint: he had much of a religious Turn, and was reckoned a Woman of remarkable Piety. They lived together reputably, and he was one of the Select Men of the Town. He lately fell under the Suspicion of having stolen some Hay from some of his Neighbours. several of them met at his House on Sunday Evening the 8th Inst. in order to clear up and accommodate the Affair. The Circumstances appear'd very suspicious against him, his Wife seem'd to join with the rest in the Suspicion. He show'd a gloomy Displeasure, and utter'd some unkind Reflections upon her Barrenness.---In the Evening's Conversation, he said he had the Night before, a very remarkable Dream, her Husband asked what it was? he replied, she had dreamed she was in Paradise, and had been greatly delighted there, well, Said he, your Dream shall be verified before Morning.

The Neighbours took no Notice of the Speech at that Time, but left the Man and his Wife alone, there being no other Person in the House.

The next Morning, one of the Neighbours having Business with Mr. Dyar, went to the House, and finding the Doors shut, knock'd, but heard none stirring.---He stay'd till late in the Forenoon, and the Doors still continuing shut, he went again, and after knocking, and hearing No body, open'd the Door and went in; when being frighted he ran out and called his Neighbours, several of them went back with him to the House, where they found the Man and his Wife both dead. She was lying in a Corner of the Room, murdered in a most cruel and shocking Manner; she seem'd to have been beat to Death with a Maul, (supposed to have been made for that Purpose the Evening before; her Flesh, especially about the Neck and Head, appear'd beaten almost to a Jelly, her Skull broke almost to Pieces, her Blood and Pieces of her Brain was bespatter'd upon the Wall all around the Room, and also upon the Ceiling. she seem'd to have been dragg'd over the Room, and beaten after she was dead; the Beads of her Necklace were beaten into the Flesh of her Neck, and one of the Drops of her Ear-Ring was buried a considerable Way under her Jaw.

The Man had taken out a Sheet and some Head Clothes, and laid them on a Table near his Wife, which seem'd as if he intended to have wrap'd her in the Sheet. The Print of his bloody Hand appear'd on the Sheet, on the Clothes he pack'd up, and several other Things in the Room; and it appears, that after the Fact, he went into the Bed, where he likewise left his Print in Blood; and whether he could not bear the Horror of his own Conscience, or had over slept himself, so as to despair of Escape,--is uncertain, but he had fastened a Cord to the Ceiling near the Side of the Bed, in which he hang'd himself, one of his Leggs being on the Bed, in a kneeling Posture, the other off, and his Body leaning forward. His Skull was broke, and the Maul lying by him, So that it appear'd, before he bore upon the Cord to strangle himself, he broke his Skull with the Maul.