Tiffin (OH) Tribune
October 23, 1873
page 2

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN INDIANA

Bedford, Ind., October 20–Thomas Christopher, a one-legged blacksmith living six miles from this place, was brutally murdered last night by John Morrows (consider Morrow a spelling variant). The latter is supposed to have been too intimate with Christopher's wife and was putting up at his house for the night. About 10 o'clock Christopher suspected that all was not right and, on examination, found that Morrows was in bed with his wife in another room. Fired with a frenzy that knew no bounds, he commenced a deadly assault upon his entire family, making some fearful wounds on his three small children and ripping his wife's abdomen open causing her bowels to run out.

Morrows' turn came next, and he received an ugly cut across his nose and through his upper lip, but grappling with the maddened man, he threw him down and, wrestling the knife from his grasp, plunged it into his breast, side and back some ten or fifteen times and finally severed an artery in his throat causing almost instant death. It is thought Mrs. Christopher and one of her children cannot recover. Morrows' wounds are very severe, but not dangerous. It is thought it was Christopher's intention to murder Morrows and his own family and then put an end to his own life.

They were both supposed to be good and honorable citizens. Morrows has been arrested.

Dixon (IL) Sun
October 29, 1873
page 4

NOTE: According to other newspaper accounts [see above], Christopher was identified as Thomas Christopher and Morrow as John Morrows [sic].

A terrible double tragedy was enacted at New Bedford, Ind., last week. A blacksmith named Christopher, having discovered his wife in guilty relations with her paramour, named Morrow, flew into a frenzy of madness, stabbed his three children and then his wife. Having finished this operation, he turned upon Morrow and stabbed him. The latter then wrested the knife from him and stabbed Christopher, killing him instantly. The unfortunate woman and one of the children will also die.

Typed and donated by Randi Richardson.