A genealogy junkie named Alanna just made a shocking discovery in her family tree:
Joseph Wood in a suspected fit of suspected rum induced jealousy killed his wife with a hatchet ... My GrGrGr Grandfather murdered his wife….my GrGrGr Grandmother. I immediately called my Dad and told him the story. WOW! I then called my Grandma (George is her Grandfather) and told her about my find. She told me she doesn’t think her Dad even knew about this. Probably not something that came up at dinner conversation.
This wasn't just any murder-suicide, either. This was an infamous Kingston-area crime that made the 1869 New York Times as "The Rondout Horror: A Terrible Tale of Blood-Rum, Jealousy, Insanity, Murder and Suicide." Read the whole article -- it's gruesome.
