Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1843-03-30
From the ". Y. Com Advertiser, Of Thursday
MURDER OF CHARLES G. CORLISS.

About fifteen minutes before SEVEN last
evening, the report of pistol was heard near
the door Of the Carlton House, on LeOnar,l.st.
and some persons Fastening out fonnd the
deceased lying on the walk within few feet
Of Broadway, apparently lifelesS,
He WAS taken up and carried into the read.
ing rooH,, where he fingered, bleeding pro-
fu,eIv, and struggling for breath, until with
in few minutes OF ten, when he expired
From the time when hr was discovered until
his death he remained in an entire state of
Inconsistencies, without being able to speak
n word or move a muscle.
DR.. Pullman examined the body md found
that the ball had entered ,he back part Of
the head, at the base Of the scull. passing up.
ward toward the forehead, and lodging in
the brain. He tell on his face. brushing his
forehead and his face considerably. Dr.. Ho.
sack was called in. but no medical aid
could avail. Deceased was attended by some
of his friends and his brother. who held the
dying man by the hand, crying aud sobbing
with grief.
The deceased, Charles G. Corliss, had
been engaged in Il bowling saloon at 360
Broadway, a few doors above the Carlton
House, and for the past six weeks was the
proprietor of The establishment.
When the news of this event reached the
police office, Justice Matsell, Mr.. Osborne.
and several officers, went Immediately to the
residence of Mr.. Henry Col,on,al "a Vessey
street, who had been held to bail for an at.
tempt to shoot Corliss in Leona I'd street, on
Friday the 10th inst.
Justice Matsell found Cotton seated with
Mr.. Parsons, the keeper of the house, in the
parlor. The Justice Immediately arrested
Cotton, saying, shat man is murdered. and
it is suspected that the deed was committed
by you or woman"
The prisoner appeared lost in thought,
and said the black boy had ,oli him that his
wife went out in the afternoon, but he thought
it could not be her, AS she loved him. He
denied all participation in the murder, and
Mr.. Parsons subsequently stated To the coro-
ner that he had been sitting in the psrlor
with Cotton, since some time before seven O.
clock.
1t was but short time after seven when
Justice Matsall was in the house, and while
he was there, female came in. having on a
straw bonnet and veil, and went up stairs
One of the officers stopped her, and she said
she had just come from Green street down
Broadway, and that she had run like race
horse.
She was suffered 10 proceed without far.
90 and locked!up.
Mrs. Cotton was boarding at the next house,
where her husband had been living with her
previous 10 last Tuesday week. when he left
her, taking with him his two children TO the
house OF Mr. Parsons.
Just before nine o'clock the coroner called
Mt the house of Mrs. Cotton and was admit.
ted. She had, however, previously sent
word to Justice Matsell that she could not see
him, or any one else, that evening. He then
went up to her room in the third story, and
knocked at the door several times, but receiv.
ed no answer. The coroner, when he came,
broke the door open and entered, finding Mrs.
Cotton dressed 10 white, with black shawl
loosely thrown around her, and sitting on q
sofa, resting her head on q pillow.
He raised her head and asked why she
did hot open the door when he knocked, hut
received in answer only vacant stare. He
had, before breaking the door, suspected that
she had been taking poison, or some narcotic
AS he could not now get word from her his
suspicious we're increased. 1t was soon after
ascertained that she had taken no poison, as
she begun soon TO appear better.
At about eleven she was taken 10 the city
prison. She slept some time during The night,
ind is this morning very we'll. The servant.
however. said she ate nothing yesterday, and
had not taken enough within the last three
DAYS to keep her from starvation.
Just before six O'Clock n woman dressed in
straw bonnet aud green veil came into the
bowling saloon and Corliss went out with
her. He was seen talking with this woman
in Leonard street, opposite the place where
no was shot, but few minutes before the
commission Of the deed A woman with 81
sln. H., Il III Al.
ing house of Corliss early in the evening.
and the servant who opened the door recog-
nized bonnet and veil found in Mrs Col
toms room, as the same worn by the woman
who called at the house.
There are, however, different stories about
the bonnet and veil. Some say that the wo-
man who called at the saloon wore a velvet
bonnet. and one person said she had black
veil. 1t was stated by some that they sup.
posed 1t was Mrs. Cotton who called at the
saloon.
Officers are in active pursuit for the wo
man who came into Mr.. Colton's boarding
house while the magistrate was there. 1t is
said that they have obtained clue to hel
residence.
There is also good reason to believe thai
Mrs. Cotton may have been this woman, and
that she had changed her dress before the CO
roner arrived.
The whole matter will undergo an inves,i
CATION before coroner's jury this Afternoon
at 3 O'Clock, ia the Court of Sessions room
where It Is probable some fifty witnesses viii
be called for examination.
II Is not Improper or improbable to ado
that this fatal affair arose from an imprope
intimacy between the deceased and Mrs. Col
ton. who Is young and attractive woman.
We have heard il said, however, that ih'