Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-31
from the ". York Commercial, .aarea 2I.)


MURDER or CHARLES G. CoRLiss.
About fifteen minutes before seven Monday evening,
the report of pistol was heard near Tue aoof VI ~
Carlton House, Leonard street, and some persons
Fastening out found The deceased lying on the walk
within few feet of Broadway, apparently lileiess.
He was taken up and carried into the reading room,
where he fingered, bleeding pro'useiy, ana struggling
for breath until within few minutes oil ten, ~nen ne
expircd From the time when he was discovered until
HI, death he remained in an entire state OF uncon-
scionsness without being able to speak WORD or move
q muscle.
Dr. Putnam examined the body and found that the
ball had entered the back part OF the head al the base
of the kul, passing upward toward The forehead and
lodging in the brain. He fell on his face, brusing his
forehead and his face considerably. DR.. Hosack
called in, but no medical aid could avail Deceased was
attended by of his friends and his brother, who
held the dying by the hand, crying and sobbing
with grief.
in bowling sa!oon $50 Broadway, few doors above
the Carlton house. and for the past six weeks the
proprietor of the establishment.
When The news of this event reached the police Of
fec Justice Natsel Mr.. Osborne, and several officers
went Immediately TO the residence OF Mr.. Henry Col
ton "a Vesey street. who had been held to bail for
atiemp, to shoot Corliss in Leonard street, Friday,
the 10Th inst.
Justice Mase found Cotton seated with MIR. Parsons,
the keeper of the house. in the paror. The justice
Immediately arrested Col,on saying, "hat man is muir
by you Or woman.
The prisoner appeared lost in thought, and sad the
black boy had told him that his wife went out IN the
afternoon but lie thought 1t could not be her, as she
loved him. lie denied all participation IN the murder,
and Mr. Parsons subsequently stated to the coroner
that he had been sitting in the parlor with Cotton,
since some time before seven o'clock.
Ii was but short time after seven when Justice
Matse was i'll the house, and, while he was there,
female came IN having a straw bonnet and veil, and
pOft 10 er.
she said she had just come from Green street. down
Broadway, and that she had "run like race-horse.
She was suffered proceed without farther inquiry
Mr. Cotton was taken to prison, and locked up
Mrs. Cotton was boarding at the next house, where
her husband had been living with her previous to 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 at the
house IF Mrs. Cotton, and was admitted She had,
however, reviously word to Justice MatselI, tina,
she could not him, any one else, that evening.
He then went to her room, IN the third story, and
Knocked at the door, several times, but received no an
swer. The coroner, when he came, broke the door
open, and entered, finding Mrs. Cotton dressed in
white with black shawl loosely thrown around her,
and sitting q sofa, resting her head on pillow.
He raised her head and asked why she did not open
the door when he knocked but received in answer,
only vacant stare. He had, before breaking the door,
suspected that she had been taking poison or some mar
co;ic As he could not now get word from her, his
tanned tina, she had taken poison, she began
to appear better
At about eleven she taken to the city prison.
She slept some time during the night, and is this
ing very we'll The servant, however, said she ale
thing Yesterday and had not taken enough within the
last three days, to keep her from starvation.
Just before six o'clock, woman dressed in straw
bonnet and green veil came into the bowling saloon
and Corliss went out with her. He talking
with this in Leonard street, opposite the place
where he shot, buta few minutes before the com
mission of the deed woman with a similar bonnet
and veil called at the boarding house of Corss early
IN the evening" and the servant who opened the door,
recognized bonnet and veil found in Mrs. Coltons
room the worn by the woman who called at
the house.
There are however, different stories about the bon
NJ the saloon, velvet bonnet, md one person
said she had black veil. 1t stated by that
they supposed il was Mrs. Cotton who called al the
saloon
OiIicers in active pursuit for the woman who
came into Mr. Coltons boarding house while the ma
gistrae there 1t is said that they huve obtained
clue TO her residence.
There also good to believe that Mrs. Cotton
may have been this woman and that she had changed
her dress before The coroner arrived.
The whole matter will undergo an investigation
before coroners jury this afternoon, at o'clock, IN
the Court Of Sessions where II IS probable some
fifty witnesses will be called for examination.
It is not improper or improbable 10 add, that this
fatal affair from improper intimacy between
the deceased and Mrs. Col,on who is young and at
traciive woman.
We have heard it said, howe yer, that the first ad
vances were made by The dece ascd and that he did
not know Mrs Cotton TO be married woman until
some time after the relations between them had been
Of The most intimate character.