The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-01-05
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
saturday Morning, january 8. 1885.
Another Horrible Tragedy in Connecticut.
THE MAKEMANITE FANATICS.

We yesterday published the occurrence on Mon
day, of horrible murder in the town of Wood
bridge, CT, about eight miles from New Haven.
The victims were Enoch Sperry, aged about 20
years the father Of the Hon. n. ID. Sperry, Secre.
tary of State, and ichabod Umberland, farmer,
also of about 20 years Of age The person arrested
for these awful deeds il Charles Sanford y years
of age, son of Ruel Sanford, farmer living In
Bethany. The following particulars we find in
the New Haven Palladium, of Wednesday;
Sanford the prisoner, lived with his fathef--is
subec. to sudden fits of lunacy, and has been
once or twice in the insane Retreat at Hartford
On New Years eve he went to Methodist Watch
meeting ii Bethany, and made great disturbance.
He ordered the minister out, and was in such
condition that he ought to have been secured by
some proper authority. The next morning. Tues
day, he was seen sharpening his axe, but it was
supposed to be for some purpose about the farm.
The next we hear of him is at the house of Mr..
Isaac Doolittle, farmer and near neighbor of Mr..
Umberfeld. He had with him his axe and hick-
ory club. Mr. Doottle told him that he was about
going away, and he had better leave also. San
ford refused to go and raised his club Mr. Dooittle
took hold Oft while some other person took hold
of the axe. Sanford then said he would leave, If
he Doottle) would let go his hold of the club
This was agreed TO, and Sanford left, and soon af
ter Mr. Doolittle left and heard no more of San
ford until he heard of him in connexion with the
murder of his neghbors, Mr.. Sperry and Mr.. Um.
bertieid
On Monday Mr.. Sperry left his home, and was
proceeding through piece of woods near his
house with his horse and Sleigh and when near
a little brook in a solitary part of the woods was
attacked by Sanford, and knocked down and most
brutally murdered
Sanford had an axe in his hand with which he
struck Mr. Sperry over the right eye, inflicting a
fearful cash, and prostrating him beside the road
He then struck him again with the head of the axe
upon the back of his head, and then deliberately
attempted to chop off his head, nearly severng it
from his body 1t was connected sHith his body
,I,, IVA FIn Il IN ftrh hacE Of enon
The horse of Mr.. Sperry was allowed to pass on
the road and after proceeding by the house of Mr..
Samuel +. Perkins, halted at a shed near by. Mr..
Perkins, thinking that all was not right went in
search of Mr.. Sperry, and found his body lying
beside the road with every indication that he had
been waylaid and murdered. fE 81
After the murder of Sperry it appears Sanford
visited the house Of Mr.. Umberfeld. He there
met Mrs. Deming and little daughter. Some
words passed between Sanford and this woman,
which were heard by Mr.. Umberfed, when he
came into the room and saluted Sanford with the
enquiry chow his folks were" No reply was
made Mr.. Umberfeld then sat down. Sanford
arose, took up his axe, and Mrs. Deming supposed
he was going home but instead of going forward
he turned and struck Mr.. Umberield two blows
with the head of his axe, and then with the edge
nearly severed his head from his body He left the
house went Off the road up the mountain and in
about twenty minutes he met powerful negro,
named Sampson, who was at work cutting wood.
1t was the intention of Sanford, as he soon after
confessed 10 sampson, out ne LnOuRnt tDat lie
would be too much for him. In the meantime pur-
suers were on the track of Sanford. The two first
were Willis Doolittlo and Neus Gorham. They
found him coming down to the house soon after he
had met Sampson. His purpose then was, as he
said, to kill the rest of them meaning Mr..
Umberfield's family.S
They attempted to arrest him, but he struck at
Mr. Doolittle's shoulder with the axe-the edge
passed his coat collar and only the helye hit
him Mr. Louis Peck then Joined the others with
pitehfork, and held Sanford at bay with the fork
at his breast At this moment another of the COM
pany slipped behind him and struck him down
with club, when he was secured AT this time
there were eigh. persons present
He told them that he had killed Mr.. Sperry and
'laid his head to the north" He was taken back
to the house, where he was bound hand and foot
and placed in chair This he hitched along to-
ward the body and kickedit having at the time
a demoniacal expression of countenance While
in this condition he remarked that he would like
to be one of the jury, or lawyer to plead this
case. -
During his confinement he spoke frequently
about Sly and the Wakemanites, and the murder
of Matthews He said he should not have killed
Mr.. Sperry, but he was taken with the cramps,
and if he had not done as he did the cramps
would have killed him.
We saw the prisoner Sanford this morning in his
CELL which is near to that of Willard Clark and
that of Samuel Sly. The murderer was standing
close up to the grated door of his CELL talking very
rapidly and incoherently; occasionally oaths and
as if in a passion, but as earnestly and rapidly
talking.
1t has been said that this wretched young man
belonged TO the gang of Wakemanites, the half
crazy fanatics who are now in Jail for the murder
of Justus Matthews whom they called ''the man of
sin" We doubt, however, whether Sanford has
ever given himself much trouble about 1.-THE man
of sin," or had any other of the anxieties of the
Wakemanites. Nevertheless, it is fact that he is
connected by the ties Of relationship with most of
them The widow of Justus Matthews, who was
murdered by Sly, is his aunt Almeron Sanford
is his uncle. 1t was this mans wife that tied the
hands of Matthews before he was murdered The
woman Davis, who testified at the inquest on the
body of Matthews that she did not know the mean
ing of suicide, is also aunt to him -
On the morning of Mr.. Sperry's death he had in
his family prayer made some very affecting alIu-
sions to the new year, and said none but the AL
mighty knew of its import to him and his and that
it might be the last to either of them His prayer
was greatly in this vein, and all his words now
rush back to his family if they were ominous or
almost prophetic of his end
This dreadful affair has of course created great
excitement throughout our city and all about the
county wherever the news has spread
ROCHESTER FLOUR TRADE.-The annual stats