Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-01-07
The woodbridge Tragedy.


A DOUBLE MURDER.-In the great press of
matter for the last few days. we have neg
lected, before, to give the details of the mel
ancholy tragedy which took place in Wood
bridge, Conn, on Tuesday, Jan. LIST, by which
two respectable citizens OF that place, were
hurried into eternity, IN a bloody manner,
and without moments warning. Charles
Sanford, the perpetrator of the awful murder,
is the victim of religious mania. He is only
only IS years old.
The victims were Enoch Sperry, aged 20
years, the father of the Hon, N D. Sperrv,
Secretary of State, and Ichabod Umberfeld,
farmer, also about 20 years of age. Charles
Sanford. the murderer, is a son of Ruel San
ford, of Bethany. Sanfordslived with his IA
Their. He is su ect to sutieen fits of lunaey,
and has been once or twice in the insane re-
treat at Hartford. After committing the deed,
Sanford went Off the road up the mountain.
and in about twenty minutes met powerful
negro named Sampson, who was at work cut
ting wood. 1t was Sanford's intention, as he
soon after confessed. to kill Sampson, but he
thought he would be too much for him. In.
the meantime, pursuers were on HIS track;
the two first We're Mr.. w. Doolittle and NJ.
house soon after he had met Sampson his
purpose then was, as he said, to kill the rest
of them, meaning Mr.. Umberield's family
They attempted to arrest him, but he struck
at Mr.. Doolittle's shoulder with an axe, the
edge passing over his coat collar, and only the
helve hitting him. Mr. Lewis J. Peck then
joined the other with pitchfork, and held
Sanford at bay with the fork at his breast; at
this moment another slipped behind him and
struck him with club, when he was secured
He told them that he had killed Mr.. Sperry,
and laid his head to the north. He was taken
to the house, where he was BIZ und hand and
foot, and placed in chair; this he hitched
along towards the body and kicked it, having
at the time a demonlaeal expression of eoun.
tenance. During his confinement, he FIRE.
quently spoke about Sly and the Wakeman-
ties, and the murder of Matthews; said he
should not have killed Mr.. Sperry, but he was
taken with the ecramps, and if he had not
done as he did, the cramps would have killed
him.
The Hartford Times says: stanford was
released, two years since, from the insane re-
treat at Hartford. He had appeared since
that time to be rational man, and had con.
Quoted himself properly up to the present
time, when the excitement in consequence of
the murder of Justus Matthews, in New Ha-
ven, last week, proved too much for his mind,
and he again became insane. To the gang
called IVakemaniteS, and the murder commit
ted By one o. more Of them, is thtS fresh and
more horrible atrocity to be traced. Sanford
is relative Of the Sanfords who are follow
ers of the notorious Mrs Wakeman, in all her
hallucinations. He is connected by ties of
relationship with most of the gang. The widow
of Justus Matthews. who was murdered by
Sly, is his aunt. Almeron Sanford is his I'M
Gle. 1t was this mans wife that tied the
hands of Matthews before he was murdered
The woman Davis, who testified at theinquest
that she did not know the meaning of suicide,
is also aunt to him. The wretched man has
been arrested, and is in the New Haven jail"