Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-01-12
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
Harrisburg, January l, 1856.
Two Horrible Murders in Connecticut

The most horrible murder that ever took
| place in the State of Connecticut, or perhaps
in the civilized world, was perpetrated on Mon.
day, in the town of Woodbridge, in that State,
about eight miles from the city of New Haven.
1t was a far more atrocious muder than the
one so recently committed by Samuel Sly and
the gang of Mathematics. 1t is to be sincere
ly hoped that the citizens of that State have
now witnessed the last scene in the Wakeman
tragedy.
About half past 10 o'clock on Monday, Mr..
EnOch Spcrry, OF Woodbridge, left his home,
and was proceeding through a 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 a man named Chas.
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, i'll
flicting a fearful cash, and prostrating him be-
side the road. lie 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 S~evering it from his body. 1t was
connected with his body only by a little skin at
the back of the neck.
The horse of Mr.. Spcrry was allowed to pass
on the road, and after proceeding by the house
of Mr.. Samnel +. Perkins, halted at d shed
near by. Mr.. Perkins, thinking all was not
right, went in search of Mr.. Sperry, and found
his body lying beside the road, with every in.
dication that he had been waylaid and muir
dered.
Mr.. Perkins alarmed the ncighborhood, and
having procured assistance, took the body OF
Mr.. Spcrry to his family, who live only about
a hundred rods from the place where the muir.
der was committed.
A jury of inquest was assembled in the even
ing, and after due elaboration, rendered a yer
dict that the deceased came to his death at the
hands of some person or persons unknown.
In the evening the murderer was arrested
and taken to Jail, and confessed that he haC
not only murdered Mr.. Sperry, but that he
had also murdered Mr.. Ichabod Umberfeld
who lived about a mile east of Mr.. Sperryt
house.
1t seems that after numbering Mr.. Sperry
he went to the house of Mr.. Umberield an(
entered it, and while he (Mr. Umberfeld) wa
sitting by the stove in the kitchen, he strucl
him with the same axe with which he murder
ed Mr.. Sperry, and after breaking bis skull
nearly severed his head from his body. .4,
The family set up the cry of " Murder y bu
he told them to stop their noise Or he woule
chop their heads off also. t1
He went out of the house to wipe the blooC
off his axe upon the snow, and while he wa
out the family fastened the door and preventet
bis getting in again. He then went into the
woods, but was soon pursued by several neigh
bors, who succeeded in a~rresting him after
bloody fight, in which Mr.. Doolittle came neaI
getting killed. ...
A jury of inquest was impannclled and re
turned a verdict that Mr.. Umberfield came t,
his death by wounds inflicted in the head ant
neck by Charles Sanford, of Bethany. ~
This Charles Sanford is a fanatic who ha,
formerly attended the meetings of the Wake
NANTES in Hampton. He is subject to fits O
insanity, and was probably insane when h
committed these dreadful murders. He con
fessed having murdered both Mr.. Sperry an
Mr.. Umberfeld while on the way to Jail. FL
said he had a cramp, and if he had not mur
dered Mr.. Sperry and Mr.. UmberGeld. TIN
cramp would have killed him. e. .
Mr.. Umberfield was a man sevcntv-orc wear
of age, and Mr.. Sperry was sixty-ninc year
old. arl '. r