New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-16
DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
HORRIBLE WIFE-MURDER IN HARTFORD
SUDDEN DEATH Or THE MURDERER.

SUDDEN DfAI IL Or ilI dOhDThBh.
F-oN The Hartford E.eziug Prsss Bfareh a.
Yesterdsy lSuDdsy) AFTERNOON about | o'clock,
Christopher G. COsoS, tsn dealer well known 10 this
CITY, deliberately murdered MS former wife At the
hoose Of his brother, James CVson, at No. III South
Hudson street. The particulars are thess:
Cosol has long been bioSn ne a FISH dealer, and
formerly carried gOod business bat orinslog .nd
gambling reduced him 20 q common oafer ADD drunk
ard WHO peddled fsh around town ia a basket He
was OF an ugly disposition and when irtoxcate1 as
was tften the case, abused HE wife ard children, 60
III st sbe had obtained divorce Since the dlvorce,
bic wife assumed her maiden ns De OF Sarah Barns,
keeping the childien-.vo boys aged IL and AT the
hoUte VI her brother Allen Burs, NO. ~ HUDSON
street where che resided with her mother ana ss.sr
Another son, aged IL, is living In hasstcnusstts:
Colson bss repeatedly sworn revenge and tnreatsnei
her he sif ce the divorce obtained, which seems
10 have been the chef provOeaton 70 the MURDER aud
If ia sad he has been 10 pursot Of oppoItuuity for
soue tine past l. is SAID that Mrs. Colson often
ieared fatal violence before the divorce.
Saturday night Chris. ColsOn stsd al the mouse
his brother, James CO'son, baker, NO. 81 oJoh hod
con tteet be went Tsy IN the morning but returned
20 breakfast and ttad during the fOrenoon. jus.
before O'clock he was in conversation with John D
Barker bookbinder, il the basement kitchen, when
his form er wife IN TO look at some OF the oscR
numbers Of TIE Nen-York LtdgeT. On Seeibg MN
sac started back but soon came in passed thro1sa
the room ard up stairs into the sttlDg-r0oIn Wnere
Mrs James Colson and her husband, and Miss Laura
Wheeler were sitting. Barker asked Colson, Jokingy,
1Wbo was that He replied, cody and quietly,
Sire was once ny wife; and soon fJlo wed her up
stairs james Colson and MIR. Barker then withoreS,
thinking they might wish to converse together. nls
wife was much aeit8ted, aud seemed 10 rear nun sue
said to Miss Wheeler, " Don't leave n'e-i "an' Jou
| TO stay with me. =, ~, 49,
A Conversation eDsued. Colson said: 81 want you
| 10 speak TO me-" She replied: II have got nothing
| 10 shy 10 YOU; I've said all am gcipg to; yoaY
pulled no ana left me- and thought twas about time
II ,aye y0u" He asked her If she bad ever told the
children Lot 10 speak TO bin, aud she repeo never
have; but you have said they must not speak 10 me-
/ nm 80 he nd
moth sIless" she replied, but they VIII be father
les" Coson then took her by the hand aud said he
waited to talk with her. She said; what do you
want Of my hand ~ my haad now ma ba 'e ths 20
took hold of her 10y the back, and she endeavoed 70
! get away from bin. lie followed her, and "mie ne
lad ore arm aroutd her neck, took out sharp two
edged n knife with the Otoer na1d, and drew twice
scToss her taroat and teen threw the knife under
the table She f. on TIE floor by the stove and died
In few minutes her throat cut from ear to ear, the
carotid artery severed aud windpipe partially so.
In the general CONSERVATION which followed no az
tempt was mace TO arrest the murderer VINO went 70
! the pantry and ate what be waited, and ie't tne
| house. lie proceeded TO tie house No. ~ hudson
| street where biz wife had been living. Colson 3
bloody hands held some bread ard butter, whic he
wss eating and re asked for glass OF water, wnch
bis eldest son gave him. He inquired tor AMI seomed
| very anxious to zee bis other boy
Colson left here and went TO Ssarss Hotel, inquired
| If his son was there and called for something to
drink remarking that he would drink or CO more that
| he might az well spend what money he ha1, as nc
should not want il any In his liqaor he mad,
ss he row says dropped large dose OF opium upper
| ceyed and drank IL of. No attention was pallto
these remarks az he 10 the habit OF talking Wild
ly. lie accounted for the blood on hs hands by say
| ing that be bad been dressing fish, From hele be
| proceeded up Ferry street few rocs, when he was
arre sted by Officers Carroll AID Iinkham Inc OPIUM
coon took effect and he taken to the iailin help
Al the poues Colson was forced rein 2tanty forward
in view Of the dead body and in reply to question II
the deceased was his wife, said There's no DOUBT OF
| il; she's my wife; know what's been done, aud
| done it," He wos then remanded to JAN, where no
| is now in close confinement.
At the examination at the Police Court the teetl-
mony clearly proved his guilt, and he was remanded
| opflson. =, -,
| The clotng act of the tragedy is thus described:
| Cbriatopher G. COsOp, the murderer, died 10 his
cell at five minutes before O'Clock this lMondsgl
afternoon. At O'Clock DIR. Wilcox thought he was
doing well. few minutes before he died Mr.. l.. u.
| Williams called in TO see him: the prisoner recog-
| nized him. and talked about various matters. Mr.:
Martin the Keeper was also with him. Colson asked
for brandy; thought he ought 10 have some once an
hour, so he might "taper off," Mr.. Martin gave him
some medicine left by the physician, but he still asked
for brandy Suddenly his breathing became haro, his
flesh turned of purp,ish hue Mr.. Martin got some
| spasms and convUlsOns.
| His death was doubles caused more immediately
by the opium. Colson told the physician that the
piece he took yesterday big as the end of his
| thumb.
Thus ends this horrible affair. Rum began it, muir
| der and sudden death at TIE end