Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-02-13
CoxcnRn. \. H. Feb. u.

About two weeks ago, several persons
whose homes arc near the south village
Of Sutton were alarmed By loud
shrieks and CRIES for assistance. which
emanated from The dwelling OF man
named Melvin Mitchell They at once
proceeded to the place, where they
found Mrs. Mitchell almost burned to
death. The clothing she was wearing
was nearly consumed, and her lower
limbs, one of her arms and other por-
tions OF her body were shockingly eat
en- by the flames. A physician was i'm
mediately sent for, and everything
possible done for the sufferer by kind
and sympathizing neighbors, who fear
ed she could not survive until the next
morning. She fingered however, and
was alive ,this morning, although her
recovery is extremely doubtful. Soon
after the above occurrence many Of the
Sutton people had their suspicious
aroused as to the manner in which the
accident occurred. Mrs. Mitchell said
it was caused by the bursting OF kero-
sene lamp It was known at the same
time that Mitchell was hard character
and that he had often been very cruel
to his family. The physician, DR..
James r.. Smiley, entreated the suffer
er to explain all the circumstances Of
the case. For time all his efforts IN
that direction were unavailing. At last
she sud one day that she wanted to
tell. but was afraid her husband would
kill her. Finally, when assured that
she would be protected from her has
band she gave hey testimony before
Justice of the Peace as fully as her
feeble condition would permit. She
said that on the evening of the acct
dent she was sitting in one corner OF
the kitchen near an open fire when
suddenly her husband threw a bottle
of kerosene oil into the flames. The
bottle instantly broke, and its contents
few in all directions, considerable of it
going upon Mrs. Mitchell's clothing.
At the same time it took fire, and she
was Immediately enveloped in flames.
Unassisted by her husband, she en-
deavored to extinguish the fire, but
without success. She then ran into an
adjoining room, her burning clothing
dropping from her at every step. her
husband pretended to assist her, but
what he did, whether Intentionally or
not, only aggravated his wife's suffer
ings, for he opened door and also
took a stick and poked about her cloth
ing. At last. when the flames reached
the poor woman's face and threatened
to choke her, he displayed some feel
ng, and getting some water, put out
the fire, and then called the neighbors.
Mrs. Mitchell also gave further partic-
ulars of her husbands cruelty to her.
One evening, about Il week before the
sad event above related occurred,
Mitchell took his youngest child, babe
about three months old, and under the
plea of endeavoring to stop it from cry
ing, held it between two rocks in the
fireplace, used instead of andirons, and
over the flames, until one side of its
face was horribly burned from its chin
to its scalp. He afterward struck the
child a severe blow on the other side of
its face, choked it until it was black
and blue, and then gagged it with a
handkerchief. All this was done in the
presence of the mother, who dared not
utter % word least he should kill both
the child and herself. Immediately af-
ter Mrs. Mitchell had made known the
above, her brother, James Rowe of
Wilmot, caused the arrest of Mitchell
on a complaint charging him with at
to take the life OF his wife.
All the justices of the peace in Sutton
said they were so preiudiced against
Mitchell that they were disqualified for
holding court for his preliminary trial.
He was accordingly taken by Deputy
Sheriff John D. Wadleigh to Branford.
and arraigned before n. G. Lear, esq.
Mitchell pleaded not guilty, but the
testimony against him was so strong
that he was bound over for trial il the
Supreme Judicial Court. In default OF
bail he was yesterday morning commit
ted to inil In CONCORD Before he left