Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-27
EVENING STAR.
Horrible Tragedy I'm Meriden.

A Son Cuts has K0tAsTS's Throat and tasa kfs
0srH-fea1H Struggle rifh ths AErderer-A
In Meriden, Conn, last Friday afternoon
about half-past three O'Clock, a rumor prevailed
that young man named Nelts had murdered
his mother and then committed suicide. No one
believed the rumOr. a. Velts was known as a
quiet. inOffensive fellow who would not harm
any one. At s O'Clock your informant received
positive evidence OF the fact, and taking a team
went TO the house, which is situated about a
mile and half from West Meriden, and Just
above FTsyyiiie. Strange IL say, it is nearly the
next house To that Of the man Whitaker, who
was bruttally assaulted and nearly murdered
about three weeks ago
From the testimony hastily accumulated from
the family and neighbors, IL appeared that some
two years ago young Nelts had been attacked by
mumIs, which subsequently struck downward.
Ii was dee med necessary that he should submit
TO a painful operation, but he refused. He grew
sufficiently better 10 attend to his business of
peddling milk, and until a week ago things went
on smoothly. Young Nelts Was then confined to
his bed, d bad watchers by his bedside. On
Thursday night he was deliriOus. He was en-
gagged 20 a young lady named Maschmeyer, and
they were To be married on Thanksgiving Day.
He was greatly attached TO the young lady and
she to him. His mother, whether because OF her
sons well-knOwn debility or otherwise, was OPP
posed to the marriage.
Yesterday afternoon young yelts's sister,
BERTHE, hearing a noise, went into his bedroom.
She found him lying bleeding on the floor. His
mother was partially concealed by aheap of bed
clothes The girl screamed out, "Father!
father!" and her father, who was just unhitch-
ing his team at the door, rushed into the house,
only to find his wife dying and his son dead
DIR. GAYLORD was sent for. and promptly attended.
He found the woman still breathing, but unable
to articulate. She died within a few minutes
after his arrival. There was an ugly cash on
her throat, and her sons throat was cut from
ear 10 ear. Marks of blood on the walls and on
the kitchen door leading to the bedroom told of
a fearful struggle between the mother and heU
maniac SON. An inquest Is now being held
The bodies lie side by side, just they were
found. Simeon Velts, the father of the murderer,
and husband of the murdered woman, Is in an
agony of grief fearful to witness. The instru-
ment by which the murderer took his own and
his mothers life is a common butcher knife.
A SINGULAR DEATH-Wds 10 Murder or Sui
eide S-On the mOEring of the Sd instant, John
Freedman, of 912 south 22d street. Philadelphia,
came down stairs, when his adopted mother
asked him If he would have some breakfast. He
ate hearty one. When the mother went down
into the cellar she left him sitting In a chair.
Shortly afterwards she heard a heavy fall, and
called him twice, but got no answer. She then
ran up stairs, and there, to her horror, found
Freedman lying on the floor, with his face down
ward. Turning his head, he said to her, "Come,
come, have something to tell you." She was
very much alarmed, and called the neighbors TO
her assistance, one of whom came in, and know
ing Freedman to be subject to hemorrhage
thought he had such then, as he was lying in a
pool of blood. A close examination revealed the
fact that he had been pierced TO the heart by a
butcher knife, which one Of the women In the
height of excitement had carelessly kicked
under the stove. How Ii was done is the mys
terry. The coroner says he is unable TO say from
the evidence whether il Is a murder, suicide Oh
accident. IL was the work of moment, and nC
is able to account for it; but Ii Is the theory
Of his relatives that he may have fallen in one o.
his fits Of weakness, and thus impaled himself
on the knife.