Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-11-15
ANOTHER RULOFF.
A Distinguished scholar Murders his
Wife.

A Distinguished scholar Murders hi
Wife.
From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.
The English papers give accounts 0
an extraordinary murder committed b,
the Rev T. S. Watson, M. A., for man.
years head master of the Proprietary
Grammar School, Stockwell, England
He lived with his wife and a female ser
want named Ellen Pryne, who has hve'
with them three years, In large hous
in St. Martins road, at the back o
Stockwell crescent. From the state
ment of the young woman it seems tina
on Sunday evening last, October s, sh,
left the house, and did not return un
til nearly ten O'Clock. When she left
! Mr.. Watson and his wife were Sitting
ia the library on the first floor. Whe1
she returned, her master told he
that her mistress had left fol
the country and would be
absent five or six days. She was {
little surprised at this communication
but made no comment, and from he1
statement did not seem to think much
about it. Mr. Watson retired to rest
at the usual time. No disorder was
apparent in the room, but the nex1
morning the girl called the attention oi
her master to a large dark stain on the
| carpet and floor at the library door,
when he replied with great GOODNESS:
ooh, there was an accident last night
[ split decanter of port wine there,
and wiped it up as well as could ,
All that day he seemed busily engaged
in putting his books in order and writ
ing.
It turned out that, having committed
the murder, the course he had deter
mined upon was to poison himself with
prussic acid, and the subsequent inqui-
ries of DR. Rugg have resulted in OBJ
tanning the information that the object
of his walk on Tuesday was to buy the
drug. At the first chemists shop at
which he applied, although well known,
the proprietor refused to serve him,
but it appears he must have obtained
some kind of mixture, for on his return
home he told the girl that if anything
happened to him III the night she was
to send at once to DR.. Rugg. Whether
he made any attempt on his life then is
not known, but if he did it did not sue
ceed, and on the 11th he rode as usual
and wrote some letters, which he left
upon the dressing-t table, and which are
now in the possession of the police, one
of them being addressed |To the sur
geon." He then retired to bed again.
and about eleven o'clock the servant in
great haste came to summon DIR. Rugg,
saying that her master was in fit of
apoplexy. In short time DR.. Rugg
was at the house, and on being admitted
the servant put letter into his hand
when was to the following effect
''In fit of fury [ have killed my
wife Often and often have 1 endeav-
ored to restrain myself, but my rage
overcame me, and L struck her down.
Her body will be found i'll the little
room off the library. L hope that she
will be buried as becomes lady of
birth and position. She is an Irish lady
and hor name Is Anne. Tho key will be
found in aJetter on the table. "
And then follows name which has
been erased, but which is apparently a
surname. On seeing this letter DR..
Rugg Immediately rushed up stairs to
the bedside of Mr. Watson, whom he
found in very weak state and speech
less, apparently suffering from violent
poison, which had taken effect. He
administered sedative, and proceeded
at once to the chamber indicated, in
company with the servant girl. There
a horrible spectacle confronted them.
Huddled up in a corner of
the room, her knees touching her chest,
her hands convulsiveiy clenched, and
her head fallen over her chest, was the
body of the unhappy lady, her clothes
saturated with blood, which still seemed
to ooze from the body in dark, almost
purple pool. On examining her, DIR.
Rugg found her head smashed in, and,
inplaces, beaten almost to jelly.
Mr. Watson graduated B. A. at Trim
ity College, Dublin, in 1888. Has pub
lished several volumes of =" Transla-
tions" from the classical authors,
including Lucretius, Xenophon, Sallust
Quinctillian, Florus, Justin, &C., and
has written Life of Richard Per-
son, and "Sons of Strength, Wisdom
and Patience" in 1861; "Life of
Bishop Warburton;" ''The Story of
William Wallace q work on "The Rea-
soning Power of Animals;o editions CT
Pope's Homer's " Illiad" and I" Odys-
sey, +" in Bohn's " Illustrated Library, y
and small notated editions of Salluss' S
"Catiline" and Jugrlrtha," and Ter
ence's "Andri." It is said that he has
been engaged for some time on his
tory of the Popes.