The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-06
TON, MONDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER s. 1871.
| A CLASSICAL WIFE-KILLER.

A CLASSICAL WIFE-KILLER
Murder and Attempted Suictde-The
Crime Revealed I'm a Letter-Astonish.
ment and Horror OF the Public.
crime has been very recently committed
al the suburb of Stoekwell, near London, Eng.
lasd, so strange and go heart.rending as to
have caused sensation all over the land.
clergyman, schoolmaster and author, ssxty.
seven years of age, of spotless reputation, sud.
denly, and without provocation Of which there
is so far any knowledge, has murdered his
vile. The deed was done with desperate and
resolute purpose, for the poor woman's brains
were literally beaten out, and the assassin
atterward deliberately sat down and wrote the
following note: "To the surgeon-I have
killed my wife In ft OF rage. Often and
often she has provoked me, and have endea-
vored to restrain myself, but rage overcame
me, and struck her. Her body will be found
In the little room of the library. The key Is in
aletter on the table. hope she will be buried
as becomes lady of birth and position. She
is an Irish lady, and her name Is Anne" Hav-
prepared this confession and written some
other letters, the miserable man took dose
of sirychnine. The poison, however, failed to
destroy him. The physician who was sum-
moned was enabled to preserve his life, and
the Rev. John Selby Watson has now been put
upon trial for murder.
The physician, DR.. RIgg, who was called to
attend MI. Watson, after administering res.
toratives, read the note we have quoted,
found the key referred to, went to the room
and discovered Mrs. Watson's body. 1t was
lying "huddled up in corner, and had been
dead two days." The head was covered with
blood, and had received ''six confused lacer-
1t would seem, on the night OF Sunday, Octo-
ber 8. servant who went out that night left
the husband and wife sitting quietly together
This servant had lived with them for three
years and never knew them to quarrel
No one else has hitherto testified differ
entity. To all appearance they lived together
In perfect harmony. But, If we are to believe
Mr.. Watson's own account, under the
influence of swift impulse of ungovernable
animal upon his wife, herself sixty.four years
of age, and beat out her brains. The act re-.
sembles the Webster-P -Parkman murder at Cam
bridge some years ago. Webster, 1t will be
remembered, was professor of Harvard Uni.
verslty, Parkman, rich man, Websters credl-
tor, dunned him for the payment OF money.
In sudden paroxysm of fury Webster struck 1.r,c
him. There are two differences In the case !:
one the tact of the victim being the destroyer's
wife; the other that confession In the first in
stance came before trial and In the last after 1t.
contemporary observes that this Is of q
class of deeds of which 1t may fairy be said
that the absence of any concealment as to the
facts only deepens the mystery. No one has
the contrary, there Is much to show that he
possessed an equitable as we'll as highly
trained mind. Much of his life has been pass
ed under circumstances demanding even
ostentatlous self-control. For twenty-five
years he was head master of Stockwell
School. He was In holy orders, and had
oficlated In the pulpit. His reputation Is
high for scholarship and for literary work,
the production of which implies patience as
lect, US we'll as research. Mr.. Watson
was the translator of several Of the best known
classics of Bohn's library. The Sallust,
Xenophon and Lucretius came from bis pen.
Among his papers since the homicide has been
found In MS. a complete translation OF yale
rius Flaccus," rendered IN verse, and ready ior
publication. There Is also complete novel,
called Hercules, and set of modern transla-
tlons, including nearly all of Beranger's
songs. Besides these, 1t appears that the
Messrs. Longmans have In theh ,ands for IN.
spection, lately sent by Watson, rival to
Ranke's famous work, In the shape OF four
huge volumes of MS, containing complete
history of the Popes from the foundation OF the
Papal power.
The education and pursuits of Watson COM
blne, then, with his sacred calling, his years,
and his previous reputation, to render his
murderous deed extraordinary and ineXpca-
BILE. In Webster's case he owed Parkman
money that he could not pay, and they had
been known to have angry words before:
Parkman was an aggravatln2, tenacious and
exacling person. and Webster highly ner-
vous, sensitive and irasclble one. Watson's
characteristics, 10 all appearance, are totally
different. Even his appearance and manner
In court, as described by the local press, height
en- the mystery. He Is "tall, massive man,
with grave and austere conntenance." There
are none OF those physiognomical signs, which
at sxty-seven should certainly reflect the spirit
within, that indicate either ferocious or Q
reyengeful disposition. 1t may be suggested
that pecuniary trouble had Induced him to
resolve to kill both his vile and himself,
and that he did not choose to make this state
ment, whether from pride or some other mo-
tive. But he seems TO have been tolera6ly
we'll off-his books and teaching brought him
O fair income-and, In another letter, prepar-
ed 80 as 10 be found after his death, he says
that ''after all claims are satisfied there will
be considerable sum left, besides what will
arise from the sale of books and furniture. y
he also names his heir, who lives, 1t seems,
close by New York, in Williamsburg. A fur
ther circumstance that recalls the Parkman
murder is that on the morning following the
night of his crime Watson went to q packing
case maker and ordered large chest to be
made. He was most particular about the d.
mensions, and the box was evidently meant to
receive the remains OF his wife. What he then
intended to do with them ls Rot clear. In any
case, he changed his mind, and resolved on
suicide. instead of conceslment.
The London journals TEEN with comments
and suggestions concerning this extraordinary
homicide, but no one Of the number has even
the merit of plausibility. OF insanity there Is
80 far not title of proof. The burst Of fury,
with such deed as Its fruit, that would be
quite Ineligible In the case of Bill Sykes,
seems positively Incredible in that of Rev. MT.
Watson. A calm, deliberate gentleman 10 the
ordinary dress of clergyman, placidly draw
Ing on his gloves and occasionally using MS
eve glass to look around the Court, is an anom-
aly In the murderer's dock not easily to be ac-
counted for. Like that of the alleged prison.
er, Christiana Edwards, at Brighton, Watson's
crime appears to be totally out OF Inc oeaten
track as rcgards;the motive, or as regards Inc
education and social standing OF the perpetra-