The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-01-27
THE MASSILLON MURDER CASE.

The Massillon American Of the 1911
inst, reports the murder of Edward
Richardson by his wife and the evidence
| before the Coroner's jury. The repor
gives no new facts other than were stated
in our special account from Massillon
| and the testimony of only one witness
throws any light upon the "true inward
ness" of the affair This testimony is al
follows;
Ezra Pitzker, clerk in the grocery, tes
tilted to hearing pistol shot during the
night, and some time after was awaken
ed by Ella, who exclaimed; "Oh Essie
pa is shot and ma has her throat cut
Met Mrs. r. in the hall, and she ex'
claimed: "I've killed the old son of
b-h; he tried to kill me, but | got the
upper hand of him." Led her into an
other room; wrapped towel around her
throat, which was bleeding, and went
for doctor, and afterwards for police; re-
turned with officers Seamen, Miller and
Goetz and found pistol and bloody razor
on the floor near deceased. Razor shown
witness; had seen it often, belonged to
Mr.. Richardson, who kept it on a shell
in the store. On the Friday preceding,
deceased looked for his razor to shave as
was his custom, and it was gone; asked
witness if he had seen it, and on receiv-
ing a negative answer said lit didn't
matter, that it was an old one, and sup
posed that some one had stolen it," After
Mrs. RS wound was dressed witness
went to her room, when she took him by
the hand and said to him: II was sleep
ing and thought | felt razor drawn over
my throat; reached for my revolver,
which | had on chair beside the bed;
he grabbed it from me and shot me be-
fore l got out of bed; grappled with
him, got the revolver and shot him, and
Thought killed him, he fell so heavy;
he was on one side of the bed and | on
the other" She also exclaimed: isn't
it awful Essie, Just like that Cleveland
thing" Often heard contentious and
strife between them. She told witness
she wished they had parted twenty years
ago. and was continually talking in the
same strain. At supper the preceding
Friday evening she had tried to persuade
witness to take sides with her, remark
ing that the deceased "was nothing but a
loW-lived English pup, and that any how
she would be his boss before long" Mr..
R. often cautioned witness not 70 repeat
his wife's i'll treatment, as he wanted all
her abuse concealed from the public.
Thought he Conld have heard the noise
if deceased had fallen at the time he
heard the shot. When witness first
went into Mr.. RS employ last Septem-
ber. Mrs. r. told him that she had pis-
tol; that she kept it to fix him (meaning
her husband) if he ever did anything to
her. Witness stated that some time last
October the several bottles of liquors in
the bar were drugged with croton oil /,
which he. his brother and the deceased
had drank from, and were physikced ex-
cessively. Mr.. R. had soup made as a
relief for diarrhea, which was also dosed
with croton oil. A short time after Mrs.
R. confessed to have put it there, and
said to witness: 81 did not want to kill
him, but only to physic (physic is not
exactly the word she used him to death"
The american also has the blowing;
A very important fact, not ELECTED be-
fore the Coroner's jury, but which was
observed by four of the witnesses, was
that when deceased was found lying on
the floor both his mouth and eyes were
closed. I.