The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-28
A BRICKLAYER'S MADNESS.
THE GHASTJY HORRORS That WERB
SEEN IN NINTH STREET
Out Of Employment and Discouraged, q Man
Of Three score Years Crushes his AIRED
Wife's skull and Cuts his own Throat.

Of Three score Years Crushes his AIRED
Wife's skull and Cuts bis Own Throat.
At about o'clock yesterday morning q
woman living In an upper story OF the brick ten
ement at tl3 East Ninth street, In passing
through the dark hall OF the lower story. mes
James Dodwell, who, holding his head low.
passed into his own room and closed the door.
As he passed no spoke to her In a pleasant,
cheerful tone. Dodwell, who Is a bricklaver.
about sixty years old lived with his wife. who 10
OF nearly equal age, In two little rear rooms on
the ground floor. The two windows which light
the apartments look out upon the asgs OF the
narrow rear yard. The first room, In which the
couple lived. Is narrow and close, and barely ao-
commodities the furniture. The bed Oh amber
Ia still smaller, Ia windowless and uDlighted
save by the door that opens into the m ain room,
II Is 40 close and confined that It Is dusky even
at midday.
About an hour passed, and no sound was heard
from Dodwell's rooms. The door was locked
and the window blinds were tightly shut. Al
about o'clock the door was slowly opened, and
Dodwell walked wearily out, holding his face
low and speaking buskily. A little girl whs
lives In an upper story was playing In tho hail.
and he asked her to run up stairs aud tell hei
mother, Mrs. Wallace that his wife WIS very
sick and needed helD. when Mrs. Wallace en-.
tered the room Dodwell was standing Ia the
breast, said slowly and with difficulty, we've
been attacked; burglars have beon here and
batter 20 in and see her" As the man
nnished speaking he lifted bis head. and
tended nearly from ear to ear The woman
ran nnd,,, IN alarm harm into the chamber OF Mrs:
confusion Coats tronsers bats no and 9ioasg. stt.
cles OF bedclothinR were scattered over the door,
tee oareet was partially ripped up, and blotcbes
to the light. Outlined against the white cloth
ing OF The bed lay CHASTITY form. Mrs. Wallace
the wall opposite the door, and bending low,
saw sight that sickened her The pillow case
was soaked with blood. the cloth was rent IN
pieces, ana blood covered the woman fioe, who
was gnspng ana unconscious. Mrs Walllce ran
in the middle OF the floor ana said notbing.
Soon the fright Of Mrs. Wallace aroused tho
neigh6ors, ana they gathered In the hall, but
uld not dare to enter the apartment. Onhcers
Burns. Walters, and Farley soon arrived. Dod-
wei was still motionless, and scarcel, able to
three stout men broke into the room and beat
them down with heavy clubs; that he WAS made
unconscious, and remained SO until morning.
He thought the rufiians must be burglars. He
was taken to the Fifth street police station.
bellevue Hospital. Mrs. Dodweli. who was
family breathing, was wrapped up in blanxets.
and a so sent to the hospital.
In the bottom Of the closet, in which the
household dishes were kept. was found II heavy
Latche,, Its blade covered with blood and hairs.
U Under the bed was another and heavier hatchet,
also SINE aTed with blood. The bedroom c.rpet
and the floor beneath were soaked In blood aud
bloody stains and great daubs covered the furni-
ture and the walls, the door panels, and the
wood work. In tho main room v ere also oloody
inner marks and splushes Of blood as though
tae murderer had nirtcd them from his drip
ping hands. The bed ticking and sheets and
pillows were dragged into the light. and they
showed evidences OF a violent struggle in which
they had been torn and slitted and creased.
Aside from the two blood stained hstchets .
small half worn out whisp broom found,
and also a coal shovel. Both were covered with
blood and hair In another paIt Of the room
n Ia hA l..afl ufx I.t.sn
thick with blood. IL Il believed that the MUIR
deTer tried to brush up and remove the blood On
the moor ana deposited then in the scuttle.
The apartments though small and close,
showed evidence, Notwithstanding the confu-
SION, OF good housewife. Tue floors were car
petcd. and around the walls OF the main room
were hung Catholic pictures. On one side, over
the table on which were the dishes ana remains
o. tho ihst neal was large engraving OF 81.
Mary Magd len. little cook stove. we'll
blacked, stood In recess OF the chimney; q
biight mahogany bure a, on which was a bronze
CLOCK, occupied an angle Of the room, and Ia
ole bore basket nllcd wlih cloanly-washed
clothes, ready for tho morning ironing In
window were pots of green plants in bloom.
Here the az couple had lived alone for four
teen Veors. DodWell had worked uniil about
two weeks ago on the brick tenement just
across tho street. At that time he was uis-
CHARGED, ana has since then been out OF work.
MIS-. DOdwell, his sne lay on "A cot In Ward 10,
was unconscious and breathed heavily. DR..
Smith said That the whole right side Of tne skull
ated. gaping wound, four inches long. ex-
tended clear Icross the lace to the mouth the
1,w Was fractured, and the whole right side par.
alyZef.
IN ward Is lay james Dodwell semi.consclous
and with closed ewes. lie is tall. brawny work.
man, with closey-eroDped white hair and a
hard, angular face. HIS no ID was thrown back
upon the pillow, disclosing deep wound IN the
throat. The windpipe was not cut, but as TIE
psophagus was punctured 1t was necessary to
inject medicine through a glass tube. inn,m-
nation had set In, but DIR. Gibner thinks that
the mans life may be saved. Ii Is supposed
that the wound WAS IN do with q large hand
saw, as All instrument II that kind was found In
the house with blood upon IT.
The poll sly TN the bloody work was un-
doubte edly done 10y DoiwelI, VINO, di-couraged
by loss OF employment, sought to DESTROY his
vile and himself at the same time. 1hey place
no credence In the assertion OF Do well th q
they were attacked by burglars. The friends Of
Mrs. Dodwel say that shs had supported her
husband for years, and that she had 500 or a7OO
In bank that he Is Of passionate, quar- irelsoms
disposition, and has often ROuss her while In
drunken nts Of rage.