The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-10-01
STRATF0RD TRADEG \ !,

/ A fit Of tezaaF scraa.y Insanity eaEses
the wife Of Rev. EHr. L0unsssury
10 kill her husband ia his sleep.
Bridgeport Of late has been noted for
its murders aud New England has OBJ
tained i far from enyiahle reputation
for its numerous shocking tragedies
and now the fair village Of Stratford has
I had fearful stain put upon its reputa-
tion by one from whom the public least
expected-the wife of Rev. Dexter L..
Lounsbury who shot and killed her hus
/ band at about six o'clock last Wednesday
morning. Immediately following the
report OF the pistol, Mrs. Lounsbury
rushed up fine stairs With the smoking
/ weapon III her hand into the room OF a
servant named Mary Cummings, who
she Mortified with the eXclana ion:
have killed my husbands / have killed
my husband!" This party hurried to the
sleeping apartment OF the reverend gen
tleman in company with Mrs. L., Anna
1 NJ. Lounsbury, The daughter, eleven
4 years of age, soon following. There was
Inc installing the dreadful tact-the cler-
gvman was found in his bed quiet in
death; bullet wound in. the back Of
| the head must have caused instant death,
and it seems clearly evident that the
victim was asleep at the time. DR.. A. s.
\ Allen, o near resident, arrived immedi-
atefy at the scene Of the tragedy, but the
still warm body was beyond the reach Of
IcartlAy help. In the coureo Of a couple
of hours jury of inquest consisting Of
the following parties was summoned by
Justice Stephen D. Smith: George A.
Talbot, Thomas Austin, Walter Wilcox
son, Stiles Hurd, George n. Wells and
Alfred Burritt Mr.. Talbot was elected
foreman. From the four witnesses, Mary
Cummings, Anna n. Lounsbury, the doc
tor an a neighbor, the following testi-
mony Was cleaned: Mrs. Lounsbury
repeatedly stated that she was guilty Of
the deed, but could give no ra&son or
cause for committing it. The minister
and his wife apparently lived happily
together although she was somewhat
irritable at times. This was evidently
due to the fact that she had been an in
valid for the past nineteen years. The
murderess told Mary Cummings the day
before the tragedy that her husband de-
sired her to submit to an operation the
next day which he thought might help
her When she objected he insisted, and
threatened to put her out Of the house if
she didn't comply with his request. DR..
Allen thinks that the operation" re-
ferred to might have meant the wearing
of d truss or supporter which he had ad-
vised MIR. Lounsbury to procure for his
wife. DR.. Al,el y5 that the pistol Was
evidently discharged when only a few
inches from the rector's head, as his
night garment and pillow were burnad
and blackened by the powder. The ball
entered the base OF the brain, thereby
causing instant death. He was unable
to find the bullet.
The verdict Of the jury was that the
Rev. Mr.. Lounsbury came to his death
at the hands OF bis wife, who committed
the act while III a temporary sttrte of I'M
sound mind, caused by i'll health. The
actions Of the lady certainly point to this
conclusion. This is what she has said
on the subject;
Il am willing to tell all I know about
this dreadful affair. My husband did not
know l had the pistol. After Burglars
tried to get into our pantry recently, and
got into Mrs. Burritts, next door,
spoke to my husband about getting a
pistol, but he would not listen to it. FL
nally | became SO frightened when left
here alone that one day when I was in
New Haven I bought a revolver. used
to keep it in d box hidden from my hus-
band. Some nights | slept with it under
my pillow. All 1 recollect about last
night is that we retired as usual. During
tie night | remember awakening my
husband and asking him to get up and
get me a drink of water, which he did
1 know | shot him, but cannot tell how
or why did. I am willing to suffer the
full penalty of the law, but I cannot tell
why | killed him. He always treated
me kindly"
About year and half ago Mr.. Louns-
bury was called by the members of
Christ Episcopal Church at Stratford, and
since then has endearcd himself to
large circle OF friends. He was born in
Bethany, Ct Years ago he practiced as
a phy stefan at Meriden. Cooke Louns-
bury, q popular lawyer of Hartford, is
his brother. Mrs. Lounsbury was for
merly resident of New Haven and be-
longs to good family. She committed
the deed with q five-barrelled revolver,
number thirty-two calibre.