Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-15
RIs Wife Cuts His own

.s14-Connecticut has
 .ecord. A horrible mur-
 occurred here last night
 Bronson beheaded his wife with
 d cut his throat with razor. Their
 were found in their farm house this .orning by J. A. Pond, who lives near Bron- son and has been working for him for few days past, He forced an entrance to the house by means of ladder and horrible sight met his eyes. Stretched at length upon the four were Bronson and his wife dead in their night clothes. Coroner Sperry of Hartford was at once notified.
 The scene In the bedroom was indeed bloody one. Evidences of terrible struggle were abundant. Mrs. Melinda P. Bronson's body lay alongside the bed. The head was entirely severed from the body. Inves tigation showed that the crime had been committed with an axe, which lay in thekmiddle of the room. Four blows with the edge of the axe had been made. One was on the chin below the under lip, making deep gash under the jaw; another deep gash was made in the neck just under the chin; two other blows had been made half way down the neck, the blade each time being driven through the carpet and into the floor Over, the left eye was fracture of the skull. .ap. parently made with the head of the axe, the depression of the skull being great. The body was clad only in an under Mrapper and chemise, and her right shoulder was barred for several inches where J3er clothing had been torn. Her. arms were drawn up and her hands clenched The arms, hands and shoulders were coSered with blood. From the location of Enc bloody marks it is likely that the unfortunate woman was prostrate on Lhe necor when the axe was used on her.
 The body of Bronson lay at the foot of the pea. Close to his hands was an opened razor, szdd cut in his throat showed how he had net his death. No evidence appeared of more than one cut, but it was horribly deep enc, the head being nearly severed.
 Bronson was insane, he having shown symptoms of insanity for month past. No blood appears on the bed clothes, and it is likely that his wife saw what he in- tended to do and jumped up to defend her self. She grasped pitcher and also 8 chair, but to no purpose. He silenced her with the axe. Bronson then took the lamp and started down stairs for his razor. His lamp went out, and there are blood marks all along the wall showing, that he groped his way along. He relit the light down stairs, leav- ing blood on the box of matches. He went to his desk, but did not find the razor. In a frenzy he wrenched open the writing table front, taking hinges and lock along. Here he found the razor which his wife had purpossly kept locked. Returning to the bedroom he made the fatal cut, nearly sever- ing his own head from the body.
 Bronson has been under treatment by Dr. H. A. Way for some time fer melancholia, 8 species of insanity. He was not considered specially dangerous. His wife was a tall, plump woman, of good health and very strong. Had Bronson not been armed with the axe, ,she could easily have conquered him: for he was not strong, though in fair health physically. Mrs. Bronson was an exemplary housekeeper. everything about the house demonstraa B her neatness in that line.
 Both were members of the Bristol Congre- gational church and were highly esteemed as friends and as neighbors. MT. Bronson was a deacon in that church. They had no chil- dren. For twenty-five or thirty years they lived happily together, he being 73 years of age and she 69. There has never been in- sanity in his family. He is reputed to be worth from $50, GOO to $60. .0O0, mostly in real estate in Cleveland, O.. She had some con- siderable personal property, but no real es, tate. Her maiden name was Norton. Bron- son owned his place at Polkvilie,S some three miles from Bristol center. The dead woman has three sisters living in Goshen, this State.