Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-19
THE ACT OF A rrEND.


A Husbands Terribie tevcnge Upon Ills
wifo-1fe Blinds 1fer with Acid.
"Give me some vitriol," said Joseph
Cattrell, In the drug store at tho corner Of
Pearl and New Chambers streets, New
York, on Thursday afternoon. He ex-
acid TO burn iron, and the clerk put him up
an ounce He returned In about fifteen
minutes and said II was not strong enough,
IS II would not eat iron. As the clerk raid
he had given him what he wanted and re-
fused 70 take tho sulphuric acid back, Cot
trell efnpticd the ounce bottle In the street
and then had II fillen with muriatic acid,
which is more powerful. He tested this OH
n carving knife a foot and half long, as
the mark on this afterward showed.
on tho fifth floor at No. 81 Roosevelt
street his wife was living. She was resid-
ing with her brother-in-law, Mr.. Flood.
Her sister had been buried from there the
day before, and Mr.. Flood and his two
children were at deaths door when Cottrell
called. lie had been there before during
the day, and had asked Mrs. Cottrell,
fine.looking woman, whosc Christian name
Is Anna. to return to him. She had left
him several years ago on account Of his ILL
treatment Of her, and she refused to 1.-Two
with him again. He told her he would
"flx" her II she did not. Other men,
friends of the Floods. were In the apart
ments, and he had TO leave. Hc fingered
on the sidewalk until about o'clock, when
he went TO the nearest drug store aud got
the acid. He was not excited at the time,
so far as tho drug clerk saw, but he said he
was In hurry when label was TO be put
on tho bottle, and that the label might as
well be left off. SO no label was put on.
When he again saw his wife IL was after
7 o'clock. lie probably thought 10 find
fewer people in the house than in the after
noon. He had tho bottle uncorked when
she came TO the door to meet him, and
through the wide glass neck he emptied
the ounce on her face, saying: " I guess
you'll come now" He ran downstairs.
A shout went up after him. lie turned
the corner and ran up Madison street, but
two policemen happened 10 be near and no
was soon caught. The big, keen knife was
found on him at the Oak Street police
station, to which the injured woman was
also brought before being conveyed TO tho
Chambers Street hospital Her moans
out; the other was SO badly injured that
she will not be able to see disticnty III ut all,
from 1t should she survive. Her right
cheek was burned away, and the features
| Of the rest of hor face were gone, her nose
being partly destroyed. Her lips showed
the terrible effect of the acid. She had put
| up her hands TO her face, and both Of them
| were burned In streaks. Drops of the acid
had fallen on her dress, ''and," said the
| police sergeant, "a hundred holes were
| burned in the bosom of it,"
She could not speak; all she could dc
was moan.
~ wish l had killed her." said Cottrell
at would have been mercy to her il you
| had" remarked one of the policemen.
81 came here to harm her If she did no
| do as I wanted" said Cottrcll.
Uo was locked up. The police sergeant
| said ho did not appear to have boon drink.
| ing, but was evidently desperate man
| Cottrell said he was clerk mt Purdy'
Station, on tho Harlem railroad. He was
not very well attirod. His age was thirty
six. His wife Is thirty-three. She had
head OF golden hair of unusual length ant
beauty. Drops OF the acid had fallen on 1t
The hospital physicians say there are hope
| of saving her life.