Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-07-26
A HUSBANDS CRUELTY
Responsible For the Death
of His Wife.
The Brute Now Serving q Thirty Days
Sentence In Jail.

STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn, July 90
Damnsble brutality Is the only expression
that can convey In any measure an idea
Of the character and-actions Of Edward
Welch, who is now serving a So-day term
In the Tolland jail.
The story of his crimes extends over q
period Of years, during which the object
Of the most diabo lical tortures which his
mind could conceive has been his wife,
4 The only occasion Of the knowledge Of
khe terrible sufferings which she had en-
hured has been giving by her death, which
occurred Monday. During her life she has
pever dared to lisp one complaint to any
kriend.
For Fear OF the Torture
which would follow should her husband
become cognizant Of her act. The story Of
her woes would fill columns, but the sight
Of her emaciated form, as 1t lay I'm the
coffin, told more plainly than anything
else the life she had led and the privations
she had endured.
Edward Welch is not p drinking man,
and no portion of the crimes can be laid
at the feet Of appetite or insanity. Mrs.
Welch has been for some years an invalid
from some female trouble that has, tor a
part Of the time, confined her to the bed,
and rendered her unable to perform the
common duties of the household. When
ever she showed appearance Of Improve
mept, he would devise some means Of tor
turing her, which would place her still
lower In the scale of health than when
medical treatment was begun.
An Example Of His Fiendishness
is shown by his action last winter, when,
with his wife In an almost dying state, he
removed her to board shanty about mile
from town, and placing her there without
attendance or help left her without suffi-
cient fire to keep the frost from gathering
thickly on the thin, bare walls.
There. with no one to minister in the
least to her sufferings, to attend in any
way to the wants of her sickness, and with
no food except that of the most meagre
and unpalatable character, he left her dur
ing the coldest months of the year. He
himself visited her occasionally, only to
increase her sufferings by brutal treatment
and still more brutal words.
The food which he provided for her she
scarcely dared to touch for fear Of poison,
and the amount of sustenance she took
scarcely served to keep her alive. Her
weakness was SO great that she had not
strength enough to call the assistance of
the ueighbors or to notify the authorities
of her pitiable condition.
Tho Arrest Of welch
was occasioned by the complaint of the sis
ters Of Mrs. Welch, who have been with
her since July9. Welch's action to his
wife, even In the presence of her friends,
was 80 terrible that the police were sum-
moned, and he was placed under arrest
Monday. He was brought before the
court, charged with assault and breach of
the peace.
The members Of his family who were In
full possession Of facts which would, II
presented In court. have secured for him
Just punishment, were SO afraid Of the re-
suits Of testifying against him that they
would not appear. Sufficient evidence
vas produced. however, to warrant his
committal to Jail for 80 days.
His sentence had hardly been pronounced
when word was received that his wife was
dead. In consequence of his present SEN
,a~ce no further action can be brought
sg.;,,st him until his release.
Walc,' is man 80 years Of age, his wife
being n W. >rs younger He is strong and
sbIa'b a'bodied a,~d capable of earning good
living bpt for h. iaziness. The couple
s,se bsys tWo Do. children ,Hd en- rl of II and boy
Of a. The daughter is 'aarried ana lives
In Stafford