The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-17
YESTERDAY IN THE COURTS
JOSEPH COLOMBO, CHARGED WITH
MURDER, TELLS HIS STORY.


News.
Joseph Colombo of Bethany, on trial
in the superior court in this city, charg-
ed with wife murder, was on the stand
yesterday morning and gave his YER
sion of the case. He SAID that on the
morning Of July 16, 1895, he left
his home to look up a secondhand
stove among the farmers of Bethany,
and also in quest Of work. He travelled
good deal, and was unsuccessful in
finding suitable stove but was prom
Used a good job In his travels he
drank considerable harry cider, and
then went to a roadside inn, where
he purchased pint of liquor. This he
drank with the hired man in the barn,
and returned for another pint. The
landlord asked what had become of
the first pint, and he said he had drank
it. He was then fairly under the in
fluence Of liquor and he started for
home.
He had with him a package of beans.
and when he arrived home he found
that most of the beans We're lost on the
way. His wife pleasantly upbraided
him for losing the beans and asked If
he had anything to drink He produce
ed the bottle, and they both drank.
Then he had supper and went to bed
upstairs. She followed him to the
room and asked if he had any more
drink. He replied that he had not, and
she said she would like another drink.
He told her to go after some and she
put on her bonnet and left the house.
He watched her through the window,
and saw her go in the direction of the
hotel, and he then turned back to bed
and went to sleep. He did not know
how long he had been asleep when he
was awakened by the light of Ian
tern held over him. 1t was his wife
who held the lantern, and she imme-
diately went down stairs. There was
something suspicious in her move
ments, and he partly dressed and fol-
lowed her.
Below he found two strange men and
the Latimer woman, who testified We'd
nesday, drinking with his wife. He
then told the men to leave. and Mrs
Latimer told him it was none of his
business who were in the house, that it
was hers, not his. The men also re-
fused to leave.
He then went for his gun and when
he returned to the kitchen the men
and women had gone out He followed
and called for his wife, but there was
no answer. He searched along the
road and came upon a buggy Re-
turning to the house he found it locked
against him and he entered through a
window. He then went into the room
where Mrs. Latimer's mother lay on a
bed. and found his wife behind the
door He had the gun in one hand and
the lantern in the other. He uppraided
her for being with other men and
sharp words followed. He told her to
go to bed again and again she refused.
He then threw away the gun and broke
it against the wall. He struck her
several times and she cried. He went
to bed again and she followed him up
stairs and said it was too bad that
strangers should have caused trouble
between them. You ought to know
how am when l am drunk" said she.
She then CROPPED around the room
looking for matches and he heard a
| fall down stairs. He went down and
| found his wife in a heap at the bot
tom. He picked her up and took her
| in his arms to her bed. That was all
he knew of her injuries.
| Examined further by his counsel he
said he had never threatened his wife.
AS to his condition when they were
married, he said she told him that
while he was drunk she obtained a Ii
cense in Holyoke by forging her ia
theirs name and then got him to marry
her. He said he had paid a fine for her
before that and released her from jail
He also mentioned in his narrative that
his wife was in the habit of consort-
| ing with other men and that he was
Jealous of her actions in that respect.
| The ss-examination Of Colombo
| began at 1890 o'clock and during its
progress the accused man contradict
| ed his statement made in the morning
on a few points, put in the main par
| ticulars adhered to it.
| DR.. Baribault of this city was the last
witness called for the defense. He stat
| ed that none nor all of the wounds
found on Mrs. Colombe's body would
have proven fatal under proper treat
ment,
State Attorney Williams then sum-
med up for the prosecution. The sum-
ming up for the defense will begin at 1(
o'clock this morning.
THE EVIDENCE CLOSED.
! Colonel S. J. Fox was the principal
witness for the defense yesterday in
the suit of j. Hazelton Cook against
| Daniel Hands estate. He was called
by the defense. Colonel Fox, upon in
| quiry explained that he was for a long
time confidential agent for Daniel
| Hand in New Haven, and that in all
| matters beyond those requiring legal
advice Mr. Hand consulted him.
| Colonel Fox testified that in all the
| conversations which he had with him
| Mr.. Hand never mentioned the claim
of Mr.. Cook.
After Colonel Fox had testified, the
| plaintiff introduced large number OF
! witnesses in rebuttal to refute the tes-
| timony Wednesday concerning the rep
| utation of Cook for truth and yeracity
among the witnesses being Frank S
| Wilcox, Harvey e. Buell. and Dr. Fiske
of Clinton, w. H Murray of Guilford
| Captain Brooks of Guilford and C. B
| Whitehale of Clinton.
This concluded the evidence in the
case, and the court adjourned to next
| Tuesday for the arguments.
| GIVEN FOUR MONTHS IN JAIL