The news & observer., 1897-02-23


to open it, but found it partially Blocked
by weight When he at length sue
ceeded in forcing it open he found lying
against it the body of his mother. lie
ran at once to a neighbors and gave the
alarm. An hour and a half after the
discovery Postmaster Chaplin arrived at
his home, where he purposed to spend
Sunday. The terrible news well nigh
Frustrated him. BY order of the authOri-
ties the bodies were left Gn their positions
in which they had been found, until the
arrival Of the coroner. Mead had been
a frequent caller upon Mrs. Chapin who
was % or 30 years of age.
Coroner Higgins began an investiga-
ton about noon. The most essential fact,
deduced was that while there were two
bullet wounds in Mead's head, there was
but one in the forehead of Mrs. Chaplin.
The weapon with which the shooting was
done was found nearer to Mrs. Chapin's
body than Mead's. The revolver was
the one kept by Mrs. Chaplin in the post
office and at her house during the fire.
uuent absences of her husband Mrs.
Chaplin was attired in her night dress
while the dead mlan was i'm his street
clothes, his overcoat and hat, however,
having been placed upon a chair in the
dining room 1t is thought that the
shooting occurred at about o'clock i'm
the morning.
Coroner Higgins has not completed his
investigation, but many accept the theory
that Mead went to the house, am undesir-
ed visitor, or that he broke in and that
Mrs. Chaplin, in order to protect herself
shot him and subsequently killed herself.
Mrs. Chaplin was the daughter of Sid
ney Morris, a life long resident of Falls
Village and the head of well known
family.
1t was nearly four O'Clock when the
coroner left the scene of the tragedy,
the investigation being practically COM
pleted He did not render a yewict.
Mead was formerly employed by the
King Paper Company of Springfield,
Mass. as a commercial traveller, but for
some months has been living in idleness,
residing with his mother, the wife Of
Rev. II. b. Mead, Of Scotland, Conn.
Mr.. Chaplin, the husband of the dead
woman is on the verge of prostration.
His friends will not allow him to- be
seer
THE CORONER'S OPINION
Winsted. Conn, Feb. 20.-Coroner
Richard 7. Higgins, of Litchfeld county,
returned here tonight and was seen by
a representative of the Associated Press
to whom he made the following state
ment:
II have no hesitancy in stating that
unless there are new developments, l
shall report to the Superior court clerk
that Mrs. Chapin met her death at the
hands of Charles f. Mead and that the
latter killed himself The body of the
man was on the dining room floor and
sitting ROOM Six feet away was found
the body Of the woman, partially sitting
clothed in a bath robe or wrapper of
some sort. Midway between the bodies
was revolver and three of the chambers
were empty. There were two wounds
in the woman's head, one in the right
temple and another on the left check. In
THE head of the man on the right temple
was wound, the bullet crashing through
the head and lodging near by the door. /
am practically convinced that the man
shot the woman twice and then killed
himself. After turning the bodies over to
the relatives | together with medical eX-
aminer koff, continued our investigation,
we found that Mead bore an unsavory
reputation and we practically concluded
that he went to the Chapin residence be-
cause he was infatuated with Mrs. Cha
pin and because he was thwarted i'm GER
tain purposes, committed the crimes of
murder and suicide"