The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-17
theHand
OF Death
FOR MRS. WOODS.
HerHusband VIII be Charg-
ed With Manslaughter.

|
William Woods, the colored man who it
is alleged threw lighted lamp at his wife
in their Lily street tenement last Sunday
night, will have to answer to a charge of
manslaughter, if not a more serious in
ldictment, in the central district court next
Monday morning.
The victim of the atrocious assault, if
assault it was, is dead, having passed
away yesterday morning shortly after 5
o'clock, after suffering untold agonies. All
through the hour following the burning
she insisted that she was going to re-
cover and appear in court against her
husband, but nature could not rally from
the dreadful shock her system had re-
ceived, and death mercifully relieved her
from the sufferings that were becoming
unbearable.
Mrs. Woods adhered with the utmost
steadfastness to the ante-mortem state
ment made by her to DR.. c. A. Peabody
and Lieut.. James r. Johnson that her
husband threw the lighted lamp at her,
which exploded and set her clothing atire
Neighbors Of the Woods family say that
Woods has frequently in the past threat
ened to take his wife's life, but they re-
garded his talk as nothing to be given
any credence to. Now, however, they are
willing to come to court and swear to the
expressions they have heard used. They
all agree that Woods was in the habit of
coming home much under the influence of
liquor, when angry words were sure to be
passed between him and the woman who
is now dead, as it is claimed through the
effects of his act
Mrs. Hannah Dyer is one of the neigh
bors whose testimony may play prom
inent part In the hearing. She says she
heard a scream on the night of the TRACE
dy, following directly after a dull thud
like some heavy body falling to the floor.
Then Mrs. Woods rushed from her apart
ments screaming that her husband had
thrown the lamp at her and that she was
on fire. The neighbors FASTENED to her
rescue and extinguished the blaze, but
not until it was too late, as the sequel
proved.
The Woods family have lived in the
tenement on Lily street for nearly Is
years Three months ago they were or
dered out of the house, and removed to
the French Hill district, but did not want
to stay there, and moved back, the neigh
bors making no objection when they saw
how badly the Woods felt about leaving
the home they had occupied for so many
years.
Despite the fact that Woods has threat
ened his wife so often, there are not lack
ing those to say that she reciprocated the
attentions and was heard to express san
culinary intentions concerning him also
1t is extremely probable that Woods
will never live to come to trial. for he has
been considered to be dying of consump-
ton for the past six months or more. He
is extremely emaciated, and there is prob
badly no hope that he can recover. When
he comes before Judge Utley he will have
only passed the preliminary step in his
trial, for he will in all probability be sent
up to the superior court, which will decide
his fate. There is little likelihood. in the
opinion of those who know Woods, that
he will live long enough to come to trial in
the higher court.
Woods still insists that he did not throw
the lamp at his wife, but that she struck
against the table and knocked it off, thus
setting her dress on fire. The fact that
Woods made no effort to escape after the
tragedy leads some people to think that
his story may be true but be that as it
may, Woods is not marked out for justice
in this world, for he will come before
higher court ere the tribunals of earth
can reach him.