Bridgeton pioneer., 1908-09-17
MADMAN HACKS
FAMILY WITH AXE
Splits Skulls Of Wife, Daughte|
and SOn-in-LaW.
PUTS UP TERRIFIC FIGHT

During Fit of Insanity Wilmington
DEL, Man Attacked Family With e
Broadaxe While They Were ASLEEP
/ and Fatally Injured Three Of Them.
Fought Like Fiend When He Was
Overpowered - Has An Excellent
Reputation and Lived Happily Witt
His Family.
Wilmington, Del, Sept. 10.-During
fit of temporary insanity, Pearson
Talley, aged sixty years, Of 402 West
Sixth street, attacked his wife with q
broadaxe while she was asleep in bed
and after splitting her head open wen
to the bedroom occupied by his adopt
ed daughter, Edith Johansen and he.
husband, Andrew Johansen, and struck
J Mrs, Johansen in the head with the
axe, splitting her head open and cut
ting out one of her eyes. Mr.. Johan
sen was awakened by hearing his wife
moaning. When he opened his eyes he
saw the aged man standing over him
with the broadaxe raised. just about to
deliver blow
He at once grappled with him ant
succeeded in knocking off the first
blow. Talley again struck him, how
ever, and inflicted severe wound in
the back of the head and a slight
wound on the shoulder.
The insane man fought like f1en6
when Johansen tried to take the
weapon away from him. They wrestlet
| all over the bed for some little time
but Johansen could not get the axe
out of Talley's hands, and when Johr
Farmer, living next door, who hac
been attracted by the noise, arrived or
| the scene,N Johansen was nearly ex
hausted. Had Farmer been one min
ute later in arriving there is no doubt
| but that Talley would have finished
the work and killed all three persons
| outright
After he was subdued the desper
| ate man seemed to come to his sense:
for time and begged people arount
| him to kill him with the axe.
'Talley was arrested and fought hare
with the officers who took him from
| the house.
| Later he was taken to the hospital
where his wife and adopted daughte
identified him, but could not say i
was he who committed the deed. Th,
wife, when the husband was taken be
fore her. told the police that he was
good, kind husband, and Mrs. Johan
sen, when confronted by the man
told the police that she did not wan
them to do much with him, as he hat
been very good to her.
At the police station Talley was ra
t1onal and said he could not in an,
way account for his desperate act, q.
there were no hard feelings between
any of the members of the family ant
they got along well together. He wa.
very Respondent and continually ask
ed about the condition of his victims
His story about all the members O
the family getting along well togethe
Is corroborated by the neighbors, wht
give him an excellent name and sa,
that he must have been insane, as h.
seemed to love his wife and adopted
daughter dearly.
Mrs. Talley's head had been lait
open on the right side for about five
inches. The brain was exposed ant
the skull fractured. Mrs. Johanser
seemed to be in more critical condi
ton than the others. Her head ha(
been split open down the left side anc
across the nose and the left eye wa:
laying out on the cheek Johansen's
wounds consisted of a deep gasf
about one and half inches and tbs
skull was punctured.
Talley is confined in one of the po
lice station cells. He seems to begir
to realize what he has done and Is In
a pitiful condition of physical and
mental collapse.