The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-03-10
FATHER And Son MURDERED
MOTHER OUND NEiRWOS NDED
AND UNCONSCIOUS

bUsOoOU anO WUe supposed 10 Have
Quarre,icd Over Biii for Dry Good.
Bodies Found by an Older sol,
Couple Were Not Living Happily.
NEW HAVEN. March y Christopher q.
Wood. aged 80. and his eleven year old
son, Valdemar. were found dead and Mrs.
Wood was found dying late this afternoon
in their home in Branford. seven miles
from this city
The discovery was made by Walter
Wood. another son. aged 23.
The opinion Of those who looked into
the circumstances Of the tragedy tonight
was that the shooting was done by Mrs.
Wood during a fit Of insanity.
DR.. Charles W. Gaylord. the medical
examiner. said tonight that Mrs. Wood
might die before morning.
The Wood family is prominent in
Branford. Mr.. Wood was contractor
with the Mslleable lion Company in
Branford and had been with the concern
for over twenty-five years. His son
Walter tonight said that his father while
at work yesterday morning received a
bill from New Haven dry goods store
for goods charged TO Mrs. Wood. The
father was perplexed over the bill and
decided to investigate. He left the
factory before noon and went to his home
intending to 20 to New Haven to inquire
about the bill.
That was the last seen OF Wood alive.
The son Walter was in New Haven last
night to attend lodge meeting and did
not see his father. This morning at the
breakfast table he asked his mother about
his father and was told that he was not
feeling we'll. At noon to-day when Walter
returned home for dinner he inquired how
his father was getting on and Mrs. Wood
said he was still suffering from a sick
headache and was in his room.
Walter went to work. This afternoon
he lsft the shop at $50 and went directly
home. A neighbor told the young son
that something seemed to be wrong.
Walter found all the doors locked. which
was unusual. He got a ladder and
climbed to q second story window that
he found unfastened and went into the
house. He found his father dead on the
floor In his sleeping room. He had been
shot through the mouth. Cotton had
been stuffed into the mouth Of the dead
man. apparently to stop the blood from
flowing onto the floor.
From the appearance Of the wound the
person who did the shooting must have
held the weapon very close to the mouth
of the dead man. All around the face
the powder had burned the flesh In the
next Eoom young valdemar was found
He was dead too. Investigation showed
that he had been shot back OF the left ear
Valdemar had evidently been put 10
as il he had gone to sleep for the night.
and was shot after lying down.
On the floor within a few feet OF the
bed was Mrs. Wood. unconscious. There
was a bullet wound in her left breast
near the heart. Only an arms length
from her was Ave barrel revolver. -Four
chambers Of the pistol were empty Fur
ther investigation disclosed that two
shots had been fired into Mr.. Wood. which
would account for the four chambers
being empty.
Medical Examiner Gaylord tried TO re-
vive Mrs Wood. but had not succeeded
at midnight.
The Wood family was very well to do
For many years Wood had been buyer
for the malleable iron company. but Of
recent years had taken q contract and
was prosperous. The family were regular
attendants at the Congregational church
in the town and one Of the first callers at
the Wood home tonight was the Rev
Seeley Tompkins. pastor Of that church.
It was said tonight that Mr. and Mrs.
Wood have not been on peaceful terms
for some time and that they quarrclled
frequently Mrs. Wood was an attractive
woman and was very popular. 1t is be-
lieved that when her husband spoke to
her about the dry goods bill an angry
discussion followed. Where she got the
revolver is one Of the unexplained things
in the case