The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-29
WIDOW HELD ON
 MURDER CHARGE
Mrs. Lawson Accused Of KiIl- ing Husband In Cellar On
 Night Of August 14.

East Woodstock, Conn, Sept. 29- l Mrs. Jonas Lawson, widow, was for | mally placed under arrest. today, charged with having killed her hus- band in the cellar of their home on the night of August IA. She was irn- nlediateIy taken before Justice of the Peace Charles M. Perrin and pleaded not guilty. Without delay she was held without bail for the superior court at it's next term and taken to the county jail at Brooklyn, for safe Keeping.
 The arrest of Mrs Lawson had been expected for weeks. After Coroner Bill, of Danielson, and State Officer Hurley had made an inquiry, they said that the widows arrest would follow. Mrs. Lawson. however, suffered from heart trouble and she was placed 8n care of 8 nurse at her home. She had recovered sufficiently last week, to warrant the officers in taking ac- tion- Mrs. Lawson, some weeks ago retained Charles L.. Torrey, of Put nam, as her counsel. She had been apprised of her probable arrest and today's arraignment before Judge Per rim did not surprise her.
 MT. Lawson, wel1-to-do farmer of Swedish birth, who lived on a place on the East Woodstock road, was killed by being clubbed over the head, during the night of August fl. The oodstained club was found in the cellar of his home but the body had been lifted from the cellar floor and carried outside and thence into the barn and placed in a stall, the horse which had been in the stall having first been released. According to Mrs Lawson's story at the time, she had retired that evening, leaving her husband reading at the table. A son was camping some distance away with friends and a daughter had been to a gathering in the village. She said she was awakened by a noise in the barn. Finding her husband missing from the house, Mrs. Lawson ran to the home of a neighbor, John $. May, and told of the disturbance in the barn. To- gether, they went back and in the stall found MT. Lawsons s body. ATedi- cal Examiner Spau1ding was called and his a&rst verdict was that the horse in %9ee stall had kicked and kill ed Lawson Later in the day, when bloodstains were found at the cellar door and a trail of blood in the cellar and on the club, together with indi- their hands on various articles leaving bi0odstains, the verdict was changed to murder.
 Mrs.4Eewson insisted that she had heard no noise in the house after re- tiring. Two state officers made an in e-97-|SNN-' The opinion was held that Lawson was struck by someone who had stood on the cellar stairs and welded the leg of a washing machine on Law sons head A motive for the crime was wanting until it was definitely established that $20, which Lawson had in his pockets was missing.
 The next question related to the moving of Lawson's body from the cellar to the barn stall. Medical Examiner Spau1ding was of the opin- ion that one person could. have done it. What evidence the coroner se- cured is not known but after denial of a report that tramps were suspect ed of the crime the statement was made that evidence tended to show that whoever killed Lawson was lfani- lar with the premises, knewa he had money in his pockets and had a. req son for clubbing him.
 It was soon afterwards announced that Mrs. Lawson would be arrested as soon as her condition warranted, she having collapsed by reason of heart and nervous troubles.
 There were reports in the village that Mrs Lawson and her husband had had disagreements. but so far as known nothing was made public along this line.