Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-10-18
ESCAPED LUNATIC
MURDERS HIS WIFE
Ida Wright COlored Victim Of
Husbands rawlings.
HEAD CRUSHED WITH HATCHET.
Perry Wright Dealt One Blow in Bed
Then Dragged Body Down Stairs
To Complete Deed.

While his three young children
were asleep in an adjoining room,
Perry Wright, colored, 35 years old,
an escaped lunatic, living near Ar
nold's Station, in the Third district
of Anne Arundel county, brutally
murde red his wife, Ida Wright, 25
years old, early this morning.
Leaving his bed quietly before 1
o'clock, the raving man procured an
ak, which he had concealed in the
bed room, and without warning,
dealt his victim a severe blow in the
head with the sharp edge of the in
strument
This blow was sufficient to produce
death, as it fractured the woman's
skull. But the negro then dragged
his wife out of the bed and down to
the first floor of their home and hack
ed sr in the head twice more with
the ak. Meantime, the children were
aroused by the great commotion.
Wright ran from the house to the res
idences of several persons living in
the neighborhood and told them what
he had done. He made no attempt
to escape, but went back to his house.
He did not modest the children
The county police authorities were
Immediately notified of the tragedy
and early this morning Chief Deputy
Sheriff Grafton Boone went to the
scene. Leveling. a revolver at the
murderer as he stood in the doorway,
Deputy Boone demanded him to
throw up his hands," Wright did
not re sist or max: any move to run
off. He surrendered to arrest, ut
tering several remarks in audible,
but excited tones, which the police
officials could not dnde rstand. Wright
was brought to Annapolis and is
now confined to the county Jail.
A coroner's jury was summoned
by Police Justice William H. Meade,
Of which Max Hannecke was foreman.
The body of the murdered woman
was examined by DR.. Louis b. Hen
kel, and DR.. r. B. Milliner, of An
napolis. The jury rendered verdict
that the Wright woman came to her
death by injuries in the head inflict-
ed by sharp instrument in the hands
OF ner husband.
The murderer-maniac escaped from
the Maryland Hospital for Negro
Insane, at Brownsville, seven miles
from Annapolis, three weeks ago,
although the fact has just become
generally known. Last August he
became a raving maniac and threat
ened members of his family. Among
other things he attempted to kill his
horse by striking the animal in the
head with hatchet
Upon certifcation of physicians
he was adjudged a lunatic and was
Immediately committed to the insane
hospital. The fact that he escaped
from the institution three weeks ago
and that he had probably gone back
to live with his family, was reported
to the States Attorney and the
Sheriff of the county, but the Off
cials, it is stated, had been unable to
come upon the lunatic.
All that the officials could get from
the statements of Wright after he
was arrested today, was that 81 had
to do it" Two notes, apparently
written last night, and addressed to
the Sheriff, told of the crime. In
both OF these the negro expressed the
hope that he would be pare oned for
what he had done, but most of the
writing was illegible.