Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1914-05-29
PUTNAM, CONN.,. FRIDAY, MAY 20 1914

son came to his house with blood on
his coat and he was in a bad temper.
Saw blood from barn tuceIlar. Blood
back of stall. Door sill looked us if
body had been drawn over it. Saw
blood on kitchen floor, on stairs, on pi-
ano box and under stairs where boards
were turned over with blood on under
side. Found stockings in rubbish at
foot of cellar stairs and they were wet
and damp and blood on them. Weeds
all pointed towards barn and there
were stains on under side of leaves as
if body had been dragged. On cross
examination he said both he and Mrs.
Lawson were excited and he didn't
notice whether she had shoes or not.
On redirect said she had shoes on
when he saw her in the house.
Mrs. May. wife of the previous wit
ness testified TO Mrs. lawson coming
10 1.-THE house for her husband. She
dressed and went down. Mrs. Law
son had shoes on. Two times Mrs.
Lawson said to her in the house, "You
had better go home, you had better go
home, you don't know, you don't
know Mrs. Lawson told her her
husband was reading when she went
to bed. Mrs. Lawson washed blood
from her arm ut the sink when she
went in house.
Arthur G.. Bill, coroner, told of going
to the Lawson place several times TO
investigate and hold an inquest. He
told of the trail of blood and blood
stains and of places where an attempt
had been made to wash it off. A club
was handed to him which he said he
had turned over to DR.. Marvin Scar
borough of New Haven. DR.. Scarbor-
ough here turned over. various articles
that were introduced in evidence.
They included pair of black stock
ings, an axe, coat, overalls, pieces of
paper claimed TO have been used with
ashes to wipe of blood stains, piece of
cellar stairs, piece of board from under
cellar stairs, piece of u peach basket on
which was blood stain and an appar-
ent attempt had been made to clean it
of with ashes, club on which wit
ness said there were blood stains and
that there was hair on IL when
found, piece of stone, box OF smaller
stones and chip, several chips from
barn and cellar doors, lock of hair cut
from Mr.. Lawson's head, two small
splinters taken from near Lawson's
eve, Mrs. Lawson's night dress and
skirt.
Continuing his testimony witness
said that Mrs. Lawson had appeared
before him at the inquest and after be-
ing duly warned had testified. She
said her husband had abused her on
occasions. Once he picked her up and
threw her down injuring her arm and
side. Another time when he came
from Putnam be had given her black
eve. She said cider made him ugly,
but for week he had not touched a
drop. An autopsy was made Sunday
by DIR. Mason. Cross examined said
Mrs. Lawson testified about an hour.
He did not take her to the places when
he asked her if she had washed the
blood stains and she answered no. She
said she would have gone into the barn
if she had had a lantern instead of a
lamp. The only lantern had been ia
ken to camp by Adolph.
Claus Nelson testified to finding the
club in the cellar.
Robert t. Hurley told of going to the
Lawson home the day after he was
killed and making an examination.
He told of the blood stains in the barn
and the trail Of blood leading to the
cellar, of blood on and under the cellar
stairs, of boards turned over with blood
on the under side. He said he saw
blood stains In the kitchen. A pair Of
stockings had been shown him by Cor
oner Bill. He found the night dress
ana SklrL IN StOfc loOih' iiC "che
up START with Mrs. Lawson. She said
she had been asleep in her sons room
Said she woke up and found that her
husband was not there. He said TO her
aYou wouldn't expect TO find him
there in that room2v and she made no
answer. Coroner Bill went out with a
bundle. Mrs. Lawson asked him what
he had in il and he said he couldn't
tell her. She asked him If he thought
she would be put in the'scoop'" Asked
him if he hadn't some influence with
the coroner and could find out what
he had in the bundle.
Coroner Bill took the stand again
and identified number of photo
graphs that his son took OF the Law
son home.
DIR. Lewis 1. Mason of Willimsntic,
county medical examiner, read bis re-
port of the autopsy 1t was techni-
cal pert. He said the wounds were
of two kinds, the one over the temple
looked as if it was done with fl at In
strument. Others showed more crush
ing force. Club could have caused
death by blow on the temple. Other
higher wound was made with nat In
strnment. 1.-THE broad side Of that axe
would have been convenient thing 10