Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-20
FAMOUS PRISONER
 DIES FREE MAN
John Warren, Native of Coventry, Served Forty three Years in Prison


 John Warren, Native of Coventry,
 Served Forty-three Years in Prison
 After four years of liberty following more than half century in the state prison at Wethers7eld, to which he was sentenced for the murder of his wife, John Warren died Wednesday afternoon at the home in Mansfield of Joel Warren, his brother. Death was due to hardening of the arteries. He was 17 years old, and had lived in Aaansheld since short time after he was pardoned, June 15, 1912. The fu- neral was held from his home at 1 clock Friday afternoon and burial WIT be in Storrs cemetery Mansfield
 Warren was on Dec If, 1859, con- Vlcted of second degree murder and sentence dto life irnprisonrnert This was but five days after his twenty nrst birthday. He out1ived seven Wardens and served under nine in- cIuding Ward A. Garner the present warden. Near the end of his term, he Irequently sent petitions to the board or pardons, asking to be pardoned on account of his declining years, but 1t was not until three years and Il months ago that the old mans desire ] was granted. Stoop- shouldered and ] gray haired, it was nevertheless a happy man and took leave of the grim prison walls Wednesday, June 19 | gSl2, expecting to spend at least a 1 dozen years in the country with his l prother-a free man once again. AL ! though his sentence had been abrupt l " terminated on the Saturday previ- ously, he remained at the prison. I which had been his home for B wears, few days longer, until the following ednesday so that, as he said, he l could teach the next man how to do his work" and could have time to "A years old
 At the time of his liberation, the hair of the old convict was more white than black, but his mustache was more black than white. He was erect | plump; his face was bronzed with outdoor life and carried but few wrfn- kles- His eyes were bright. He was well informed as to current events and had even had the distinction of riding in an automobile, having taken | ride some time previously with | Warden Garner, who had taken a liIo- ing to the old man because of his gen. tlemanly conduct and conscientious workmanship.
 He was born Dec. g. 1888. ir 1 Coventry, the son of Ziba and Phoebe | c. (Batch) Warren. There were five other children in the family but few of them are living now.
 The crime for which Warren spent almost 5 years in prison was com ln1tted during the third week il June 1852. He had married a gir ] about r years old less than a year befors this time, much against hi. will and to avoid arrest. He ascer.
 tained later that he had been de. ceived and tEat he was in love witl another woman It is thought tha
 these two factors led to his crimt
 which was the murder of his youns wife. June, 1859, was a drouthy
 month and a stream not far iron Warren's home in Wilmington had be- come dry. though pools of watel
 stood here and there in the bed. On,
 Sunday afternoon as Warren and hi. wife were strOlling along the bank O. the river fe suggested that they wad,
 in one of the pools of water
 He went after his wife and threv
 her face downward, into one of tn
 pools, holding her there until sh
 drowned. He hid her body in swamp not far away and told per sons in the neighborhood that she hat gone away on a visit. However, per
 sons in the neighborhood becam 1 suspicious and a search was institut
 ed which ended with the disappear ance of Warren and the finding o } the body. both at about the sam
 time. He was found in Belchertowr Mass, arrested, taken to jail and hel 5 for trial the following December. ]
 jury had been selected and all wa ready for the trial to begin whe
 the states attorney accepted a ple
 of murder in the second degree, unuc to the surprise of everybody. Ware was sentenced to life Imprisonment