New Britain herald., 1916-11-02
Pea1nVille News SALERNO OVERCOME
 BY DESIRE ID KILL Wife-Slayer Claims He Had No Reason for Committing Murder TRIED SUICIDE AT HOME

1 From Her-Thinks He Must Have
 Been Insane When He Killed Her.
 That Joseph sa1erno, after killing his wife a week ago and draping he, body with a sheet as it lay cold in death on the floor, tried to end his own life in the house that his re. mains might be found near his mur- ! dered spouse, is the statement made by the prisoner himself at the New 1 Britain General hospital, where an effort Is being made to heal the wounds which he inflicted Mortified because of his act, Salerno declares ne attempted suicide by slashing him. 1 self with a razor when his wife suc- ct'mped to the wounds he had in- ficted. When he found that the slashes he made on his own body did not bring death quick enough he left the house and started for the Plain vil1e pond, where he hoped to bring 1 his career to an end by drowning He was found near the latter place and it was supposed that he had in ficted the wounds while in that To-
 
 eating that he would be unable to walk so far had he made his suicidal attempt at home
 Nevertheless the vO11ng nurderer insists that such was the case Tn a talk with Constable Marine, who served the warrant charging him with murder in the first degree Salerno spoke Of his crime and showed great remorse over his rash act. He ex- plained that he wanted to leave P1ainville because he was discouraged over his inability to get congenial em- p1oyme ment and he tried to get his wife to give him sufficient money to keep him until he found work in another town. When she refused he told the officer he brandished the razor fin the hope of frightening her. He had no intention of harming her but as he stood over the bed in which she lay. a mad impulse to kill suddenly came oyer him and he dealt the fatal thrust. He has but a faint recollec- ton of the moment, he claims, and the time of the actual killing is a blank to him.
 He came to his senses, according to lis story, when his wife, covered with blood which flowed from the terrible gash he had inflicted in her throat, jumped from the beed and ree1ed towards the door, dropping to the 1loor in the corridar. He then realized that he was a murderer and that he had ended the life of a faith ful woman
 Terrified at the sight of the bleeding oooV. Salerno says he used the razor on nl1nset in the hope that he too
 
 occurred to him when the razor wounds failed to kill and he left the house for the pond, weakness overcoming him before he could enter the water
 Salerno in talking with the officer gives a fit of insanity during which he was poWerless to control himself as the sole reason for the '-,rrder. Ha denies having had any dc~lostic diff cult1es and claims to have been deenIv in love with the woman whose life he sc savagely took. Reports of black hand letters, and wife jealousy as well the slayer denies. Regarding the registered letters, which he received on the day preceding the killing Salerno told the policeman, the com munications had no connection with the murder. They were letters of a personal nature from an uncle and cousin in Old Forge, Pa, and had no significance as far as the slaving was concerned
 The murderer is strapped to cot in the hospital, the attendants fearing tEat he might again try to end his life unless he is restrained. While some of his wounds have become in fectetd his recovery is probable un less pneumonia. with which he is threatened, sets in.
 During his conversation with Con- stable Marino, Salerno talked ra tional enough, the officer having visited him at a time when he ap- reared sane. pr. Carl J. Hart, who has attended him since he was brought to the institution, character izes him as a paranoiac and expresses the belief that at the time of the murder Salerno was insane He still cnsiders him irrational and not re- sponsible for his actions, although there are periods during which he seems normal.
 Prosecuting authorities have not in- dicated what course they will pursue in the event of Salerno's recovery from his self-inf1icted wounds He Is legally accused of murder in the first degree and unless his mental condition becomes worse there is a bability that he will be brought into court here for the formality Of a hearing and bound over States Attorney AL corn handling the case. Tn view of the claims of the hospital physician 1t is doubtful, however, if he will have 10 face jury to answer to his crime.
 Neighbors of the Salernos are un- willing to give much credence to the s1ayer's story concerning his attempts to kill himself before he left the house. They recall seeing him leave the building nearly two hours after they heard his wife's terrified shriek. ana they claim there was nothing about ms appearance to indicate that he was wounded
 w. J. Simpson and Constable Ma