Wife Reveals Husband's Terrible Cruelty

Beacon Falls, Connecticut, 1902
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HUSBAND'S CRUELTY.
SHOCKING TALE TOLD BY MRS. JAMES SANFORD IN BEACON FALLS.

Said Her Husband Knocked Her Down, Stuck a Fishhook into Her Breast and Stabbed Her With a Penknife – The Assault Is Said to Have Been Committed in the Town of Bethany – Sanford Placed Under Arrest on Charges of Assault – Found Guilty of a Charge of Theft – Assault Case May Be Tried in Bethany.

A tale of human cruelty that is really shocking in its recital was related by Mrs. James Sanford of Oxford to Constable George Butz of Beacon Falls yesterday afternoon and resulted in the arrest of the woman's husband on a serious charge. Some of the domestic affairs of Sanford and his wife have been told in the public prints before but never has such a charge been preferred against the husband as that made yesterday by his wife.

It was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon when Constable Butz saw Mr. and Mrs. Sanford walking along one of the streets of Beacon Falls, and having suspected Sanford of being implicated in the theft of some tools which were taken from Fred Smith's carpenter shop a few days since, he decided to follow the couple. Mr. Sanford left his wife on the street and went over to the house of an acquaintance.

Constable Butz came along shortly afterward and Mrs. Sanford informed him that she desired to prefer a charge of assault against her husband. She said that she left home last Wednesday and went to the home of a friend in Bethany; that the husband followed her and compelled her to return with him, that on the way to Beacon Falls he took her to a by-path off the road, knocked her down and stuck a fishhook into her left breast. She said he worked the fishhook in such a way as to cause her terrible pain and that finding it impossible to get the implement of torture out by working it he cut it out with his knife. She said he then sank his teeth into her flesh and stabbed her twice between the breasts remarking that he might as well finish her then as at any time. She said he also pricked her just above the right breast with the fishhook and then let her up. She then walked on to Beacon Falls with him.

After hearing her story Constable Butz placed Sanford under arrest and took Mrs. Sanford to his home where she showed the wounds on her breast. She appeared to be in great pain. She was made as comfortable as possible by Mrs. Butz. Sanford when questioned denied having cut his wife or stuck a fishhook into her but admitted the ownership of the knife which his wife said he had used. It is a pocketknife with a three-inch blade. He said his wife had lain down on the ground and that he had gently kicked and slapped her but that he had done nothing more.

He was brought before Justice Allen in Beacon Falls this morning and tried on a charge of assault. During the trial there arose a question as to whether the alleged assault was committed in Beacon Falls or in Bethany, and it was decided to adjourn court until it could be determined in which town the offense was committed. The court officials and Mrs. Sanford and her husband drove to the place.

Previous to the adjournment of court for this purpose Mr. Sanford was tried on a charge of theft. It was alleged that he had entered Fred Smith's carpenter shop and carried away eight steel bits, a glass cutter and a package of nails. Sanford pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Constable Butz told how he had learned from Mrs. Sanford that her husband had come home between 2 and 3 o'clock Sunday morning and had among other things some steel bits, a glass cutter and some nails and that when she asked him where he got them he replied that some one had been trying to do some "monkeywork" with them; that he had hidden the steel bits about a quarter of a mile from the house. Mr. Butz said he went to the place mentioned and found the bits. He found the glass cutter and nails in Sanford's house. Mrs. Sanford corroborated the testimony given by Constable Butz.

Sanford claimed to have bought the cutter and nails but said he knew nothing about the bits. He was found guilty of the charge of theft, but sentence was reserved until after the trial of the other charges.

The court officials returned shortly after 1 o'clock this afternoon and stated that the place where the alleged assault was committed was in the town of Bethany. It was decided to bring the case to the attention of the Bethany authorities. The Beacon Falls officials intend to do all in their power to bring the case to trial and will give the Bethany authorities all the assistance they can.

Late this afternoon Sanford was fined $5 and costs and sentenced to serve 10 days in jail for theft. It was stated this afternoon that residents of Beacon Falls became quite excited when they learned of the statement made by Mrs. Sanford, and the feeling against her husband ran high.

About two years ago it was alleged that Sanford had committed a brutal assault upon his wife, in the town of Oxford but if he did he was not given the punishment he deserved. The Oxford officials were subjected to some sharp criticism for the apparently listless manner in which they acted on the case at the time.

--Naugatuck Daily News, Naugatuck, Connecticut, April 4, 1902, page 4.


SANFORD GOES TO JAIL.

Could Get No One to Pay the Fine Imposed on Him for Theft – Bethany Officials to Prosecute Him on the Charge of Assault Preferred by His Wife.

James Sanford of Oxford, the man who is charged by his wife with having brutally assaulted her in the town of Bethany while the couple were on their way home to Oxford was taken to New Haven this morning by Constable Butz in default of payment of a fine of $7 and costs imposed on Sanford yesterday by Justice Allen of Beacon Falls after finding Sanford guilty of a charge of theft of some carpenter's tools from a building owned by Fred Smith of Beacon Falls. The justice at first declared his intention of making the penalty $5 and costs and 10 days in jail but later decided to make it $7 and costs. Sanford could find no one to pay his fine.

Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Sanford in company with a Beacon Falls official went to Bethany where formal complaint against Sanford on the charge of assault was made. Mrs. Sanford decided to remain in Bethany and is there at present. Grand Juror Swander who came to Beacon Falls from Bethany this morning said Mrs. Sanford was feeling as well as could be expected. It is not thought that her injuries will result seriously. The grand juror informed Constable Butz that the officials of Bethany had determined to prosecute Sanford on the assault charge as soon as the latter was released from jail. He said he would immediately prepare the papers.

Sanford still claims that he did not cut his wife with a knife or stick a fishhook into her breast. He expressed the opinion that the woman was not in her right mind. Constable Butz stated to a News reporter to-day that Mrs. Sanford's injuries were fully as bad as reported and that there was no doubt that the woman had been roughly handled. He said Sanford appeared to be very much out of spirits this morning because he had to go to jail.

--Naugatuck Daily News, Naugatuck, Connecticut, April 12, 1902, page 4.