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Show COSXKCTICI'T MORALITY. Hartford, April 2C, 1ST. In the Superior (Jourt for Litchlield county to-thy, Frederick Hall, colored, was convicted of murder in the first degree de-gree for killing Mrs. Louisa Richardson, Richard-son, also colored, in Warren, on the 1st of March. The accused mado a confession in open court, stating he had criminal intimacy with the woman, and a dispute aroso about the price of the infamy, when she assaulted him with a knile, and he, using a club, beat her to death. It was evident that he did not tell the whole truth. He will be sentenced to be hanged tomorrow. to-morrow. Another trial, more sickening in its details, began in the same court yesterday, yes-terday, being that of Joel W. Perkins, of Cornwall, for incest and murder. The man was arrested two months ago, since which time the most shocking developments have come to light. During ten years Perkins has been guilty of incest with six daughters, using compulsion in each case. The eldest daughter is now twenty-eight years old, and has given birth to five children, the result of her father's unnatural un-natural crime. Two of these children are living, one having been born since Perkins' arrest. The other three, it is believed were murdered immediately after birth. The girl testifies that she never saw them, but heard their cries before her father took them from the room. In the case of another daughter one child was born, but did not survive. A third daughter is now enceinte. The wife of the accused died two or three weeks ago of paralysis. Perkins is fifty-four years old, has always lived in Litchfield county and worked as wheelright and blacksmith. Though apparently intelligent in-telligent and capable of holding a good position in the community, he has kept his family aloof from society and denied them the privilege of the people and the church, and lived in abject squalor and poverty. A reporter interviewed Perkins today to-day and he confessed his criminal intimacy inti-macy with his daughters, but denied having taken the life of his offspring, and that with two of his daughters he has had no intimacy. He asserts that his wife had knowledge of his crimes and encouraged thsm, and that his daughters invited them. He has read the Scriptures since he has been in jail, but says he never read the Bible before, be-fore, nor much of anything else. He says he did not know there was any law against such practices as his, nor that there was anything in Scripture condemning them. The daughters say that their father has compelled them to accede to his wishes under threats that he would kill them if they refused or divulged. He began his practices when they were thirteen years of age. All the daughters will testify on the trial. iVeio York Herald. |
