The Widow of Endicott Shoots Her Son-in-Law
After her daughter eloped, a wealthy widow and old resident of the Endicott neighborhood is jailed for the shooting of her son-in-law.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mrs. M. I. Sutton, of Endicott, is confined in the county jail here awaiting the result of her murderous assault on her son-in-law, Charles F. Prescott, who is expected to die within a week. The assault was committed October 15. Mrs. Sutton went to Prescott's place, and on his ordering her to leave, she pulled a revolver and shot him, one bullet penetrating the right lung. At first she was held under bonds for assault with a dangerous weapon, but it becoming evident that Prescott could not live, she was arrested and lodged in jail. Mrs. Sutton is about 50 years of age, an old resident of the Endicott neighborhood, and wealthy. She is a widow and has one daughter. Last fall the girl eloped with Charles Prescott and was married. Mrs. Sutton was very angry, and tried to have the girl leave him. Last March Prescott made complaint of the insanity of Mrs. Sutton, but the examiners declared her sane. Mrs. Sutton declared Prescott wanted to get her property. The people of the neighborhood sympathize with the woman.
“Mrs. Sutton declared Prescott wanted to get her property. The people of the neighborhood sympathize with the woman.”
Family disputes involving property and marriage often surfaced in nineteenth-century police logs as morality crises. Today, such a story would likely be categorized as a private family tragedy, but at the time, the legal question of 'sanity'—used here as both a weapon and a defense—was a common feature in local reporting.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.