The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-05
From the St. Louis Rspaslicau

From the st. Louis Republican.
Unparalleled Villainy-A Married Man
Leaves His Wife and Seven Chill
dEen, and Takes Away Respect
able Girl only Fifteen Years Old.
Never, we think, were we placed in
possession Of q mere diabolical out
rage than the following, which came to
our ears on Saturday, at the Central
Police Station:
Detective Harry Stone, from certain
information that he had received, pro.
ceeded to the Everett House on Satur-
day morning and arrested man named
Adam Hook, q resident of DanVille,
Pennsylvania, father of seven children,
and Elizabeth Gurninger, a resident of
the same place, an exceedingly inter
esting looking young girl, aged about
fifteen years, and brought them down
to the station-house.
The circumstances under which the
arrests were made are these, and if they
don't exhibit more diabolical deprayity
than anything ever yet furnished to
our readers then we are no Judge of
what true deprsVity consists OF.
1t appears from thestatement of the
unfortunate young girl, which is COM
firmed by her father and friends who
came on here after them, that Hook
lived in the neighborhood where her
family resided, and the greatest intima-
cy prevailed between the families of
both-Elizabeth playing with Hooks
children, and the latter in return visit
ing her fathers house to spend pleas
ant time with her Hook was miller
by occupation, and was respected in the
neighborhood as a thrifty, industrious
man-his wife, too, was much thought
of for the attention she always displays
ed in relation to her children. In an
evil nour the demon induced Hook to
ingratiste himself into the good graces
of little Lizzie-as she WAS called by
the neighbors, and necessarily he
kept at the terrible task. He in
duced her father to employ q
musician to instruct his daughter
in music, telling him that she possessed
wonderful powers in that respect The
innocent father complied, purchased a
piano, and employed & teacher. The
teacher was in the vile snare sot for the
ruin of an innocent girl, and in place
of giving her lessons, half the time set
apart for that purpose was permitted
TO the villain Hook, to flatter, csjole
plead and excite the sympathy of one
so young and innocent as Lizzy. He
told her he was unhappy with his wife
that he didn't love her, and that il
was absolutely necessary to his exist
ence that she (Lizzy) should love him
The monster succeeded in persuading
| the child to the truth of his statements
Over the sequel we would most cheer
fully draw the curtain of privacy, were
it not that we consider it would be q
willful crime on our part to shield Hook
from the execration of all good men
for all time TO come.
The brute seduced the child, and
soon after planned an elopement with
her. With this end in view he circu
lated around the neighborhood that he
was about TO go into new business
one that would be very profitable, and
his neighbors, to assist him in the en-
terprise, indorsed notes for him to the
amount of nearly $4,000, which he goi
cashed at a county bank in that section
of country.
On Saturday, the oath inst, he stole
the child away from her fathers house
leaving little money with his wife and
children, and started out for the West
They arrived in this city on Friday last
and put up at the Everett House.
The father and friends of the family
were soon in hot pursuit, and arrived
here nearly as soon as they did. Poor
unfortunate Elizabeth was carried back
home with her heart-broken father,
while Hook was sent to Jail to await
the requisition from the Governor o.
Pennsylvania