The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-07-14
SUMMERFIELDS SECRET.

In the Sacramento Daily Union of a
recent date appears the extraordinary
statement of one Leonidas Parker,
written before his death, and giving
what purports to be the true account of
his connection with the murder of Gre
CORY Summerfeld. The latter individual
had been known for many years as
"The Man with a Secret" and he met
with q horrible death at the age of
seventy years, by being pushed from the
platform of a train upon the Union
Pacific Railroad near the north fork of
the American river, at a place called
Cape Horn. The unfortunate wretch
was hurled downward q distance of over
one thousand feet upon the bristling
rocks at the foot Of the declivity. Par
ker. who was upon the platform with
Summerfeld at the time of the catastro-
phe, was twice arrested and tried for the
alleged murder, but was on each occa-
sion mysteriously acquitted, once by a
Justice and the second time by grand
jury.
Parker was himself a distinguished
lawyer Of Sacramento, and was widely
respected. tie always remained silent
concerning the circumstances of the i'm
puted crime, but shortly before his
death he placed in the hands of friend
a document, the gist of which we give
below, the entire story taking up nearly
q page of the Union,
Referring to Gregory Summerfeld,
the murdered man, Mr.. Parker speaks
of him as having been one of the deep.
est chemical students of the age, natu-
raj mathematician, profound astrono-
mer, and man Of excellent general
literary attainments. Parker had known
Summerfield for over twenty years,
their acquaintance having been formed
in Texas during the days Of the republic.
Continuing his account, Parker says:
zone day toward the close of last
September an old man raped at my
office door, and on invitation came in,
and advancing called me by name. Per-
ceivng that | did not at first recognize
him he introduced himself as Gregory
Summerfield After inviting him to a
seat | scrutinized his features more
closely and quickly Unidentified him as
the same person whom | had met
twenty-five years before. He was areatly
altered in appearance, but there was the
old charm of intellectual superiority in
his conversation, and ] welcomed him
to California as an important addition
TO her mental wealth.
Z" 1t was not many minutes before he
requested private interview. He fol-
lowed me into my back Office carefully
closed the door after him and locked it,
We had scarcely seated ourselves before
he inquired of me if had noticed any
recent articles in the newspapers res
pecting the discovery Of the art of de-
composing water so as to fit it for use as
fuel for ordinary purposes2"
{" replied that ] had observed moth.
ing new upon the subject since the ex.
pcriments OF Agassiz and Professor
Henry, and added that, in my opinion,
the expensive mode of reduction would
always prevent its use"
q In a few words he then informed me
that he had made the discovery, that
the art was extremely simple, and the
expense attending the decomposition so
slight as to be insignificant"
"Persuming that the object of his visit
to me was to procure the necessary
forms TO get out patent for the right, ]
congratulated him upon his good for
tune. and was about to branch forth
with description of some of the great
benefits that must ensue to the COM
munity. when he suddenly and some
what uncivilly requested me to 'be
silent" and listen to what he had to
say"