The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-06-22
THE WORLD ON FIRE.
IMPORTANT If TRUE.

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 true account of
his connection with the murder of Greg
DRY Summerfield. The latter individual
had been known formany years as 9TH.
Man with a Secret" and he met with a
horrible death, at the age of 20 years, by
being pushed from the platform Of a
train upon the Union Pacific Railroad,
near the North fork Of the American, at
place called Cape Horn. The unfor-
tunate wretch was hurled downward a
distance of over 1000 feet, upon the
bristling rocks at the foot Of the declivi-
ty. Parker, who was upon the platform
with Summerfield at the time of the
catastrophe, was twice arrested and tried
for the alleged murder, but was on each
occasion mysteriously acquitted, once
by a justice and the second time by a
grand jury.
Parker was himself a distinguished
lawyer of Sacramento, and was widely
respected. He always remained silent
concerning the circumstances Of the
imputed crime, but shortly before his
death he placed in the hands of a friend
a document, the gist of which we give
below, the entire story taking up nearly
Il page Of the LniOn.
Referring to Gregory SummcrfioId,
the murdered man, Mr.. Parker speaks
of him as having been one Of the deepest
chemical students of the age, a natural
mathematician, profound astronomer,
and a man of excellent general literary
attainments. Parker had known Sum
meriield for over 20 years, their acqrain
tancc having been formed in Texas
during the days of the republic, Contin-
uing his account, Parke: says:
"One day toward the close of last Sept,
All old man raped at my Office door,
and on invitation came in, and advaD
cling called me by name Perceiving
that did not recognize him. he intro-
duced himself as Gregory Summerfield.
Aftes inviting him to seat l scruti-
nized his features more closely and
quickly identified him as the same per-
son whom l had met % years before.
He was greatly altered in appearance,
but there was the old charm Of intellect
nal superiority in his conversation, and
I welcomed him to California as an
important addition to her mental
wealth.
1t was not many minutes before he
requested private interview. He
followed me into my back office, care-
fully closed the door and locked it. We
had scarcely seated ourselves before he
enquired of me "if l had noticed any
recent articles in the newspapers res
pecting the discovery of the art of
decomposing water so as to fit it for use
as fuel for ordinary purposes?"
Il replied that had observed nothing
new upon that subject since the exper-
iments of Agassiz and Prof Henry, and
added that in my opinion the expensive
mode ofrcduction would always prevent
its use.
"In few words he then informed me
that he had made the discovery that the
art was extremely simple, and the ex-
pense attending the decomposition so
slight as to be insig gnficant.
''Presuming that the object of his Wis.
it to me was to procure the necessary
forms to get out patent for it. l con-
graduated him upon his good fortune,
and was about to branch forth with a
description of some of the great benefits
that must snsus to the community,
when he suddenly and somewhat un-
civlly requested me to 'be silent,' and
listen to what he had to say.
"He began with some general remarks
about the inequality Of fortune amongst
mankind, and instanced himself as a
striking example of the fate of those
men who, according to all the rules of
right, ought to be near the top, instead
of at the foot of the ladder of fortune.
But" said he, springing to his feet
with impulsive energy, have now the
means at my command of rising supe.
rior to fate, or of inflicting incalculable
ills upon the whole human race"
"Looking at him more closely, l
thought l could detect in his eye the
CLEAN Of madness: but l remained si-
lent and awaited further developments.
But my scrutiny, stolen as 1t was, had
been detected, and he replied at once to
the expression of my face: mo, sir,
am neither drunk nor a maniac; I am
in deep earnest in all that say: and I
am fully prepared, by actual expert
ment, to demonstrate beyond all doubt
the truth Of all l claim