Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-09-05

A shocking tragedy occurred in Baltimore
Friday night, in which DR.. J. Clarence
Showalter, q physician, killed his wife and
then killed himself. The particulars Of the
affair as given in the Baltimore papers show
that DR.. showalter was from Selma, Ala
bama, and came to Virginia as private in
the 18th Louisiana regiment. He was A.
terwards taken from tho ranks. being q
physician, and made surgeon. While At
Petersburg hospital he had the small -pox
and was nursed by Mrs. Baiiey, widow
formerly Miss Eugenia Carter. of Lancaster
county, Virginia and upon his recovery
be ma rried her. After tho war he became
dissipated, and his wife, who had opened .
fashionable boarding house in Baltimore,
was supporting him and the family. The
account says:
The husband, Dr. Joseph Clarence Sho-
valdez, although physician by profession,
had never practiced in this city, and it is al
legged depended upon his wife to support
him. and spending money obtained from her
in drink. For several days past it appears
be had been drinking very hard, and Mrs
Showalter had been obliged to tell him that
if he would get drunk he really must not
come home SO. During yesterday he was
about the house as usual, going out several
times Shortly before the hour for tea,
when the boarders were assembled in the
parlor, he came into the house and passed
through into the kitchen, where he COM
menced upbraiding the cook. Mrs. Sho.
walter. hearing the disturbance, went down
into the kitchen and succeeded, after consid-
cradle difficulty. in getting him into their
bed room, which is on the same floor as the
kitchen, being the first room Oh the rigth
hand side on entering the house After
reaching their bed room some words passed
between them, which could not be distinctly
heard, until be smacked her and threatened
to kill her, when she declared she would 20
after an officer and have him arrested. He
was heard to say, "Have me arrested if you
choose, for damn me if wouldn't as soon be
hung like Hollohan and Nicholson as be CO.
ing to hell this sort of way" She then left
the room and went up stairs to take tea
Some time elapsed and be called to her in
very kind and persuasive manner to come
down stairs. This she refused to do Tor
| some time, but finally did 60 down into the
room where he was.
In few minutes piercing scream re-
sounded through the house, followed By the
| sounds of scuf1lpg below. Mrs Showalter's
| son by her first marriage-Fred. Baisey-
eighteen years of age, ran down stairs, fol
| lowed by several of the boarders, and rush
ed into his mothers room, whence the
| scream had come. The scene that present
| ed itself entirely overcame him There on
| the floor, near the foot of the bed, lay his
mother, with her throat terribly and fatally
| gashed, whilst her husband aud murderer
stood grimacing over her dead body, with
| his own throat also badly cut, and the blood
| flowing down over bis bosom, while the IA
| zor with which the deeds had been commit
ted lay on the floor. Thrusting aside the
| murderer and would.bu suicide, the sou
threw himself upon the now lifelsss body Of
his mother. but was removed by those who
had followed him down stairs. and the body
OF the unfortunate woman was raised and
placed upon the bed.
For moment after being pushed aside
by the son the murderer stood glazing at
those around him, and then turned and de-
l.Derately walked out of the door and down
| st. Paul street to the corner of Sarstoga,
where he sat down upon the curbstone. The
news of the horrible tragedy spread like Wild
| fire, and in a lew minutes an excited crowd
| had gathered around him Officers San
ders, Price aud Chesgreen fpdns him
there, took him in their arms and carried
him to the Washington University Hospi
i, where the wou,r III his neck, extend
ing rou ear eat, was dressed and sewed
| by the physicians, be murderer during the
operation occasionally opening his eyes and
saying. PLEASE raise me up and once or
vice asked for water
HIS DEATH.