Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-02-18

A Young Lady Dies from the
Effects of an Abortion.

! Anything out of the ordinary line of every.
day life in Bridgeport is of an unusual occur
renee, and of course the revelations of the past
few days have not only caused great excite
ment, but has also aroused the sympathy and
at the same time the indignation of the whole
community And when these revelat o Is
prove to be death from the effects of an
abortion, and the victim young lady well
known and of prepossessing appearance, it is
not to be wondered that the people are excited
and shocked Without further preface we
will give the facts of the case as far as elected.
Miss Alice Martin, daughter of Mr.. Bud
Martin, employed at the planning mill of R. j..
Bags & Co., notified erparents Monday three
weeks ago, that she intended to make a short
visit to some relatives in Steubenville, and
would be back in few days. 1t was her in
tentiOn to have returned to her home in
Bridgeport the following Friday, but on ac-
count of sickness was detained until Monday
Upon her arrival home last Monday week, she
complained to her mother of feeling unwell,
which occurred at five O'Clock Friday morning
last Several women who visited the unfor-
tunate girl suspected that she was suffering
from the effect of an abortion and upon being
questioned, she admitted that such was the
case, and named a woman in Steubenville, as
the party who had committed the crime.
On Friday night Drs. Cook and Fisher made
post-mortem examination, and Coroner's
jury was empanelled by Justice Crook. The
jury sat from Friday night until o'clock A.
NJ, and then adjourned until Saturday at 10
o'clock, at which time they met and remained
in session until o'clock A. NJ. They then
adjourned until Monday morning, to await
some other witnesses who have been sent for.
1t is said the abortion was performed at the
house of Mrs. Wiggings, in Steubenville. Two
parties are suspected of being the father of the
child. One is said to be river man who lives
in the vicinity of Wheeling, and the other
resides in Steubenville.
The young lady was about nineteen years
old. She was buried Saturday afternoon, and
many an eye filed with tears as they witnessed
the passing funeral cortege, and thought of
the anguish and sorrow of a mother and
father
Tuesdays Register has the following ad-
ditional particulars
The Alice Martin tragedy still claims the
attention and talk of the people over the river,
and every other man you meet has a theory or
l. j
affair The jury is composed of the following
gentlemen: VIM. Alexander, foreman, War
rem Hollister, A ]. Baggs, Geo Giffen, Jas.
Clark aud 3. c. Cranston met at the office of
Mr.. Cranston yesterday. They concluded to-
send Messrs. A. j. Baggs, c. B. Cranston and
DR.. Cooke to Steubenville to secure the woman
at whose house Miss Martin stayed while there,
and bring her down to testify before the jury
The above gentlemen succeeded in their mission,
and returned on the four o'clock train, having
in charge Mrs. Ann Virgins, her daughter,
Miss Lizzie johnson and Mrs. Dickey The
women came voluntarily, and did not seem at
all disconnected by being called upon to ap-
pear in the case. MIR. Virgins was first call
ed to give her evidence, and she denied any fur
ther knowledge of the matter than that Miss
Martin visited her house and was sick while
there. The other three women mads the same
otolSLiChi dliO thCJ WClC 1cSDiOiiiSit
ed. They will return to Steubenyille this
1t is rumored that the abortion was
performed by colored woman named Mrs,
Walker, at the house of Mrs. Virgins, but
there was no evidence to that effect before the
jury. The jury adjourned last night until this
without returning verdict, They
will renew the investigation, butt is doubtful
if they can arrive at any conclusion as to the
guilty parties, from the evidence that has been
laid before them.
1t is said the girl made two different state
ments as to who was the father of the child,
but both those mentioned are from this side of
river. 1t is also understood that she made no !
duplicating the party who butchered |
her, but simply stated that she had visited
Mrs Virgins house.
The rumor current yesterday that Constable
James McConnaughy, of Bridgeport, who
went up to Steubenville yesterday morning,
had been arrested in that city, as being one of
the parties interested in having the abortion
produced, proved to be untrue and without
foundation.