The New York herald., 1876-09-22
A MYSTERIOUS CASE
D.4r. ,so. ....o.D .7f''AerIo' !"
FLUSHING. 4

FLUSHING. 4
The case OF alleged malpractice And death in Flush
ing, brief mention of which has Jready been made il
causing great deal OF talk and Sxcitemen in that vii
age whiestone, which latter village the parties
resided The accused Of the crime is Mrs.
Houghton, widow of Dr. Houghion, who was physi-
clan OF standing and AZ time the editor OF the
Churchman The dead woman was buried under tho
name of Mary E. Stanley it is alleged that she was
really the wife OF Frank Houghton, Mrs. Housntons
Coroner Burns, of Flushing, will commence the In
quest In tho case to-day He empanelled jury on
Wednesday and had the body exhumsd Drs Hicks,
Badger and Burns have made posImortern examina-
ton and tho body has been rendered The result OF
tho autopsy Will be made known at the inquest The
apparently about thirty -four years old and
she have been decidedly good locking when alive
The circumaances preceding her death arc, some OF
them decidedly mysterious IN character They may
be stated briefly as follows-
1t apCears that Mrs. Hougatons Frank rome time
ago arrived from Colorado the deceased followed him
soon alterward and lived with him as his wife. Mrs.
Hohghton says that they not married, but that
she was his Understanding husband IN Colorado
although the woman drs Stanley signed letters writ
ten by her 'Mrs NJ. Z. Houghton" She brought child
with her. boy, year old, and Frank never de-
MED that his Mrs Stanley encents also
and while giving birth TO the second chilt that
she died The allegation is that she had been treatod
by Mrs Houghon with view TO abortion, and that u
was this together with bad treatment that produced
her death. She wrote letters to neghbof, in which
she states that Mrs. Houghton desired to perform
operation, to which she would not consent and she
also refused to take medicines which Mrs.
Houghton prescribed. These letters writ
ten to Irish woman named Mrs. Connolly who
lived in adjacent house. ana to whom
extent of making ner a conhdant Mrs Connolly, il
seems s some way interested in the estate left by
Dr. Houghton. 1t is said that many othors arc like.
wso interested, he alleged to have disposed oi
real with imperfect titles, and 1t s conJectured
from expressions in the letters referred to that
property troubles are IN some way mixed up with the
whole affair." Mrs. Stanleys children might interfere
with the disposal or distribution OF the estate. In
some of the letters TO Mrs. Connolly, which are pow
In the hands OF the authorities, Mrs Stanley begged
her to furnish her with ood and indicated where II
could be placed for her in the garden where she could
get It at night saying that she afraid to cat the
food offered her by Mrs. HoughtOn. Why she did
not leave the house under these circumstances
is perhaps explained by expression In
the letters that she would stay 10 protect
others from being despolca of their property.
1t Is supposed from this that there may have been
conspiracy between Frank snd his mother to get
of certain property, and that Mrs. Stanley
little doubt that she really married TO Frank
she often spoke OF hlm her husband ana 1t is not
known that he has denied the relationship himself
Another singular circumstance the fact that while II
is alleged that Mrs Stan ey eloped from Colorado TO
JOIN Frank ber mother lived in the village OF White
store, and Is known as Pamela Wndlah, and Mrs
Stanley had known Mrs Hough,on for twenty years or
Tho letters of Mrs Stanley to Mrs. Connolly show
that Mrs Houghton endcnvocd 70 procure an abortion
upon her by giving her medicine. They also show. i
they DO relied upon. that Mrs. Houghton carried
on the business OF an abortionist. One Of the
letters states that q man named Hopkins
rom he Of Mrs. Stanley 70 her
conGdant that the woman going 10 die; that Hop
k,ns and Mrs Houghton became alarmed and were
tho MrG lar Law n Ynl
having terrible things In the cellar, though the
character Of what she not disclosed at present
Mrs. Stanley, above stated died In giving birth "a
the child which, 1t is understood lived She taken
sick on Monday, died on Tuesday and was buried on
Wednesday Dir. Bleecksr was called in but not until
after his services were Of no avail life. 1t ID
alleged that there proper certificate of burial
Houghon said Dr. Beeckcr was absent. but would give
a certificate upon his return. Mr. Fowler aiterward
asked the Doctor for certificate, and as he hestaled
to give his suspicious were aroused. The Doctor
however gave a initial ertihcato f0ows:-
81 judge the OF death, from seeing her Just pre-
vious 10 death, to have been congestivc chs"
Coroner Burns heard OF the through Undertaken
Fowler. The letters shown to him by Mrs Con-
molly He consulted with District Attorney Downing
and upon advice he issued for the arrest
OF Mrs Houghton and her son Frank Officers Smith
and schmidt made tho arrests Frank was subse-
quentIy allowed to go his own recognzance, but
Mrs. Houghton was held.
The character of the letters, Of which very
considerably abbreviated by tearing out portions
lat,ng 10 her OF food and nourshment is fol-
lows:-
1uKsDAY-2 o'clock.
Be careful and do any .hore is any
naehsd but ]. would do tel her for She TOsld
pose you cond make her believe they would be the
cause it, Prince said yesterday that title In the
whole estate worth ten cents Mrs NJ L. H. brought
u of coffee and toast about O'Clock this
morning. but dare touch It. She has given
since have here, and dare take snythns
e @ sSc ass Ss n": ns sa s ss sa %
is the strongest, and He will protect hope.
Mrs. NJ. +. IOUGHTON.
The letters are well written. evidently by cultured