The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-11-08

Which Has Ercited Al Engldnd-De'
sails of The Method Of Starring a WIFE to
ns1th-Ava,ice and Lust the Motives.
-S
After long and most interesting trial
Che famous PenPe murder trial has been
aru1ght 10 conclusion, by the convic-
ton of the four prisoners charged with
tine Willrul murder Of Harriet Staunton,
and the passage of the sentence of death
upOn them. Two of the prisoners, Eliz.
abeth Staunton and her sister, Alice
RhOdes, are recommended to mercy, but
all four are under capital sentence, and
unless the Home Secretary interests the
crown in their behalf the quadruple ex-
ecution will take place.
The history Of the murder is one that
can be distinguished only by the strong
eE language possible. Justice Hawkins,
in passing sentence, spoke of it as a
"crime so black and hideous that / be-
neve in all the records of crime it would
be impossible to find a parallel" The
prisoners are all related to one another.
Louis and Patrick Staunton are brothers;
Elizabeth Staunton and Alice Rhodes
are sisters. Eizabath is the wife of Pat.
rick Staunton, and Alice Rhodes the mis-
tress Of her brother in-law, and the deed
was jointly committed by the four pris,
oneTs. The deceased lady, Mrs, Harriet
t3taunton, was the daughter of lady
3utterfeld. Mrs. Butterfeld had been
married previously to gentleman nam
ad Richardson, by whom she had issue,
n daughter, Miss Richardson, who ulti-
enately became Mrs. Louis Staunton.
Now, Mrs. Harriet Staunton, at the time
of her death, was thirty.six years of age
and she had lived until about the year
1874 with her mother; but in that year
sine was paying a visit to a Mr.. Kinks
,zzn, who lived in Heygate street, Wal
worth Road. Mr.. Hinksman was a neph-
sR of Mrs. Butterfield, and would be
the cousin of Miss Harriet Richardson.
DIR. Hinksman had married the widow
<of a person named Rhodes, and Mrs
Htnksman had had by her first husband
GWo daughters, the two persons at the
'9Sr. One of them had for some time
been married to Patrick Staunton, an ar
Gist, who seemed to have been living at
Loughborough Park; the other daughter,
Alice Rhodes, was still unmarried. In
the course of the year 1874 or 1875 Miss
Harriet Richardson was staying with
Mrs. Hinksman, and it was there she
9rst became acquainted with Louis Staun-
ION, who afterward became her husband
She was entitled to a fortune of some
where about $4,000, about &l600 or e.
800 of which she was entitled to, in pos
session. The rest of the $4,000 consisted
of a reversionary interest, which had
been bequeathed to her under the will
of the late Lady Rivers, Mrs. Butter,
fieid, after the death of her first husband
married the Rev. Mr.. Butterfeld, of Bur
stead, in Essex, and she had thought her
daughter was not quite in that state and
condition to be able to take care of her
self or to manage her own affairs. Louis
Staunton, however, had met Miss Rich
ardson, and made Cvertures of marriage
to her, and she had consented to become
his wife some time in the year 1874
Mrs. Butterfed did all she could to op.
pose the union. She filed a petition in
the Court of Chancery for the purpose of
making her daughter ward in ChanCery
She made an affidavit respecting the
weak state of her daughters intellect.
She spoke in that affidavit of having re.
monstrated with her daughter against
her contemplated marriage, and there is
no doubt that the daughter had herself
exhibited acts of violence to her mother
in consequence of the opposition which
she had offered to the marriage. In the
result, however, the Court of Chancery
declined to interfere with the personal
liberty of Miss Richardson, she then be.
ing thirty.fve years Of age, and in the
month of June, 1875, she was married to
Louis StauntOn, at Clapham, against the
will of her mother, and not having lived !
under her mothers roof certainly for
many months before that period. There
was no settlement made upon the mar
ziage, and all the property she had in her
possession, about Gl800, of course, be-
came the absolute property of Louis
Staunton. That was the condition of |
Ghings when the marriage was solemn
lied in 1875. Although the mother had |
been estranged from her daughter many
months before the marriage, neverthe. |
Less, two or three weeks after that event |
she thought it right to visit her. Her
daughter had then gone to live at the
house No. Loughborough road (oppo.
site the house occupied by Patrick Staun-
toni, which Louis Staunton had taken
and furnished. The deceased was resi-
ding in the early part of July with her
husband, and there it was that Mrs. But. |
terfeld visited her daughter first and |
last,
The next time she saw her she was
dead at PeDge.
After this visit, Mrs. Butterfeld re.
SseiVed a rude letter from her son-in-law,
expressing desire not to see her again. |
I'm consequence, she heard nothing of
aer daughter until she heard of her con-
Sinement, on the 23d of March, 1875.
There is no evidence of the terms on
which Louis Staunton was living with
ETis wife from the time Of that visit to
March, 1876. Patrick Stanton lived op.
posite till November, 1875 when he left |
and took small house al Cudham, call
sad the Woodlands, and there he resided
until the melancholy tragedy occurred.
when he left, Louis Staunton was still
at Loughborough road. Some time be.
fere the confinement of Mrs. Louis
Stanton, Clara Brown, a servant and a
relation to the Rhodes women, came up
So town for the purpose Of attending her
during her confinement. Alice Rhodes
was also present during that period, and