Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1878-02-07
BETHLEHEM, Pa, jan, II.

BrrHLEnEM, Pa, Jan, II.
The people Of Northampton are
excited over scandal that has en-
ded in murder By poison. Adam
Bartholomew is q man eighty-six
years of age, and resides near the
base of the Blue Ridge, in Mocre
township, atssat ten miles north of
this place. .Heis man well t0 do
in this worlds gee1s AMI the owner
Of several large farms. Until re-
Gently bis household consisted OF
his wife, his widowed daughter,
Mrs. Houser, and hired glrl nam
ed Eliza Ann SpanGler. aged e!gh-
teen years. Eliza Ann was come
ly Dutch girl, and, by her willy man
ners, captivaled the .octogenarian
farmer. The intimacy between the
two became so notorious that, at
the age OF seventy Eve, the mother
was driven from home and went to
live With daughter at Siegfried's s
Ridge, on the Lehigh. The widow
ed daughter, Mrs. Houser, vas an
invalid, suffering with drqpsy- She
continued to li7e with her father
and his young charmer after the
mother had left the old home
though not in perfect harmony with
che woman who had usurped the
place of her mother.
TIYING TO GET MARRIED.
Things went along well enough
until Mrs. Bartholomew was taken
Ill and died. Tn8n with indece Mt
haste the two asked o neighboring
Justice of the Peace to marry them.
Indeed, the couple were III the
Squirs's Office making their request
when The funeral procession passed
by the door. Neither the widower
nor his servant girl attended the
burial. the Just! % refused to mar
ry the couple and they returned
home. From that day they lived
together rs in a married state. But
there was much trouble in store foI
them. Relatives protested and tn
invaled daughter refused to rec. *.
nizs the woman Spangler as the
head of the house. On Tuesday,
the 18th inst, Bartholomew and
his servant made another marriage
able attempt. TINS time they ap'
piled to =. 5. Duffy, Esq, OF Bath
The scandal had, however, spread
ever The eutire township. and agaiu
they were unsuccessful. The woman
then declared she would not long
er live. in this dependent way some
thing definite must be done. IT.
satisfy her Bartholomew gave hel
an acknowledged judgment agains,
his property in the SUN Of s., 500
conditioned that sne live with hin
through tine remainder Of his life
With this document in her posses.
sion she returned as Mrs. BarthvIJ
NEW by agreement, and lost no time
in informing Ms. Houser that now
different State OF affairs existed
that ahe WAS head of the house, ami
Allowed the invalid iye days in
which To leave the premises. The
daughter failed to leave, and detiec
the woman who had been INSTALLED
10 place of her mother, The neigh.
lors feared trouble, aud were scarce.
ly surprised TO learu, ON Wednesday
List, that Mrs. Houser had died tue
previous night. Slowly the facts
came to light. Mrs. Houser was tak.
cn more than usually i'll on Tuesday
last. The woman Spangler offered
her cup of rea, but she IefuseL to
Take it. Being assured that 1t waa
harmless, she finally consented. BY
midnight shs was a corpse. Before
daylight the body had been removed
10 neigilbor's house, together Will
all her worldly effects. Those who
joyed her so we'll while living ulight
bury her. COW that she was dead, >
remarked Miss Spangler and tue
old man and his free-lovc wife '.helC
tie tort" by themselves.
sTePPING A FCNEEAI.
The district where the Bartholo
news reside is a benighted sort o.
region. Coroner's irQuests are sci
dom held, and the people rather re
gard che Office as q needless one, and
provided simply to give some ring
politician soft berth consequent
j. it Was late on Friday before Dis
trict Attorney Anstett heard Of the
ndi.ir. He 1t once directed the Cor.
s.I,cr 10 cause a post-mortem exam.
latiom to be made. Coroner UhleI
proceeded to tue scene yesterday,
and found that the funeral had left
thu house and was on its w4S to the
retersyllIe Cnugcn. The b0iy was
.i,ciug c;s-rie'! into the eaurca when