The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-29
ATTEMPT AT ABORTION.
Sudden and Suspicious Death Of Young
Woman


Last Saturday evening, between 0 and 10
o'clock, young married woman named
Mrs. Josie Seward, the daughter of Mrs.
Mcllvain, who keeps a clearinghouse on
Neave street, in the Twenty-first Ward,
died suddenly in the open air, in q lonesome
spot, on the side of Prices Hill.
She was lady of prepossessing appear
ance, about twenty-six years old, and the
wife OF George Seward, who is at present on
duty at Fort Mead in the Far West as o
member OF Company f, 1st Regular In
fantry. He entered the military service
four years ago, and, as is evidenced by a
letter written by him on the 1st of Septem.
ber was soon expecting to return to his
wife with money saved from his earnings.
During the four years Of his absence his
wife has been living with her mother, Mrs.
Mcllyain, who'received,one George Wallace
a freight conductor on the O. & NJ. Railroad
as boarder about twelve months ago.
He had not been there long before he
began to pay attentions to Mrs Seward in
so marked a manner that Mrs. McIlvain
thought it wise to interfere. She cautioned
her daughter against Wallace, whose fasly
ways she did not like, and reminded her OF
the improperly of which she, married
woman, would be guilty if she persisted in
keeping company with Wallace. Her sister
also tried to dissuade her. After six
months Wallace left the house and took a
room at the clearinghouse of Mrs. Brod-
erlck This was only three doors distant,
however, and the pair often met clandes-
timely.
There was no suspicion, however, of anv
criminal intimacy, and the friends of the
unfortunate woman refused to believe it
until proof that could not be gainsaid was
produced. The two, as Wallace states, went
to the Exposition Saturday, and in the
evening while going down the steps on
Price Hill, the woman suddenly stopped,
threw up her arms, cried out, "Oh,
George and fell to the ground in convul-
sions Wallace ran for DR.. Culver, who, on
arrival found the woman dead
DR.. Culver called on Coroner Carrick at
! o'clock Sunday morning and explained
the case to him. He was exceedingly anx-
ious that no investigation be made, but the
excited manner and actions of Dr. Culver
convinced DR.. Carrick that there was some
thing in the case. He therefore ordered
Wallace's arrest and set the inquest for to-
day.
Before the Coroners Court Mrs. McIlvain
the mother of Josie Seward, testified that
the deceased had been married for six years
and had child of five years. The witness
did not know whether Josie kept company
with any one. She feared that Wallace was
too intimate with her.
Mrs. Bessie Wheelen and Mrs. Eunice
Stiles testified that they were called upon
Saturday night to give some water to a
woman who lay fainting in field above
the Price Hill Road. They recognized the
deceased as Mrs. Josephine Seward. They
had never seen her in company with Wal
lace since last spring.
DR.. Culver stated that he never treated
the deceased fnr any illness. Wallace,
three months ago, was constant visitor to
his place. He knew the latter for nine
months. When called upon, he being the
nearest physician, he found the woman
dead. He picked her up, sent for his
buggy, and removed the body. He placed
the body on the seat and held it in his
arms His action was due simply through
friendly feelings. He took her down to the
Lower River Road to her mothers house.
The mother of the deceased asked him no
questions. She saw the Doctor examine the
woman and found she was enciente. The
witness saw the Coroner take a half flied
bottle of oil of tansy out of the pocket of
the deceased.
Dr. L. H. Sheppard, the family physician
of the McIlvains, testified that he never
treated the deceased for any illness. He
knew Josie but did not know of her death
until yesterday.
DR.. Bramble testified that he made the
post mortem examination of the body of
the deceased, and found that the deceased
was encente. The examination showed
that instrumental interference had taken
place to secure an abortion. The death of
the woman might have been due to shock,
coma, convulsions or interference with the
uterus.
After this, the hearing of the testimony
was postponed until 9 o'clock tomorrow
morning.