Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-01-18
HUN7EK's WIDOW.


she Claims thsl her Husband wa,
Insane and sreRks OF his Treat
nisss In CsmdeN.
Ths Eremng Tlrgreph publishes 4
long interview with Mrs. Hunter, the
widow Of DyDissrin Bsvsss, who was
hanged in Camden on Friday week for
the murder Of John N. Armstrong.
Mrs. Hunter appeared dressed in deep
mourning aud showed in her sad fac.
deep traces OF grief and mental strain.
She was, however, willing to talk, and
said that she wantrd peopl. to know
that her husband was by no means the
demon he has been painted. but was in
fact in all his family and social r-la-
tions, as husband, father, brother and
n-ighbor, entirely above approach.
The principal points Of Mrs lnnter's :
statement as mad- to the reporter of
the Telegraph are here given She
said
Some oflhe newspapers have stated =,
since his conviction, that the neighbors
alout here have stories to tell of his
tyrannical temper and evil passions;
but nothing can b. further from the
truth than this, for dozens Of families I'll
around us are willing to testify 10 rs
Kindness and charity, and to his clip.
fulness to all who nssd.d help Or inllu
-nc-. This man Graham ottsinpd four
or five situations through his influence,
and came again and again to him for
money, never going away empty hand
ed" When asked az to her feelings
towards Graham she aaid: "If h. had
only come to us with nie story of Mr..
Hunters guilty approaches to him We
would have paid him thousands "f dol
la for his confidence, for we would
then have known that these money
troubles with hr. Armstrong had Graz
ed Mr.. Hunter, and should have taken
steps to have prevented the consum-
nation Of his plans. When he quit
business, six years ago, h. did so he
cause, as he then told he, he felt his
mind giving way.
He WAS subject to spells of depression
that almost amounted to melancholy;
passed sleepless nig"ts, and complain
ed constantly Of binding headaches.
feared he would lose his mind altog-th-
er, insanity being in the family. lie
had brother who was for years an
inmate OF Kirkbride's Asylum, and
nephew also who was insane. From
the time that he put tn. first S., 600 in
Armstrong; business, and found that
he WAS in danger of losing it, his mind
became more and mora disturbed; his
appetite failed, and he scarcely slept at
all. More than once he said to me,
mother, if lose that money shall go
crazy always said to him, when he
spoke in this way DO not worry about
it. Even if it is all gon" We shall still
have enough to live on. Only keep
away from Armstrong now, and do not
indorse or loan him any more money,
for it ID only throwing good money
after bad He did not take my advice,
unfortunately, always hoping, if hc
could keep Armstrong out Of the Sllrr.
iN's hands, he would eventually get
back his money. | watched him coz
stantly during all this time, never saw
him leave the house without fearing
that he would commit suicide or enter
into some disastrous speculation.
But | never thonght Of harm coming
to Mr.. Armstrong through him, a. l.
never heard Mr.. Hunter blam. or speak
i'll of him." When asked if her hus-
band had ever confessed his gull, to
her, Mrs. Hunter replicd "Nrver;
nor did he to any human being. lie
distinctly told me the last t,ne had
any conversation with him: Take
this to your heart, mother, whatever
comes; never struck John Armstrong
a blow In response to my questions:
Papa, are you prepared to die'' he
answered: 'les, for know that how
ever great may have been my sins,
tiod is able to wash out and forgive
them This remark was overheard
by Mr.. owindell, and was the sole
foundation for thu story that Mr.. Hun
ter had confessed TO being guilty.
thllh NY sell ana cHll'lFtn were
treated with unparalleled blrbarity by
the Sheriff. On the day before that Oh
which ha was to have been executed,
which execution he escaped by death, i,
accompanied by my iaur children, went
% take leave OF my husband. and begged
% be permitted to enter his cage and
bid him sIiru. At former interview
Se had Eean told that We might have
his privilege, but When we went fer I
'ur final leayr-taking We were denied
t. When We reached the cage we
ound him in bed and manacled, al ;
hough he was 80 weak and daz-d that {
wen when at our petition the shacklea
we're removed, ana he brought ny bis
.prDprS to the bars. hp could not Snpak G.