The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-18
KILLING HIS CHILD WIFE,
SIN nohths After Marrying n Girl Not
Yet rhirteen-A Husband of
Fifty Years.
n. Y, Herald Special


MS wife Jemima, mere child, not We. thir-
teen years of age. The child bride lay, with
two pistol shots in her head, in her mothers
residence, at Pine Brook stston, thi, evening
Dr. 5. Ii. Hunt, of Estontown, made two ef.
forts to day to probe for the bullets, but the
glrFs exhaustion forbade. The assassin ia +,
descendant OF james IL. Grover, of Mon
mouth county, and his victim the daughter
of an old war comrade. In 1861 William
Voorhees Grover went with the old Four
teenth regiment Of volunteers from Freehold.
New Jersey, to the seat of war, leaving a
wife Ia Freehold. After the battle of tba
Pehinsqis Grover was discharged ON account
ofphyscal disability.
soon after his return homo his wife died
and then II WAS said Growers mind BECAME
snected. lie was not able to work, and what
support he got WAS from his father. Not.
Wlthstanding his helpessnes. he married a
second wife, sister Of his arlt one, and both
wlie and husband were thereafter supported
by Growers father. The second wife lived
ohlV --FV esrs. Growers father then assisted
.~zA Ilag him little piece of property
-, cranberry Brook. This little good for,
.unH was followed by Gro,> -osiyiug 81.
200 back pension money from tn. rarn-
| ment.
Grover now told his parents that he wa.
ABOUT TO tske third wife, and they disap.
proved OF his choice. He said on the bsttl,
Held hs promised to befriend deceased com
rade's family. That eomrade WAS Charlie.
Chambers, who's widow had remarked, lesy.
ing girl barely twelve years of age,a Cham.
6er.' daughter, with lit le support. Ths
daughter, Grover said, should be his wife
Growers mother, then dying, drew from hin
promise that he would not marry the cir
while she lived, and he sssented.
In May last Grover took the child ,Jemi
ma Chambers for his wife. She protested
against being married to him. Ms he was yerg
ing on fifty; but her mother (now Mrs. Au.
mtck), whU has large family by her sec
ond husband, insisted upon her union with
Grover, as he had money and comfortable
hone, while she (the mother) could not SUP
port her. The ceremony was performed by
the Rev. Jabez Marshall, of the Ea.ontowI
Bap,is. church, on tho 18Th of MSy last.
For atew months the child.wfu and hei
mlddle-aged husband lived happily on Gro
ver's place at Cranbury Brook. The pen.
sion money which Grover had received, il
is said, was lavished on his wife until 1t wa.
exhausted. 1t is alleged then that Grover
began 70 treat his wife harshly. On Satur.
day last he beat her. aud in terror she fed t
her m ther's home which is near Pine Brook
On bsonday Grover went TO the homo o
his wites mother and demanded that his wifi
'hould turn to his house, threatening /,
iil her if she didn't.
; The young wife, accompanied by hel
mother, went before Justice of Peace Smith
OF Ea'onto~n, the next morning and asked
for n warrant for Growers arrest, rs she, ,Je
NINA, WAS spprehensive he would take he
life. Justice Smith, astonished At the youth
fulness of the girl who called herself Gro.
vers wife, refused to proceed against Grove
until 10 could make an investigation. Oh
: Wednesday the young wifo again went t,
Judge Smiths Office and asked his aid il
obtaining her clothes from her husband
house, as she did not dare to 20 and live
with him. This was denied her, but lette
WAS sent to Grover, who replied that hi
wife was welcome to her effects if she woulc
call for them.
THE TRAGEDY.
Accompanied by two relatives, Mrs. Gro
vtr won't 10 her husbands house at Cranberr,
Brook last night, to obtain her clothes. Al
the door Grover met the trio, and addrc ssine
his wife, said: 'Cone il; you shall have
thonall." Grover fell 10 packing up he
effects, anl at one time said: "Jemima, an
awful jealous of you because owe you, sn(
becsuse love you you can have everything
in The house"
As Mrs. Grover and her two relatives wer
preparing to depart Grover exclaimed
Jennie, come upstairs; there's somethinl
you forgot" The unsuspecting girl fell int,
tho trap which the iusl no husband had lai,
for her, and, following him, lightly trippeC
up the staircase. As she reached the TOP stel
she WAS confronted by her husband with
, drawn revolver. Instantly before she coul,
: turn, Grover fred. The ball struck her jus
b low the right eye. She reeed and fsl
backward, and mother shot WAS discharged
the ball crashing through the skull and EN-
bedding itself in the brain. The wounded cir
tell headlong 70 the bottom of the staircase
A third shot went spinning by her, not takinI
effect.
Rushing down stairs and over the prostrat
body of his wife, Grover escaped to tn,
l street. Medical aid WAS soon sum noned, bu
} DR.. Hunt sSd that fatal results wsud follow
probing. An hour later Constable RoSer
Fs,, of Eatontown, arrested Grover on tn,
highway. When told that he was under ar
rest Grover said, 81 expected II; only sho
her for fun" The prisoner was taken befor,
his wife, who lay pale and suffering on
sofa. 1oa deposition made by the two rels
tives who saw the shooting she feebly signed
Der name. The paper was then read L
Grover, and he said, "Yes, all right" He
betrayed no remorse. He was handcutfeC
and taken to Freehold jail.
II is believed this evening that the cir
cannot live. She would have been thirteer
years of age on the 18th instant There il
no doubt but that Grover is demented.
, In EAtontown it is said the child was
forced upon Grover by her mother in orde,
to gets share of the pension money. The
widow Chambers had REMARKED, and thu,
forfeited the pension due her as the widow Of
tho soldier Chambers. Grover, when ar
rested, had bis pistol in his back pocket. Ht
quietly gave ii up to Constable Fay. Thre,
Of the chambers were empty.
Mr.. Mott, brother-in law Of Grover, sayi
that Mrs. Aumack tried to have Grover mar
ry her eldest daughter, Elizabeth, but thai
she rejected him. The mother then con
ceived the notion of marrying her younges,
daughter to Grover, with his $1,000. Tn,
Growers strenuously objected TO the marriag,
on account of Growers weakness OF miIt
aud the extreme youth Of the girl Jemims.
Those of the Grover family who dwell a
Red Bank are of the highest respectability.
|