The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-14
INTERESTING LIBEL SUIT.
A Very InJudlcious Man BrlnEs Suit
Against Two Detroit PuperS.

Against Two Detroit Pupers.
DETROIT, MICH, January ia libel
suit which excited deep popular interest
in this city terminated this afternoon.
Just three years ago the present month u
girl named Martha Whitla suddenly dis.
appeared. Her foster parents lived some
miles in the country, and she had been in
the habit OF spending part OF her time
with them and other friends in that viCin-
ity, and part Of the time doing domestic
work for various parties in the city.
Some eight years before she had been on
intimate terms with u young man manned
Hugh Peoples, and considerable love-like
correspondence passed between them, but
subsequently this ceased, and Peoples
Afterwards married another girl. Martha,
however, kept up an acquaintance witlrI
him, and almost up to the time OF his mar
riage lived with him rs member Of his
family, receiving, however, nothing but
her board. About five years since he de-
sired her 10 leave his house, and when she
did so he gave her his note for S4O0, claim
ing that it was an appreciative gift orall
the work done for him, not otherwise paid
for.
On the day Of her disappearance she
came in from the country, telling her
friends she WIS going to collect money on
note. Nearly three months after her dis
appearance her body was taken from the
Detroit river, three miles below the city,
being bent together, hands and feet tied,
and the body enclosed in large coffee
sack, with every appearance that she had
been 30 imprisoned alive and thrown into
the river.
Such an awful crime naturally excited
thedeepest interest, and investigations wree
pushed vigorously but unavailingly to as
certain the authors OF the hideous deed.
The post mortem examination showed
that at some previous time the girl had been
a mother, q new and startling revelation to
her friends and acQuaintances with whom
her character was above suspicion.
Her trunk was subsequently opened and
some clothing, package OF letters and
few trinkets taken possession OF by the
officers,
The note for four hundred dollars was
never seen or heard OF afterwards Several
months subsequent to all this, two news
papers Of this city having seen the letters
and been given many other facts from the
police, who had been searching for the
murderer, published long articles giving
these details with comments, the whole
pointing strongly towards Peoples, though
no direct charge was made.
Peoples did nothing about the matter
then, asserting now that he expected TO be
arrested and called upon to defend himself.
The police, however, never were able to
obtain conclusive proof against him or
anybody else, and gradually the matter
was suffered to die away. Peoples then
commenced libel suit against both
papers, claiming $4,000 damage in each
case. The first OF these cases has been on
trial the past two weeks, and has ELECTED
the deepest interest, the defendant under
takingto prove that Peoples was the guilty
man.
Much Of the evidence they had relied on
was ruled out, but enough was shown to
raise strong suspicion that Peoples had
long ago seduced the girl, and that latterly
her opportunities for marrying and her
knowledge OF the unplelsfns facts con-
nected with the burning OF two houses be-
longing to Peoples, rendered him anxious
to get her out OF the way. This being for
tilted by the fact that the 500 note was
never found on her body or with any Of
her papers, although her pocket pook IN
which She carried the note was found with
her thimble and some papers in 1t The
plaintiff himself was not put on the stsnd
, which tended greatly to increase the popu
, lar distrust and strengthened the case o
the defense in the suit, The jury, after ar
r absence Of six hours, returned q verdict o
, no cause for action.
LATER-A new turn has been taken II
the libel suit case. This evening, about
o'clock, Hugh Peoples, the plaintiff, wa
: arrested on complaint Of the Prosecuting
Attorney, charging him with the murder o
;. the girl Martha Whitla, and he now lies II
iail. It is hoped that this move means
vigorous prosecution OF inquiry as to IN
: perpetrators OF the most damnabls nlurde
4 ever known in the criminal annals oil ou