Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-02-15
Terrible Tragedy in a st. Louis Court
Room.


-r- ST. Louis, February s.
John c. Parker, who was to have been tried
this afternoon for the murdG OF Nike Peyton,
baker, shot his wife dead in the Criminal
Courtroom to-day and then put n bullet
through his own br in, The room was crowded
with lawyers, witnesses and spectators.
While another case was beng heard Parkers
wife, Nellie, and, his three, sisters were in the
court, and during the morning Mrs. Parker
had stood near the cage in which her husband
was confined, and had been engaged in close
conversation with him. About noon Parker's
lawyer asked to be allowed to consult with
his client Leave being granted, the prisoner
was taken out of the cage, and, followed by
his wife, two of his sisters and two attorneys,
was taken to the jury-room, which opens of
the south side Of the courtroom. They all sat
down around a long table, and the prisoner
started to give his lawyer list of witnesses.
All eyes were OF the man for an instant His
wife was sitting beside him. Suddenly shot
was heard and she settled back in her
chair a corpse, never moving or speak
ing. The report set the. whole building IN
an uproar, but before interference
was possible, Parker placed the muzzle of the
pistol just behind his right ear and fired, scat
tering his own brains all over the room. He
died in an hour, never speaking after the
shot. Where he got the pistol is mystery.
1t is supposed his Wife or hs sister, Mrs.
Craft gave it TO him. Mr.. Craft, his brother
in-law, identified the weapon as belonging to
him, but all say no one but his wife was near
enough to the prisoner to give it to him. EV-
erything indicates that the whole affair was
concoeted deliberately, and that Mrs. Parker
went to the courtroom knowing she was to be
killed. She told three people yesterday that
she would have to die. 1t would be bettG& for
her baby, as it would get $1,000 from the
Knights and Ladies' of Honor, of which order
she had been a member. Mrs. Parker and her
husband had been married about six years.
Before her marriage she was a Miss O'Neill,
who lived in the northern part of the city.
Those who knew her say she was strikingly
handsome, petite and stoutly built, and in
every way an attractive girl. AS she lay dead
on the table it could be seen she was still
pretty woman. A letter was found in Parkers
cell, written by him, in which he declared his
intention OF killing himself and wife. From
the tone of the letter it is plain that the wife
was party to her husbands plans.
About four o'clock on the morning of Au-
gust 20, 1881, a crowd of men, among them
Johnny Parker and Nike Peyton, were stand
ing in front of a saloon on the corner of Fifth
street and Lucas avenue, when Parker and
PeytOn, both of whom were very hot-headed
when intoxicated, quarreled over paying for
a drink. Peyton, who was a large man, aimed
a vicious blow at Parker with a knife. This
thrust Parker swore missed its mark and took
his assailant in the side, cutting open the alb
dOmen and letting forth the entraiIs. Such
was Parkers story, told just after the murder.
Peyton was taken to the hospital. and there
he swore that Parker had come up to him as he
was standing in the saloon. and drawing a long
knife had cut him in the side. Peyton then put
his hand to his side and staggered TO the edge
of the sidewalk, where he fell fainting from
loss of blood. Parker ran east to an alley
and up the alley, throwing away his knife
as he ran. Policeman King was called to the
spot, and gave chase, catching the fugitive
before he had gone block Parker was ugly
and resisted violently, and King and two other
| officers we're able with difficulty to get him to
! the police station. There he was found to be
SO much under the influence of liquor that he
was threatened tn deirium tremens. Rem
| edies were applied and the man saved from
| the attack. Az soon as he was able to speak
| he told his story in a straightforward manner,
| and never varied from it even when Peyton,
| on his death-bead, identified him as the muir
! derer. Parker was the son of wealthy pa
rents, and had been well educated and
| brought up, but on reaching manhood ne had
/ fallen into bad ways, from which his wife. a
woman of refinement in vain attempted
| again and again to rescue him, and from which
Parker, who was fine book-keeper, promised
/ to sever himself only to fall back into bad
company, until he committed murder.