The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-09-19
4 ROMANTIC LIFE.
HEHArlSEss ORA WOMAN AFTER
..~-YsARS OF SORROW.
Secretary Teller's Sisters Hant-She
Finds Family Who Are Heirs to
- Fortune in Denver.


nance Of low life-one that would have
delighted the heart Of DEMONSTRATING
| woven in its plot the absorbing elements
| of love, suicide, murder, desertion and
the final triumph Of the good over the
bad. has Just come to light in this city.
| The persons concerned have already
acquired notoriety in one shape Or an
other, through the medium ofthe public
prints. Last Saturday there came to
Philadelphia from Denver, Col, Mrs.
Cody, sister of Secretary Of the Interior
Teller, venerable lady with white hair.
Mrs. Cody's mission was to find the wife
| and children of a certain John Scanlon,
| the son of David Stanlon, who died last
year in Denver leaving aproperty valued
| at 5000. The only clue which the lady
possessed as to their identity was that
| Scanlon had murdered his mother and
afterward killed himself while awaiting
trial 4 search was made through the
records of the court without revealing
the name of Scanlon. Mrs. Cody went
to the county Jail, where she learned that
a man named Davidson had murdered
his mother and afterward, in June, 1882,
killed himself while awaiting his trial.
| Davidson was none other than Scanlon.
David Scanlon was born in this country,
and thirty-six years ago went. to county
Donegal, Ireland, where he married Il
pretty lass with blooming cheeks. The
happy couple sailed for this country dur
ing the honeymoon. Reaching New York
they stopped at cheap boarding house.
A short time after landing, Scanlon de-
serted his young wife and left New York.
He had no settled ira lie or occupation,
but took to peddling s'lspcnders and like
articles, and, little by little, in his wan
behring's drifted west, hating in the cities
by the way, and finally settled in Denver.
Here he fourished, by dint Of strict
economy and constant application to
business, and acquired snug fortune.
After Scanlon deserted his wife she came
to Philadelphia, likewise turned to ped
ding small wares, and, after waiting for
years for news from her husband, con-
Guided that he was dead and married
man named Davidson Davidson in his
turn was peddler, and after his death
his wife took charge of the little business
which he left.
John Scvnlon, the son of the first hus-
band, born after he deserted her, grew
up to be a simple, half-witted lad. He
drank heavily and worked only when
compelled to do so. He married some
years ago young woman in his own
station in life and lived happily with old
Mrs. Scanlon, or Davidson, as she was
now called. Although Johns right name
was Scanlon, but he got the name Of Dav-
idson, and went by it until his death.
He grew quarrelsome and frequently
beat his aged mother, his wife and his.
two children, both beys. John sold pea
nuts and huckstered when not off on
spree. The old woman bore reputation
10 industry and sobriety. On the 4th
day of May, 1882, the elder folks and the
children were living huidlel together in
miserably furnished attic, at No. rs
Swanson street. Young Scanlon had
been drinking heavily in the morning
and the neighbors heard him quarreling
with his mother. He went home to din
ner and then out again for more whisky,
He was in an unusually ugly frame of
mind when he returned to the garnet
shortly before dark. He picked up a
quarrel with the female occupant of the
room below that occupied bv the family
upon trifling pretense, and, after his
evil passions had been thoroughly excit-
ed turned upon his mother and struck
her in the face with his fist. The old
lady picked up chair to defend herself,
but before she could use it Scanlon had
snatched up hatcket, and, rushing at
her, hit her terrible blow with the butt
end on the top of the head. She fell to
the floor insensible. Frenzied, ecanlon
jumped upon the PROSTATE form and
literally beat the head to u jelly. He
was arrested by two Of the neighbors
and taken by the police to the second
district station house. He knew nothing
Of the murder and lay all that night in a
beastly state of intoxieation. In due time
he was given preliminary hearing, and
committed without bail to Moyamensing !
prison to await trial for murder. He
appeared to take his confinement cheer
fully, and his suicide in his cell, which
occurred on the afternoon of Monday,
July 10th, 1882, created the greatest sur
prise among the prison officials.
He chose the method of his death
with singular deliberation. After having
first removed all his clothing, he hung
himself by his red flannel shirt from the
lower bar of his cell window From the
time of the death of her husband Mrs.
John Scanlon resided with Mrs. Mac
Mitchell, a friend, at Third and Pine
streets One Of her boys was put in an
orphan asylum. When Mrs. Cody SO
luckily stumbled upon her and informed
her of the wealth she had inherited she
refused to believe the story and treated
it as hoax. When pressed to go to
Denver to claim the money she refused.
Mrs. MacNIitchell however, finally coax
ed her in the notion, and on last Monday
evening Mrs. Cody and Mrs. Scanlon and
one of her little boys left for Denver. A
Wilkesbarre lawyer named Jerome will
follow them and help them to secure the
property. Mrs. scanlon carries with her
the record of her mother-in-law' mar
riage in Ireland. The case comes up in
the supreme court in Denver, in Septem-
Der, for final settlement. There is said |
to be no possible doubt but that Mrs.
Scanlon will get the entire fortune. Her
other boy will be shortly sent to join her
in her new-found western home.
IN ~ ~ ~