Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-10-09
MARRIAGE, DIVORCE AND POISON.
4 Strange Story From Maryland-A
woman Charged with Murder

A Strange Story From Maryland-A
woman Charged with Murder.
A special to the Baltimore Ameri
can froaa Denton, Caroline county,
Md, says: ezekiel Eaton nearly
forty years ago married a wife IN the
lower part Of this county, and resided
near Smithville, a village not far
from the memorable Concord, until
ten years ago. To all outwardly APP
pearances they lived happily as hus
band and wife, and reared family
of we'll trained children. In 1874
they removed to Wilmington, Del,
where Mr.. Eaton engaged In the bus
mess of commission merchant. He
continued in the business for several
years. During this latter period it
was rumored that he and his wife did
nnt get along quite as smoothly as
they should, and this rumor gained
credence from the fact that Mrs. Eaton
left her husband and refused to live
with him. Mr. Eaton moved back to
Maryland and brought with him Mr..
and Mrs. Riley, Mrs. Riley perform
ing the duties of housekeeper. Not
long after their return TO Maryland
Mr.. Riley took sick and died His
widow continued to keep house for
Mr. Eaton. In 1881 Mr. Eaton filed
bill In the circuit court of this county
for 3 divorce, a vinculo, alleging
abandonment, ETC., on the part of his
wife. Soon after Mrs Eaton filed an
asking for a divorce, a mensa, and
charging among other things that Mr..
Eaton for a considerable time had
been living in open and notorious
adultery with Mrs. Riley 4 long
and costly lawsuit ensued, which
resulted, on Jan %. 1883, IN the pas
sage of decree of divorce vinculo,
asked for by Mr.. Eaton. Since that
time Mr.. Eaton and Mrs. Riley have
continued to live together until Mr..
Eaton's death, which occurred several
months ago. He left all his property
by will and other conveyances to Mrs.
Riley. Mrs. Eaton recently employed
Messrs. George M. Russum and Rob
ert J. Jessup, of the Caroline bar, to
contest the will and they filed a caveat
soon after. Messrs. Downes and Mitch
Ter represent Mrs. Riley, who still
resides at the house where Mr.. Eaton
died.
Mr. Isaiah Eaton, a son of Ezekiel,
acting for his brothers, sister and
mother, who still live in Wilmington,
a few days ago replevined all of his
fathers personal property that could
be found. This last litigation seems to
be the Immediate cause for the break
ing forth of pent-up elimination and
recrlminatiOn between the friends of
Mrs. Eaton and Mrs. Riley. Dark
suspicious which were only whispered
for several months have in the last
few days been widely talked of. The
friends of the Eaton family in the,
neighborhood of Snithville say that
Eaton was unduly influenced by Mrs.
Riley when the will was made, and
alluded to his death as mysterious and
sudden. A glass of some queer LIQUID
was administered TO the sick man and
he died ia few minutes,
although not apparently very sick.
The character of Mrs. Riley is also at
tackled. Oae of the stories in circula-
ton is that a hunter, accompanied by
his dog, was several years ago passing
through field Of the Eaton farm and
found the skeleton of a child which
the dog had dug up. The circum-
stances of Mr.. Eaton's death, they al
lege, were irregular His face turned
10 an inky blackness Immediately
after the breath left his body, and the
corpse was kept in the house the un-
usually long period of five days before
interment. They also recall the ex-
traOrdinary conduct of Mrs. Riley at
the funeral services. The family of
the dead man was present but strange
~ occupied q remote corner CT the
church during the service, refusing to
associate with the woman who di-
rected the proceedings. Many per
sons believe there is a sufficient rea-
son for an investigation of the mat
ter by the authorities, and this will
probably be done. Isaac Eaton,
son of the deceased, applied to John
W. Hignutt, justice of the peace ct
6mlthville, to have the body of his
father exhuned and chemically ana
lyzed. As magistrates have no au-
thority for such process in this state
the case will be referred to the states
attorney. There is a great conmo-
ton over the affair in the lower part
of Carolina county, rivaling the great
Beachamp poisoning case, which oc-
Cured In the same community.