Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-04-23
Worse Than a Brute,


man can become SO depraved as to
act as did W. S. Madden. at Scran-
ton, Pa. A partial account OF his
bad deeds are found in the following
statement, which was sent from Scran-
ton to the Philadelphia Press, on the
18th inst The despatch says:
4 girl named Sallie McClenahen
escaped this afternoon from a back
room on Spruce Street, in the centre
of the city, where she had been chain
ed to the floor like a wild beast for
nearly three weeks by quack calling
himself w. S. Madden. She took
refuge in the Susquehanna House
At first Mrs. Carpenter, wife of the
hotel proprietor, thought the girl
was mad, but the pitiful earnestness
of her pleading left no room to doubt
her sanity, and soon her story was
confirmed by the appearance of the
big burly Madden himself upon the
scene
Madden seized the girl by the arms
to drag her away, but the poor crcs-
ture clung to Mrs. Can penter and
cried:
For Gods sake don't let him take
me back again, or lie will kill me-"
Mrs. Carpenter bravely defended
the girl against the furious quack,
and he was compelled to go without
her Madden was arrested shortly
after in his Office, where the chains
and locks with which be had bound
the girl were also found
At the hearing before Mayer Beam
ish, Sallie told a horrible story of
human heartlessness. She said she
had known Madden nearly two years;
he had betrayed her, and said "a
soon as be got divorced from his wife,
who is now in Altoona, he would
marry her. Last January, while Sal
lie was living with her sister in Lew
istown, Madden entseated her to
come to Scranton, saying he would
take care of her. She refused at first,
but finally came. Seeing no sign of
a divorce, she wanted to go back to
Lewistown, but this made him wild.
He threw her down in his back
room, put chains on her ankles and
fastened one to bed, the other to a
staple in the floor. There she has
starved and suffered terrible agony
and cruelty for nearly three weeks.
Once, when she raised an outcry, he
threw her down, jumped on her breast
and choked her. He nailed down
the windows and fastened the door
whenever he went out. Sometimes
he returned, drunk, late at night
Her food was an occasional sandwich
OF pretzel, which he brought IN his
pocket. This afternoon, when he
took the chains from her ankles 10
let her go to an outhouse, she made
a dash for liberty and got away.
Madden denied the girls statement,
but finally admitted having chainsd
the girl to the floor, and in default
of S4S00, was sent to the county jail
The feeling against him was intense
Salhe McClenahen is about 20 years
old, and although half starved, shows
traces Of great beauty. Madden
came to this city year ago with
quack called Gibson, who is also in
Jail.
Mondays Philadelphia Press fur
nishes the following additional par
ticulars Of DR. Madden's brutality.
SCRANTON, April Unpopular in
dignation has been running high here
all day against DIR. Winisld Scott
Madden, who was arrested last even
ing upon the charge Of having kept
Sallie McClenahen, handsome girl,
chained in his office like wild beast
for nearly seven weeks, and there can
be no doubt that had his victim been
native of Scranton an effort would
be made to lynch him Madden seems
to realize his position, and was in a
state of mental terror most of the
day, frequently requesting the prison
authorities to double the guards, lest
an attempt should be made upon the
jall.
Miss McClenahen is at the Susque-
hanna House and seems much i'm
proved since she escaped from the
influence of the monster who effected
her ruin and made her his slave. Mrs.
Carpenter, wife of the proprietor of
the hotel, has taken a deep interest
in the girl and was affected to tears
while the latter related her bitter
story.
Sallie il not tall but graceful, has
large, expressive eyes, lu1uriant, jet
black hair, and was evidently the pos