Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-11-13
A Remarkable Criminal Case,


A Remarkable Criminal Case.
Something less than two years ago,
F. III. Spaulding, wife and a little child,
and daughter by former wife, came
to this county from Indiana and settled
on q homestead near Burnham station.
Spaulding, who is past fifty years of
age, and an intelligent and apparently
well educated man. taught colored
school portion of the time, spending
the balance on his place.
One day last March, neighbor,
while digging well for Spaulding.
from his actions and those of his wife.
conceived that something mysterious
was in progress and the suspicion was
strengthened from reports current in
the neighborhood that SpauidinR's
daughter-Aurelia Almira Roweli-
was about to give birth to a child.
Spaulding borrowed a shovel for awhile
from this man. giving some improba-
BILE excuse for its use, and this. togeth-
or with other circumstances, led the
neighbor to believe that a child had
been born and that Spaulding had bur-
led it.
These suspicious were communicated
to others; search was instituted. new
made grave found, and in the grave a
newborn infant child, with q broken
neck. An inquest was held, and at the
inquest Miss Rowell testified that the
child was hers. but whether born alive
or not she could not tell; but she did
swear that it was the offspring OF her
own father, and Mrs. Spaulding corrob-
GRATED her testimony, as well as testi-
flying to the fact that her husband con-
veyed it away.
Spauiding was arrested for incest
and murder, but as the alleged crime
of incest occurred in Indiana, he could
not be convicted of 1t here, and prose-
cution for it was abandoned.
AS all three were guilty of secreting
dead body, officers were sent TO arrest
Mrs. Spaulding and Miss Rowelf. The
first was found hidden away at Willow
Springs and the girl in the woods
where she had taken refuge. Upon
their examination the woman denied
their testimony taken at the inquest,
saying they did not know what they
said at that time. A true bill was
found against the three by the grand
jury for secreting the dead infant, and
against Spaulding for murder and not
being ready for trial their cases were
continued to the October term of court.
Bail was denied Spaulding, and the
women, being unable to procure bail,
all three have been occupants of the
Jail since March last.
| At the present term of court they
| were brought up for trial. The court
designated Judge Olden and H. D..
Green to prosecute, and Judge Holt of
| Lebanon, J. l.. Green and ]. B. Till
man, were employed for the defence.
Evidence being submitted satisfactory
to the court that Mrs. Spaulding was
| demented, she was discharged. Miss
Rowell was convicted and sentenced
| to two years in the penitentiary. 1t
being thought impossible to convict
Spaulding Of murder, a nolle pros. was
! entered, and he was put upon his trial
for secreting the child. Upon this
charge he plead guilty. Now comes
the most interesting feature of this
singular and revolving case. On Fri
day, Mrs. A. H. Colby. of Boston,
| Mass, mother of Mrs. SpauldfEg, ap-
peared, and through counsel asked
privilege to plead to the court why
made light. 1t being granted, at 2
o'clock p. NJ, large number of ladies
and still larger crowd of men filled
| the court room, when a woman, some
| fifty years of age. large In size, dignifi-
ed in carriage, and having counte-
nance denoting great intelligence and
mental power, stoOd before the court,
and for half hour, using the choicest
language, poured forth with all a
| mothers feeling, her belief in the in
nocence of her son-in-law, and the rea-
sons why clemency should be exercised
| in his case. It was plea well worth
going far to hear, but to her evident
sorrow and grief it failed of effect, for
| while Judge WooCside complimented
her upon the womanly and motherly
feeling she had exhibited, he stated
that he would be unworthy of his posi-
| ton were he to be turned aside from
his evident duty, and that the case,
Invested Of all its sympathetic sur
roundings showed that while the pris-
| oner had borne the character of quiet,
peaceable citizen and outwardly good
man, at the same time 1t was plain to
| the court that he had been controlled
by his unholy passion, and was guilty
of the crime as charged and proven,
and he sentenced him to seven years
Imprisonment at hard labor in the pen
| itentiary-the full extent that the law
would allow him to infiiot as penalty.
Spaulding received his sentence with
out change of countenance or Detray-
ing any unusual emotion.
The case was very ably conducted ON
both sides, and We believe counsel on
both sides were firmly and honestly
convinced, on the one side of the guilt
and on the other of the innocence of
the prisoner West Plains Gazette.