Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-03
story OF a Cemetery.

ing along North Broad street, Philadel-
phia, is modest. slate-roofed house at
Broad and Montgomery avenue. This
building stands on a lot which runs
back to Fifteenth street along the south
wall of Monument Cemetery. The
upper windows command an unob
structed view of the picturesque city of
the dead The house is now deserted.
Weeds and wild climbing plants have
Overrun the little garden in unframed
profusion. About the place there is a
general air of deSolatiOn and neglect. 1t
is house with a history. Associated
with it is one of the most tragic and ro-
mantle occurrences that ever startled
this quiet Quaker City, for within its
walls a murderer, victim of poignant
remOrse and agoniZed sorrow, passed
several wretched years. In the solemn
stillTess of the night, When the moon
glowed and the hosts of marble shafts
cleaned ghostly among the trees, a
haggard face, with deep-sunken eyes,
was often seen peering wildly from one
of the little windows off into the weird
shadows of the volceless city.
Born in Holden, Lancaster, England,
James Wood was type of the many
thrifty Englishmen, who, in search of
better opportunities, emigrated to this
country 90 years ago. He was hat
rougher by trade. He applied himself
unremittingly to his work. For two
I years he lived in Dedham and Boston,
and then came to this city. He lived
/ economically, even to self-abnegatiOn,
! and in few years succeeded in bring
/ ing his wife here. She came with a
bright little girl of seven years, their
daughter, born shortly before the faith
er's departure for America.
The family took couple or rooms IN
a small house in Colladay's Court, in
! Eighth street. near Race, where they
! lived for year, when they moved into
a small house next door TO the north
east corner of Eighth Ynd Arch and
I opened a small confectionery. Wood
still worked at his trade. His wife, in
his absence attended the shop. Fortune
seemed to favor the struggling English
| man. He soon leased the lower bar of
the Chestnut street Theatre. Three
years afterward, to the aStonishment of
/ his friends, he purchased the Randall
/ property on Chestnut street, near Sixth,
for $40 600, and opened large candy
/ shop. For six years Wood carried on
/ very thriving as well as lucrative buSi-
1 ness. His daughter, cbristened Sarah
Ann, grew INTO a handsome young
woman of twenty two. She attracted
/ much attention. James Wood believed
IN hard labor. He always declared
| that his daughter must make a deslr
/ able alliance in marriage. He watched
/ over her with the care and solicltude
| of a jealously affectionate parent. She
was educated in a style far beyond her
| station in life.
Among the many visitors to the candy
store was Edward Peake, shop
| keeper On Sixth street above Chestnut.
| He was disOlute in his habits and
! hard drinker at times. Nevertheless.
1 by W oman's freak, the pretty young
| girl fell desperately in love with Ieake.
They often met clandeStinely, and IL
naily were secretly married. The GER
emony was performed at daylight, and
the young bride stole back TO the resi-
/ dence of her parents. Her absence
, from the house was not noticed. Such
WAS the young woman's attachment
| for Peake that after being absent from
! INN ten days she left her fathers home
| and joined her husband. Wood was
/ absent in New York. He returned
and was appriSed of the elopement.
| At first he was incredulous, but, finally
| convinced, he raved like a madman.
/ Between tears and imprecatiOns he
/ called piteously for his daughter.
Up to this time Wood had been re-
markably gentle, loving, and Affection
| ate to his family. He was now t'ro-
( ken man. He closed up his place. The
/ headstropg daughter was finally indu-
ced to resume her re- ideDce with her
parents, where she lived for several
4 months. Peake tirelessly watched the
| house, and finally threatened to secure
/ his wife through the law. Wood kept
his house guarded, SO as to Illustrate
any attempt TO carrying away his
| daughter. He bought brace of pistols,
| saying that he would defend his home
| to the death. He was often seen on the
street, walking without any apparent
/ object, and even stared vacantly at
/ some of his best friends. Wood finally
realized that he must surrender his
! daughter. She was Of age and had
married without compulsiOn. One af-
| ternoon he was unusually thoughtful
and downcast, and occasionally gave
way to tears. He saw the young wife
frequently and upbraided her. That
evening he asceBded to his daughters
. room.
No one ever knew what passed there.
Suddenly pistol shot rang through the
/ house, and when the door of the cham
Der was burst open a terrible spectacle
presented itself. The young woman
lay ON the floor, face downward. A
! pool of blood was forming around her
( head from a wound from which the
BRAIN protruded. The craZed father,
who seemed to have awakened to con-
! seriousness of the enormi.y of his crime,
/ stood, as if petrified with horror, few
feet distant. A smoking pistol was
1 clutched in his hand. lie was quietly
disarmed. The bullet, which had de-
prived him of a daughter, had passed
beneath her right eye, going through
the head, carrying with it portion OF
the skull and brains. Three pistols
were found in the room, one discharged
and the other two loaded. 1t was sup
I posed that the crime was unpremedlta
| ted and that in moment of frenzled
despair he seized one of the weapons
and killed his child. The unfortunate
young woman lived only few minutes,
but long enough to see her husband.
The murdered daughter was buried in
Monument Cemetery.
The trial of Wood attracted much
attention. He was acquitted on the
plea of insanity. This. it is said, was
the first instance In which an accused
was acquitted on this plea in this city.
! A free man once more, James Wood
built himself the little house adjoining
/ the cemetery. on Broad street, where
he could be alone with sombre brood
I ings. He struggled witt an ever-ac-
cusing conscience. Sarah Ann Wood,
( or properly Mrs. Peake, was buried on
the east side of the cemetery, within
easy view of the windows of the little
house. The body was subsequently re-
moved to the West Side, separated by
/ Fifteenth street. A plain marble mon
ument marks the spot, inclosed with
/ iron ratings. 1t bears this inscription:
ssSaa,al 20 ha of tho