The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-04
RANDOLPH'S TRAGEDY.
MURDEa Of MSS suMMERFIELD
Aud Her infaat Child, and Burning Of the Clblu
inuhish Th.I LiItdto Cover upths Ctint. /.
Ths Discovery Of the DEED andths Ar. (.
rsss OF tho Alleged IsidirsK.

The Randolph Enterpri,. Of this week
contains the following review Of the finding Of
Tho bodits Of Miss Francis Summerfsid and
her infant child In h burned building on the
farm OF Job Parsons, who resides on Rich
mountain, some twenty milea distant from
Beverly, In Randolph county, several days
since: sss;:a# u Y "
She had been exlled from home on account
Of her unfortunate condition, she being m.
married, aud aousht this e,t.dss as place oil
refuge, where she might hide her shame and
earn living for herself and child by needle.
work. She wna scarcely twenty years OF age
at the time !hey both met their horrible iaie,
She 10 reported as rather pretty, OF pleasing
manners, and no one not acquainted With
the circumstances Of her shame would have
taken her for other than modest young
married woman.
4 PATHETIC pIc1usE. &
Ills horrible to picture the young mother,
In her peaceable home, on the night OF the
10th day Of December. probably slneing
sweet iullabys to- her cherished babe and
placing 1t In tho bed asleep. Then comes tue
rap Of the murderer at the door and abe lets
him In. What followed only God and the
murderer know but the murderous crowbar
was used, as was evidenced by the crushed
skull OF the remains as they were discovered
near the centreof-the, room. Probsbiy the
little one awoks and 1creGued for fright and
held out Its innocent little hands to the muir
| but proceeded ut once TO apply the torch 10
cover tip his hideoas crime From Tie ey..
dence ELECTED at the inquest he then lad,
cross ng swollen s!reams and going he knew
not where. Fleeing from the echoing walls
OF bis victims; hearing the piteous cries oil
| the poor woman and her babe, but wherever
he goes the crime and It's shadow will follow
him and speedy Justice will overtafe him.
TIM CRIME DlCoylREp.
On the morning OF the 18th day OF Deem
ber, the mail carrier, Sir. George W. Stai
maker, discovered tho smoking ruins Of the
burned building, It being near the road on
which he was travelling. He, knowing who
had lived there, made an examination and
found the remains Of the WOMAN lying about
the centre OF the room, the flesh having been
burned from tho bones, exposing the cntrail;
and heart TO full view. The remains OF tbs
child was found In the corner Of the room
where tho bed had stood. Us littls bones
were burned 10 whiteness and its little hear
remainipE unconsumed, Itwss o. first sup
posed that this terrible affair had been ths
result OF IN accidental coEil ,gratiop, bu,
when the womaa's crushed skull and tht
murderous crowbar had been discovered
buried In the aahea, this idea was at once
dispelled. The fact TINT the body of TIT
mother and that OF her child we're found 81
far apsrt-lbe woman 10 the centre OF th,
room, the child in the corner-po:nted coE
ciusiYeiy to the fscs that foul murder hat
been committed. Had the mothet discovered
the building to have been on fire, her first
thonghis would have been for the safety Of
her child, and aho wou Id hcve clasped 1t tt
her bcs7n and The remains would have been
found together, tho child probably lying
upon the iifeiess aud f.shisss arn Of it!
mother