The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-03
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DECO. No.. as aaa 81 roartaenlh strssl.
A noANA COUNTY SCANDAL.
Sensational Story from spencer Involving q
PrumIuont Citizen,

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Sensational Story from spencer Involving q
Prominent Citizen.
Spencer, Roane county, is disrupted by
a sensational scandal, involving the ssduC.
ton OF q married woman by one OF its
citizens and the charge Of abortion and
perhaps murder offs woman and child, and
the suspicion Of guilt, arrest and imprison-
ment OF q prominent physician, church
member and recent temperance advocate.
with the arrest for perjury Of another
prominent citizen.
Connected with the scandal and crime
Ia the somewhat romantic and altogether
notorious history OF a man and his wife,
the latter OF whom, it is alleged, Is the
victim OF the passion OF one man and the
criminal malpractice OF another,
Several years ago u young map named
Ham Bourke, who had the reputation OF
being somewhat last, made the acquaint-
anCe and succeeded in winning the aztec.
tons OF a Miss Riddle, the beautiful
daughter OF one Of Reedy's most respected
citizens. Bourke, by HIS speCioua art and
promises Of marriage, oVercane the virtue
Of the young lady, who seemed to have
been completely infatuated with him.
Her delicate condition at last could no
longer be kept concealed, and the father
and brothers, after having obtained from
her the name OF her seducer, hunted
Bonrke down, and at the point OF the pis-
tOl or gun compelled him 10 marry her,
After their marriage they lived unhappily
together for q short time, Bourke finally
having committed some crime and leay.
ing the country. The grass widow settled
down after her degertion near Spencer
with her fathers family. 1t Is now alleged
that she became acquainted with a we'll
known and socially popular young man
named Gordon, and that no seduCed her.
At ali events, the widow fell a victim to
the passion OF some one.
The young woman was taken sick sew
eral days ago, and DR.. A. b. Parsons, one
OF the most prominent physicians Of that
part OF the State, was sent for. The rest
Is Cleaned from the evidence before the
jury.
Parsons made al examination, and told
the women who were present that the
patient was afflicted with q tumor, and
ordered them to leave the room while he
made another examination, This they
did, and shortly alter the doctor was seen
to leave the premises with something
wrapped in q paper bundle under his
arm, lie carried the bundle to his Office
in his drug store, and as he was entering
his office casually remarked that he had
just made S25 in removing a tumor. Ex.
Prosecuting Attorney David Brown aud
Jennings Casio, two well known citizens,
were in tho store at the time, and having
their curiosity aroused, while Parsons was
otherwise engaged, went into the back
room, found the package and opened It.
They were Mortified at finding a fully.de-
veloped baby, which had evidently Just
been brought into the world by unnatu-
raj means. They went out and informed
the Prosecuting Attorney, John Vandal,
and returned with him. Parsons, who EVIL.
IDENTIFY had his suspicious aroused, ran OUT
Of the room with the bundle Just as they
were cnteringit. lie was pursued a short
distance, when tho pVrty returned. The
Prosecuting Attorney had a Jury impan.
eled, but the body could not be found.
When the two men, Brown and Caste,
were put on the stand, the former swore
to the facts az above stated, while the lat.
ter stammered and evaded the questions,
and finally, to the establishment Of every.
body present, sWOre that nothing was
found but a large tumor. Brown became
justly indignant, and charged Casio with
being 4 Id perjurer," and imme.
diately swore out q warrant for him,
The people had by this time become
very much excited, aud Caste was sent to
jail. The Prosecuting Attorney would
not arrest DR.. Parsons, but put q couple
Of sharp fellows on his trail. In watching
him N he passed to and from his store,
they at last noticed that his eyes would
always center particularly upon II point
which seemed to be in the direction Of a
store.room OH Main street. The watchers
went 10 the house and looked under the
floor. which was elevated above ground.
Here they again found the body OF the
child, wrapped In the same paper, which
the doctor had evidently failed to change,
and being pushed 30 closely and watched
so keenly, he was forced to dispose Of 1t
the first opportunity.
Parsons was Immediately arrested and
sent to Jail, q posse OF officers being neCes.
harry to protect him from the threatened
violence Of the outraged citizens, who con.
gregated around him and followed, threat
ening, until he was inCarcerated and left
behind the bars.
Another Coroner's Jury was then i'm.
paneled and q committee OF physicians
summoned. The autopsy disclosed that
the child had been born alive and that
the crime was nothing less than murder.
The committee Of physicians we're then
summoned to tho Woman's residence to
examine her. When they got there they
found that the men Of the family were
armed, and refused to allow the woman to
be examined. A posse was then SUM
moned and the family overawed. The ex
animation Of the woman took place and
disclosed the fact that she had recently
given birth, by unnatural means, to a
child. II is reported that force had To be
used before she would allow an examina-
ton. Her condition Is critical, and her
chances Of recovery very slim.
The Judge, in order to allay popular tur-
MOL, has called a special term OF court
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