The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-07-10

:ATLANTA, June 30.-One of the most
remarkable cases ever tried in a Georgia
court was before Judge Van Epps yes
terday in the city court.
The case is probably without pre-
cedent IN the history of crime. The Of
fenSe charged has extended over period
of twenty years, here in Atlanta, and no
notice of it was ever taken by the police
or courts before.
As the case was called yesterday the
defendant was a white woman named
Nora Heron. She is 40 years of age,
but seems several years younger, quiet,
intelligent and well dressed. She wore
white summer dress and white straw
hat, and everything about the woman
was quietly progressing.
THE STORY.
Twenty years ago Nora Heron came
to Atlanta. She had one child with her.
One Of her first acqualatances here
was Ashley Creech, machinist. She
applied at his home for work, stating
that she was young widow from South
Carolina, with one child and nothing
but her own labor between them and
starvation.
Creech's wife was an invalid, the
mother of two children.
Under these circumstances Mrs. Her
ron was taken into the family, and
there she remained. Mrs. Creech has
been an invalid these twenty years.
WITHOUT A DIVORCE.
Soon after Nora Heron came into the
Creech family there was very quiet but
radical reorganization of the family
circle
Creech adopted Mrs. Heron as his
wife, and his real wife became servant
in her own household.
Creech, it seems, had always treated
her cruelty. She was naturally weak
minded woman, and the change was
made without a serious protest from her.
Nora Heron was the acknowledged mis-
treSS of the house, and until the matter
was brought before the last grand jury
not half dozen people living knew that
she was not Herron's real wife, or that
the. real wife was not a servant.
THE CHILDREN.
Creech has had five children by his
adopted wife, the last one two years
old.
The two children by the first wife
were brought up in the same house.
Both were old enough to remember when
and how the Heron woman came, but
were frightened into silence when they
were children, and have tolerated it
since through a horror Of the scandal
that would follow its disclosure.
So twenty years have passed.
- Creech's. neighborS were told that the
real Mrs. Creech was an idiot and de-
pendent relative, kept through charity,
and that Nora Heron was Mrs. Creech.
HOW IT WAS TOLD.
Not long ago the daughter of the real
wife was married to man named Drew.
She told him, after they we're married,
eet her mothers real position, and Drew
carried the matter before the grand
jury.
This daughter was the main witness
before the grand jury. She swore that
for years after Nora Heron first came
into the family there was only Que room
to their house. After Mrs. Heron was
adopted as Mrs. Creech, the wife slept
upon pallet at the foot of their bed.
Afterwards partition was built, making
two rooms of one, and the real wife was
: sent into 4 separate room. 1t was the
real wife tnat nd all the servants work.
cooked, nurSed, washed and ironed.
The Heron woman contributed towards
the support of the family by working in
Selig's pants factory. She has been
there for years-one of the best and
most industrious work1omen in the fac
tory.
THE REAL WIFE A WITNESS.
An incident of the trial yesterday was
the introduction of the real wife as a
witness for the defense She is much
older than the Heron woman and an
imbecile.
She shielded her husband and the
other woman as best she could. She de-
MED all that her children had testified,
but her statements were weak and con-
Trajectory. The testimony was simply
overwhelming against the adopted wife
and Creech, and the jury were out not
exceeding two minutes.
There is a true bill against Creech,
and he will be tried if he can be found.
He learned of the grand jury's investi-
cation, and it is said left Immediately.
THE SENTENCE.
The Woman's sentence was 800 and
costs or six months in the penitentiary.
A collection was taken up in the court
room and over SO was raised. Solicitor
Frank O'Bryan, who had prosecuted and
convicted her, contributed $50, and
several of the jurymen contributed.
The entire amount was not raised, now
ever, and the woman went to jail yester-
DAY afternoon. The balance of the fine
will probably be raised to-day and the
woman released.
Married in jest.
Mr.. J. Fletcher Marcum of Catletts-
bnrr and Miss Laura Duke Smith of