Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-26
fred J. Stevens Grows ood-ThirSty
in His Desire to Get His
Wife's Property.
HE had MARRIED FOR THE MONEY
And He Did Not Propose to BE Worsted
in His Desperate Game Of
Chance.
THE EIFESGRAvE ALREADY PREPARED.
Police Take Hand and the Brutal Husband Is
Locked Up

station, with a charge of aggravated assault
and battery against him. but from the evil
dence thus far adduced the charge will be of
grave character before he is again set at
liberty.
Stevens came from Ireland, where he was
connected with the constabulary, years ago,
and went to work as a railroad brakeman.
Last January he came to Pittsburg and Sc
cured boarding at the house of Mrs Walsh,
on Washington street. Mrs Walsh was
the widow of Michael Walsh. for many
wears the .janitor of the A. V. Il. r. general
Offices in this city, and was possessed of
about 5000 in real estate down at Char
tiers. Stevens soon learned OF this and be-
gan to lay siege to the boarding mistress
heart. lie was only 23 and she was 40, and
though always hard working woman was
comely and of small but welI-rounded
proportion.
Stevens, being intent on securing her
property, was most assiduous in his love-
making, and finally conquered, the marrag,
taking place last May. Within a week. Mr..
Stevens says, she saw by her young hus-
bands actions that she had made n
great mistake in marrying him, and
that her money was the object to which he
attaiued. He began systematically to per-
slIade her to turn over her property to his
name. At first he begged and entreated
her, but she had all eye TO business and
firmly refused. Then he changed his tactics
and began to abuse her. Within a month
after their marriage he beat her so hard that
boarders in the house interfered. This sort
of treatment kept up, but the woman fear
ing she would be left a pauper the moment
she would transfer her property rights,
continued in her refusals.
In August she made 4 deal with j. c.
Dick, the real estate agent, for the pur-
chase of the house No. 22 De Soto street,
where she now resides. and, renting the
Washington street house, moved to Oak
land. This seemed to please Stevens at
first, but he soon began to miss the income
from the houses and he urged her 10 take
roomers again. He had not worked a day
since their marriage. and had stolen every
cent of his wife's money he could find, but
10 satisfy him she rented several rooms TO
men on the traction roads
Fooled the Second Time.
His abuse of her continued, and soon after
moving to Oakland she was compelled to
notify the Anti-Cruelty Society. An in
formation was entered against Stevens but
', ~
he remained for several week.. He CORES
sponded with his wife from there, and by
promises of good behavior induced her to
Withdraw the charge against him. When
he came back his abuse of her was worse
shan ever. He frequently threatened TO
murder her in order to get her money, and
once he beat her so hard that two men
roomiHg in the house left it and secured
rooms elsewhere.
.a,. J. l,,1 l.
wearing apparel away, locking it up in
trunks of which he kept the keys and for
bade her to leave the house. According to
her own statement, last Sunday she had
nothing but night gown to wear about the
house After reducing her to this extremity
he suggested that she should 30 to Italy.
Her only daughter, a young lady, died
there few months ago. she had
gone to the continent, by advice
of the family physician, prior to her
mothers marriage and died while passing
through Italy. Stevens represented that il
was shame that the girls remains were not
brought home and decently inferred, and
urged that the right thing to do was for the
mother TO go to Italy and bring the body
here to be buried beside her father. But be-
fore going she must sign her property over to
him. He insisted On that, and when she refused
he took her TO the cellar, with a revolver in
his hand, and, pointing to square hole in
the floor of a small recess partitioned off
over the stairway, told her that unless she
did as he wished he would kill her and
place her body there. The place was so
skillfully arranged that it would not be
noticed by careful examination unless its
location was known Calling attention to
this fact, Stevens told the frightened woman
that he could hide her remains there SO
carefully that no one would ever suspect
what had become of her.
Frightened Into Submission.
She became wrought up to such pitch of
excitement and fear that she finally
consented last Sunday night to do as he
wished, and on Monday morning Stevens
went out to have an attorney draw up the
necessary papers for the transfer While he
was gone Mrs. Annie Springer from Wash
ington, Pa, came to visit Mrs Stevens and
was admitted at a rear door by the
frightened woman. Mrs Stevens told
her friend part of her story before the
husbands return. When he did come he
was furious at the intrusion, but said little
to Mrs. Springer His wife took advantage
of the excuse not to sign the papers that
day. During Monday night he took all her
street apparel and hid them away, and
Tuesday morning coolly told her that she
must remain a prisoner in the house until
Mrs. Stevens signed the papers making her
property over to him.
On Tuesday afternoon Stevens called his |
wife out to the kitchen, leaving Mrs.
Springer in an upstairs room, and directed
her TO sit down at q table, where he had |
spread out the transfer papers, ink and |
pen. When she demurred he drew big |
revolver and knife, and, pointing the re- |
volver at her head. said: 'I married YOU |
for your money and mean to have it. Now |
sign this paper or I'll send you to - in |
five minutes"
In the meantime Mrs. Springer had |
slipped down to the kitchen door, and, on |
overhearing Stevens remark tried to open |
the DOOR Stevens quickly unlocked IT, |
and, springing out, struck Mrs. Springer a |
heavy blow in the breast, knocking her |
down. He quickly closed and locked the |
door again, and Mrs Springer, jumping to |
her feet ran to the front door, and throw |
ing table cover about her ran to the Four |
teenth ward police station. Detective Tom |
Sterck was the first man she saw, and, call |
ing to him to come quick, they ran back to |
the house.
Stevens saw them coming and escaped
from the room, and when Sterck entered |
Mrs Stevens was lying on the floor in a |
faint.
A search through the house failed to find |
Stevens, but his wife finally located him in
the recess under the stairway and, telling 1
him the officer had gone, persuaded him to |
get out Stevens, as soon as he reached the |
second floor, saw the officer and ran out the |
front door. Sterck followed and chased the
fellow several blocks, finally capturing
him on Boquet street.
The Husband Locked Up.
He was landed in the Fourteenth ward
station at once, but had hidden his revolver