Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-16
BOUGHT THREE GIRLS.
John B. Spence Sold His Pretty
Daughters to Pay Rent.
GETTING MARRIED FOR so CENTS
A Young Lads Devotion to His Little Grip
pied Sweetheart.
UNPLEASANT ENDING OF A ROMANCE

John B. Spence and Edward Weaver,
aged 18 years, of the West End, were given
a hearing yesterday before Alderman Mad
of the Humane Society. Spence was
charged with beating and neglecting his
wife, and young Weaver with intimacy
| with Spence's three daughters, Minnie, a
cripple, aged 16 Henrietta, aged 13, and
Haddie, aged II years. Alderman Mad
den's Office was crowded with witnesses and
spectators and the hearing was an inter-
esting one.
Spence has been married four times, or
thought he had been, but it was brought
ont at the hearing that he is not legally
married to his present wife, they
having simply taken out 4 50-cent marriage
license, and, without any ceremony being
performed, went to housekeeping. Mrs.
Spence has also been married several times,
and her late husband had been dead only
ten days when she and Spence took out the
marriage license. Spence, it was claimed,
beat and abused this wife shamefully. She
denied this at the hearing, but her bruised
and blackened face proved that someone had
beaten her.
Sold His Daughters for Rent
The charge of wife beating was not the
principal one against Spence. 1t was
claimed that he had sold his three daughters
to young Weaver for the payment Of house
rent, and that with his consent Weaver and
the girls were living in house In Elliott
borough. When called Weaver admitted
that he had sheltered the girls for over q
week, but denied any improper conduct.
He said that he loved Minnie though
she was a cripple. He wanted to
marry her, and asked the Alderman
to unite them then and there. Weaver
was very much grieved because he could
wait till they were OF the legal age and
then be married. Spence and his wife
wanted the couple married, but Weaver's
father, who is an honest, hard working
man, said the boy had no means of support
ing a wife, and refused to allow him to
marry the girl.
The principal witness against Weaver and
Spence was Henrietta, Spence's 13-year-old
daughter She is handsome, intelligent
little girl, but she told her story with con-
siderable hesItancy.
Little Girls Sad Story.
She said that her parents did not provide
for her and her sisters as they should, and
that she lived with her aunt. Mrs. Holmes,
on Independent street. 1t was she who gave
the information to Agent O'Brien. The
other girls said that Weaver had always
treated them properly, and refused to say
anything against their father.
While the trial was in progress Mrs
Mary Hardy, of the Thirteenth ward, came
in, and when the testimony was all in asked
to be allowed to speak. She said that
Specne had married one of her sisters many
years ago, and had treated her shamefully;
that he had threatened to kill Mrs. Hardy,
but that she was not afraid of him for he
was a coward, a sneak and unfit to live With
any woman. Mrs. Hardy is woman of
considerable property, and she says that
she will take care of the girls in the future.
Agent O'Brien, after Mrs. Hardy had con-
cluded her remarks, said she had argued
the case better than he could have done,
and submitted it. Weaver and Spence
were each sent to the workhouse for 80 days.