The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-05
the IN was confined in an upstairs
room of the old Wellsburgjail building.

the woman wa confined IN IN upathlIS
room of the old Wellsburgja jail building.
WHAT AROUSED SUSPICION.
The stories OF former cruelty were
soon widely circulated. Eight weeks
ago Saturday, on October 10, DR.. John
ston was called 10 set the child's broken
leg. 1t was said then that the little girl
fell of n common dining room chair and
broke her limb. This story, however,
DIR. Johnston does not believe, as do not
also the neighbors generally.
Mrs. John Green, who has to pass the
Spease residence on her way home,
said she had heard screams from the
child, and pitiable appeals to her mother
not to beat her. All OF these things
put together aroused suspicion.
There is no doubt expressed in the
community that Spease himself was
ignorant OF his wife's abuse Of their
adopted daughter. He seemed always
proud and fond Of the child, and while
not a very intelligent man, he is be-
lieyed to be well disposed and innocent
OF n connivance or knowledge OF his
wife's cruelty. The story in another
pepper that the woman had accused her
husband Of the crime, saying he hit
Nora over the head with a celery glass,
is apparently a fake, pure and simple.
1t is very doubtful If there ever was q
celery glass in the house.
FACTS OF THE CASE.
The child's head was bruised in sep
arato places from the back Of it, at the
base Of the brain, to the forehead, and
we'll down on both sides. 1t would be
simply impossible for a fall or for one
blow to produce such an extended in
iury. It must have been done by q
series OF blows with some sort OF q
blunt instrument, it is thought by
many n rolling pin. Besides these
bruises and fractures, the child was
covered with Commissions all over her
body, several OF them apparently intiict-
ed by kicking. One or more OF these,
the physicians say, might have pro-
duced death without the injury to the
head.
There was a great deal Of excitement
in the vicinity OF the house on Friday
evening when it was known that the
child was dead, and Mrs. Spease was
accused by the %coroner's Jury of her
death. The I-NTELLIGENcER reporter
was told at Wellsburg yesterday that
n~eighbors had n rope ready to string
tho woman up to the county bridge
over Buffalo creek, a few rods from the
house, but when Sheriff Curtiss took
her to jail the public excitement was
allayed,
There was a story that the little ones
life was insured, but this is denied, and
was not accepted by the people most
familiar with the case and the prisoner.
Following is the official finding OF the
%coroner's jury:
STATE Of West HirOiniG Brooke county:
An inquisition taken ut the house OF Amos
spe0se, in the county Of Brooke, the second day
OF December, in the year 1892, before ]. u. Walk
inshnw, coroner OF the said county, upon the
body OF Nora Starr. there lying dead the Jury
sworn to inquire when. how aud by what means
the SAID Nora Starr came to her death, upon
their oaths do say that the child Nora Starr
came to her death frem injuries received at the
hand Of Mary Spease.
In testimony whereof the said coroner and
j.. b. wALKISsuAw.
JIM. RoDGERs,
JosEPH THOMSON,
W. NJ. SIMPSON,
NJ. a. JONES,
q /. W. CLEMENS,
II. 1. MESDE