Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-05
SLAIN WITH CLUB
4 Terrible Crime Charged
Against Or Scudder.
He is BELIEVED TO Be INSANE
Uu6ss Arrest fos Beating His Morhes-In-
Law - pssth-A Helpless
Isyssit Struck Dows.


tyn seuad<r. coafned since Weraes-
day nishs 81 the dstentioa hospital On
the strength u his brothers. assertion
that he is insane. and who II said to
have murdered His mother In law.
Mira Elisabeth y. Parker Dunten.
February "a, wss - BE examined
e. 70 his usntsl soundnsss by
Judge brown - 10 . m. Bus one
friepd ct the prisoner appeared
in the ceuvtroozs. although there
were. perhaps, hslt . dozen in the
building Dr. scsdasr himself Was not
eroughs m All negotiations were
conducted by George w. Wilbur. Scud-
dsr's attorney. he appeared before
Judge Brown and asked for . continu-
snes Of the case NATL next Friday
nerniag. which was granted without
orgumspt
The warrant on whish DR.. ecuddsf
b Hold wss sworn eus By the venerable
y. Z D1nSoa. prsyvistos Of ne Spirit
Of ~ Turf ana tho fasher-in-law Of
the accused In the compliant on
which tho warrant IVES issusd By jus
sics Brayton Wednesday morning. Mr..
Dunton Ailesss thai on Sunday, ysbru-
cry 81. DR.. Scuddsr murdered MrA
Dunton by beating her on the head
with . blunt weapon The warrant
was given TO o{kieerx. who went to the
house on Grsnd boulevard Wednesday
nsrning ~ 10 o'clock and placed Dr..
osuddsr under arresk
ssssy 81 sbs Csso&
MrA Ssuddsr y the adopted daughter
Of Mr.. and MIRA y. H. punton. and was
married To DIR. Scudder. who was then
. widower. last September. Mrs Dun
ton. who. 1t the time Of her death. was
81 years old. was IN invalid. and sat
up q good deal in . reclining chair.
placed near her hsd, and did 90 on
the day Of her death. which was Sum
day. February 81. DIR. Scudder. who
Wa . constant visitor 1T ths Dunton
nsasioa. was there. and IN the sick.
room tAst Sunday mornipg.
what Wisaees uaAA.
A witness saw Dr. Ssu1der and MrA
Dunton standing together In the room,
Or. eeudder being hetwssn her and the
witaesA who wss u ths hall. or en the
staircase. Dr.. Scsddsr had In the
pocket Of his overcast something .
foot or more in length wrapped mp in
q white cloth. which protruded
abcve his pocket a moment later
Mira Dunton uttered . piercing
scream. which was heard oil ever
the house. Al ~ about the same
moment . witness saw her On Ill
fours on the floor. aad Dr.. Soudder
striking her on the head WITH some
thing like . club The witness was in
fear of The ecuddsrs. and suppressed
che fact until later.
sesAAsr1s ssssy.
When Ma Dunton screamed. every.
one In the house ran 20 the room. tho
6rst arrival being Mr.. Dunton. whom
Dr.. scudder gently pushed back. assur-
ing him that he wss too Ill TO sse his
wifa To the rest Of the family he said
chat Ma Dunton had fallen down three
times and struck her head against
the furniture when they arrived
MrA Duntou was lying ON her
face. with her head, which We near
The door. bleeding profussly from
several wounda She was ouly partly
eonssiouA and said nothing that was
Ineligible before she died DR.. 6sud.
der and others started ont for physi-
clans When they arrived they made
au examip alton Of Mrs. Dunton's scalp.
and found that IL had on IL Ave or moro
woundA which penetrated TO the skull
bone II they did not fracture
sAs skull II was plain also that they
wsre made downward and forward, on
she top and rear Of tho head. DR..
ecuddcr told the other physicians that
be was present when Mrs Scudder fell
three times against the furniture. while
Ae was attempting to hold her up
Ars- Dsntea's Desth-
Mrs Dunton lay unconscious until
$50 that afternoon and then died The
euneral was managed by the Scudders.
Who. II 10 said. had the services at tho
house. and gave no one IN opportunity
20 view tho remains. which wore inn
pediately removed 70 Janssville, via,
Cor burial When suspicion was di-
lectsd 20 DR.. Scudder IL not known,
but 10 did not ripen into certainty un-
Ill last Sunday. and DR. Seuddcr's ar
est followed-
Rssssnss Motive
II Or. Scudder 10 guilty Of The muir
Ger Of Mra Dunton. the motive 10
sasily Understood Mr& Duntou was
ne owner Of about sloo.ooe wortb
VI property, aud disposed Of n
BY will several years ego. The
win being now on Ale in the
probate court Ia this viii she left
hrss sam 70 her adopted daughter
Sfssr her husbands death. but very
mall sum previous 70 that What DR..
bcuddsr seems 70 have desired was TO
have Mrs. Scudder to come into posses
sion of . large fortune ~ MrA Dunton's
seath. aud TO have Mr.. and MrA Dun
IN die - soon - posi- blA
A pssesA VIII r. Dssssvsps1.
10 he's been found that forged viii
Dad been prepared and substituted for
Ne one signed by Mra Dunson on the
thursday presiding her death The gen
zine will had distributed about 500. 900
wsa9 tlocd relatives Of the maker.
y the bogus document shs adopted
laughter. Or. scudder's wife. received
he bulk Of the estate. II Vas this discov-
nv that convinced Mr.. Duntca that his
yife had been murdered for her money
IN Wednesday rorniuG he swors ous
warrant before Justics BrAyton
hsrFing murder with malice a5srs-
hosghA"
estsf - re Pvsssssv's Rss>sly.
shortly altar neon Thursday Deputy
heriff Hswiey went 10 Ne Scuddsr
ssidenee armed with the writ
sued BY Judge ecaieA dirscting