The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-12-10
DEATH FRoM CRUELTY.
A Shocking Story That Comes From
Wellsburg-A Woman Kills a
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Another blackened page of crime
is added to West yirginia's history
by the killing of little Nora Starr.
by the woman who adopted her as
her child, which occurred at Wells
burg last Friday. This brutal
woman's name is Mrs. Mary Spease,
and she is indeed guilty of cruelty
SO great as to scarcely find a parallal
The victim, little Nora Starr,
would have been six years old next
April. She was the daughter of
William and Mary Starr, who parted
some time ago, and her father gave
her to Amos Spease and wife to bring
up, signing paper to that effect,
which was also given to Mrs. Spease.
The child was left in their care last
August. People who know them
say they seemed to be fond Of
little Nora, but there had been whis-
pers of mistreatment.
Last Wednesday between 3 and 10
A. NJ. DIR. j. T. Johnston, of Wells
burg, was called to attend the child.
He found her unconscious, and she
never fully regained consciousness
after, although neighbors say she
muttered yes or no in answer to in
quiries. The only sign DIR. Johnston
ever saw of consciousness, be says,
was feeble effort to put out her
tongue when he asked her to.
Five minutes before she became
unconscious woman living near saw
the child as well as ever. The former
rsmors or suspicious of cruelty led
to careful investigation. The child's
head was found to be badly bruised,
the skull fractured, and it's body to
be black and blue at numerous places
from blows of some sort
The child did not improve, and
Friday afternoon, as last resort,
its skull was trephined. Halfa pint
or perhaps more, ofclotted blood was
removed from the brain.
This did not relieve the little pa
tient, and about $3.50 M. on Friday
Nora died.
When the physicians, DIR. Johns
ton and DR.. WaIkinshaw, who be
sides being leading practicing
phi stefan of Wellsburg, is the
county coroner of Brooke county
were engaged in operating on the
child's skull, Mrs. Spease slipped
from the house and started to cross
over hill back of it. Her husband
followed her, caught her and brought
her back to the house.
In the evening DIR. Walkinshaw,
as coroner, held an inquest. While
it was in progresa Mrs. Spease
again left the house and attempted
to escape, hut was again brought
back, and the coroner's jury having
pronounced her guilty of causing
the child's death, she was arrested
and sent to Jail for preliminary
bearing that afternoon at one o'clock,
Sheriff Curtis made the arrest, and
the woman was confined in an up
stairs room of the old Wellsburg Jail
building.
The stories of former cruelty were
soon widely circulated Eight weeks
ago Saturday, on October 10. DR..
Johnston was called to set the child's
broken leg. 1t was said then that
the little girl fell off a common din
ing room chair and broke her limb
This story, however, Dir. Johnston
does not believe, as do not also the
nei2hbors generally.
The child's head was bruised in
separate places from the back of it,
at the base Of the brain. to the fore
head, and well down Oh both s'des
1t would be simpiy impossible for 8
fall or for ore blow TO produce such
an extended injury. II must have
heen done by series Of blows with
some sort of HUNT instrument. il
is thought by many rolling pin
Besides these bruises and fraetures
the child was covered with contus
ions all over her body, several OF
them apparently inflicted by kick
ing. One or more Of these, the ply
sicians say. might have produced
death without the injury of the head