The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-03-04
CHARGED WITH MURDER.
ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS MOTHER
IN-LAW.
The Motive Said to Be to Secure Her
Money Which Had Been Willed
to His Wife.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

CHICAGO, March st is an ugly thing
to say of a man who occupies promi-
nent professional and social position
that he murdered his mother-in-law for
her money, and yet this is what f. II.
Dunton, an aged and wealthy gentleman,
who lives at % Aldine square, accuses
Dr. Henry NJ. Scudder of having done.
Scudder married an adopted daughter
of Dunton, whose invalid wife had large
fortune in her own right, which up to a
few days before her death she had pro-
posed leaving to some blood relatives. but
which, at last, as she lay in bed but half
conscious of what she was doing, as her
husband alleges, she was induced to sign
over to Scudder's wife.
On February Dist another physician
was hastily summoned, and found Mrs
Dunton unconscious and dying with
several severe scalp wounds caused, ac-
cording to Scudder's tale, by falling
against the furniture in the room.
AS Scudder was the last man said to
have spoken with her, and as he could
not account satisfactorily for the wounds,
suspicion fell on him, and Mr.. Dunton
swore out warrant for his arrest yester-
day.
Scudder is said to be i'll, and is guarded
in his own house by officers.
This afternoon Scudder's father and
mother appeared before County Judge
Scales and applied to have their son COM
mitted to the detention hospital for ex-
animation as to his sanity. Mr.. Dunton,
who is proprietor of the publication
known as the SPIRIT Of the I3t3J, speaking
OF the case this afternoon, said: ''Scud-
der was alone with my wife previous to
her death. The wounds on her head were
not there before he came, nor was his
explanation of them satisfactory. More
than that, she had lately altered her will
in favor of his wife. Putting those things
together l. am convinced the man muir
dered my wife to gain her money"
The body of Mrs. Dunton, which was
buried at GAINESVILLE, Wis, will be ex-
humed for examination.
DR.. Scudder is the son Of the eminent
clergyman, Rev. II. NJ. Scudder. He
was born in Arcot, India, forty years
ago. At an early age, he came with his
father to San Francisco, where the latter
became pastor OF the Howard Presby-
terrain Church. At the age of II years he
entered Yale. He went through that col
lege, and then spent several years study
ing medicine in Philadelphia. New York,
London and Paris. In 1874 he was APP
pointed the medical officer of the Ameri-
can Arcot Mission in India He spent
about ten years in that country, achiev-
ing an enviable reputation as a practi-
toner.
1t is said that Mrs. Dunton opposed
Scudder's marriage to her adopted daugh-
ter and never became reconciled to it.
Hannah Johnson, domestic, asserts
that when she heard Mrs. Dunton scream
she rushed in and saw Scudder beating
the PROSTATE woman over the head
Neignboring physicians We're quickly
called and expressed surprise at the ma
ture of the cuts.
Scudder said she had fallen into fit
and cut her head on the furniture. This
seemed singular to the other doctors. as
the room had very little furniture and it
seemed impossible that one could receive
such injuries.
DR.. Scudder said he had given Mrs.
Dunton an injection of a quarter of a
grain of morphine, and that she struggled
so it bent the needle of the hypodermic
syringe.
He appeared greatly excited, and as
DR.. Leavtst was about to leave, inquired
if it would not be well to give Mrs. Dun
ton another injection, and produced
another syringe.
Leavitt said an injection of brandy or
whisky would be benenciaI, and Scudder
made preparations to administer it.
But" said Leavitt, tonight, ~ don't
know what drug he administered. I
only know that Mrs. Dunton died that
afternoon
Disagreeable stories are rife about a
serious illness Mr.. Dunton had last month
after taking medicine from ScEdder's
hands. Little stock is generally taken in
the statement that the alleged murderer is
insane.