Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-03-12
AN AWFUL CRIME.
DR.. II. NJ. scudder. of Chicago, Son OF n
weii-Known Divine, Charged with the
Brutal Murder OF His wife's Foster

Mother.
CHICAGO, March 4.-Dr. Henry M Scud- |
der, son of the former pastor of Plym- |
outh church, was arrested Wednesday at |
his fathers home, 1921 Grand boule- |
ward, charged with murder. Owing to |
| DIR. Scudder's assertion that he is sick |
and unable to leave his bed he has not |
been removed to the Jail, but is closely |
| guarded.
The warrant on which DIR. Scudder
is held was sworn out by the venerable
f. H, Dunton, proprietor of the Spirit
of the Turf and the father-in-law of
the accused In the complaint on
which the warrant was issued by JUS
tice Brayton Wednesday morning, Mr..
Dunton alleges that on Sunday, Febru-
ary 81, DIR. Scudder murdered Mrs.
Dunton by beating her on the head
| with a blunt weapon. The warrant
was given to officers, who went to the
house on Grand boulevard Wednesday
morning at 10 o'clock and placed Dr.
Scudder under arrest. HA ~
Mrs Scudder is the adopted daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. F.. Fl. Dunton, and was
married to Dr. Scudder, who was then
widower, last September. Mrs. Dun
ton, who, at the time of her death, was
"a years old, was an invalid, and sat
up a good deal in reclining chair,
placed near her bed, and did so on
the day of her death, which was Sun
day, February 21. DIR. Scudder,, who
was a constant visitor at the Dunton
mansion, was there, and in the sick
room that Sunday morning.
witness saw DIR. Scudder and Mrs.
Dunton standing together in the room,
DIR. Scudder being between her and the
witness, who was in the hall, or on the
staircase. DIR. Scudder had in the
pocket of his overcoat something a
foot or more in length. wrapped up in
white CLOTH which protruded
above his pocket A moment later
Mrs. Dunton uttered a piercing
scream, which was heard all over
the house. At or about the same
moment, a witness saw her on all
fours on the floor. and DIR. Scudder
striking her on the head with some
thing like club. The witness was in
fear of the Scudders, and suppressed
the fact until later.
When Mrs. Dunton screamed, every
one in the house ran to the room. the
first arrival being Mr.. Dunton, whom
DIR. Scudder gently pushed back, assur-
ing him that he was too i'll to see his
wife. To the rest of the family he said
that Mrs Dunton had fallen down three
times and struck her head against
the furniture. When they arrived
, Mrs Eunton was lying on her
face, with her head, which was near
the door, bleeding profusely from
h.a ,l,-, a-+l.y
conscious, and said nothing that was
, Ineligible before she died. DIR. Scud.
der and others started out for physi-
clans. When they arrived they made
an examination of Mrs. Dunton's scalp,
: and found that it had on it five or more
wounds, which penetrated to the skull
) bone if they did not fracture the skull.
Mrs. Dunton lay unconscious until
; $3.50 that afternoon and then died. The
, funeral was managed by the Scudders,
| who, it is said, had the services at the
| house. and gave no one an opportunity
5 to view the remains, which were inn
l mediately removed to Janesville, Wis,
l for burial. When suspicion was di-
) rected to Dr. Scudder is not known,
but it did not ripen into certainty I'M
& til last Sunday, and DIR. Scudder's ar
rest followed.
If DR.. Scudder is guilty of the muir
r der of Mrs. Dunton, the motive is
: easily understood. Mrs. Dunton was
D the owner of about 100000 worth
s of property, and disposed of il
g by will several years ago, the
9 will being now on file in the
t probate court In this will she left a
t large sum to her adopted daughter
o after her husbands death. but very
small sum previous to that What DR..
Scudder seems to have desired was to
: have Mrs. Scudder to come into posses
) sion of large fortune at Mrs. Dunton's
t death, and to have Mr.. and Mrs. Dun.
q tor die as soon as possible.
g 1t has been found that forged viii
\ had been prepared and substituted fol
y the one signed by Mrs. Dunton on tbs
: Thursday preceding her death. The gen
uine will had distributed about 500, 0O(
= among blood relatives of the maker
:. In the bogus document the adopted
d daughter, DIR. Scuddec's wife, received
l. the bulk of the estate. 1t was this discov
It cry that convinced Mr.. Dunton that hi.
J. wife had been murdered for her money
s On Wednesday morning he swore ou
W | u bclOEe UuSblCt Druy IOl
o charging murder with malice afore
thought"
Shortly after noon Thursday Deputy
Sheriff Hawley went to the Scuddei
l. residence armed with the writ
Ia issued by Judge Scales, directin.
1t that the man in custody b,
taken to the county hospital
Il When the deputy arrived DR.. Harry
r arose and dressed himself. When h,
e left the house in company with Dep
e uty Hawley and Officer .Deakin hi
p wife broke completely down, scream
is ing and sobbing with grief. The ia
l. ther and other relatives wer
1. also much affected. During tn
le afternoon and evening the Scudde
'f home was closed and admission
If was refused to all callers 1t was re