Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-03-11
The Supposed Victim is His Wite'S
Foster Mother, Mrs. f. H.
Dunton.
Apparently Strong Circumstantial
Eviden e to Prove the
Charge Correct.

and yet this is what F. H. Dunton, an
aged and wealthy gentleman who lives ut
% 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
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' wife. February 81
another physician was hastily summoned
and found Mrs. Dunton unconscious and
dying and with several severe wounds,
caused, according 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 he could not account satisfac.
torily for the wounds suspicion fell on
him and Mr.. Dunton swore out warrant
for his arrest yesterday. Scudder is said
to be ill and 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 exam
ination as to his sanity.
Mr.. Dunton, who is the proprietor of
the publication known as the Spirit
OF the Turf, in speaking Of the case
this afternoon said: ''Scudder 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 these things together, |
am convinced that the man murdered my
wife to gain her money.
The body Of Mrs. Dunton, which was
buried at GAINESVILLE, will be exhumed for
examination. DIR. Scudder is son of the
eminent clergyman, Rev. DR.. Scudder
He was born In Arcot, India, 40 years ago.
At early life he came with his father to
San Francisco, where the latter became
pastor of Howard Presbyterian church.
At the age of II he entered Yale,
went through that college, and then
spent several years studying medicine in
Philadelphia, New York, London and
Paris. In 1874 he was appointed medical
officer of the American Arcot mission. He
spent about ten years In that country,
achieving an enviable reputation as
a practitioner, and was for some time
medical officer for the English government
for the surrounding district. For his
services during the famine in 1873 and
1879 and during the epidemic of cholera
he was highly compIimentd in official Or
aers.
About eight years ago he returned to
Chicago on visit and fattered by offers
was induced to remain. Since then he
has become known. He devoted
much time to home missionary work,
especially to the relief of sickness and
suffering among the poor. He has been
the head Of the free dispensary of the
Armour mission, chief examining officer
for several prominent life insurance COM
panies and had position on the stats of
the largest hospitals. The case has Great
ed a great seneation.
1t is said that Mrs. Dunton opposed
Scudder's marriage to her adopted
daughter and never became reconciled
to it. Hannah Johnson, domestic, as
serts that when she heard Mrs Dunton
scream she rushed in and saw Scudder
beatirg the Frustrated woman over the
head. Neighboring physicians were
quickly called and expressed surprise at
the nature of the cuts.
Scudder said she had fallen in a ft and
cut her head on the furniture. This seemed
singular to the other doctors since the
room had very little furniture,
and it seemed impossible that any
one could receive such injuries.
DR.. Scudder said he had given Mrs. Dun
ton an injection of a quarter of grain of
morphine and that she struggled so it
bent the needle of the hypodermic
syringe. He appeared greatly ex-
cited, and as DR.. Leayitt was about
to leave, he inquired if it would not be
well to give Mrs. Dunton another injec-
ton, and produced another syringe.
Leavitt said an injection of brandy
or whiskey would be beneficial,
and Scudder made preparations
to administer it. But" said Leavitt,
tonight, 81 don't know what drug he ad-
ministered. only know Mrs. Dunton
died that afternoon"
Disagreeable stories are rife about seri-
GUS illness Mr.. Dunton had last month
after taking medicine from Scudder's
hands. Little stock is generally taken in
the statement that the alleged murderer is
insane.
EVANSVILLE, Wis, March 4.-There
have been sensational developments. here
today in the Dunton murder case. and
things now look bluer than before for FL.
81. Scudder, the Chicago physician who is
suspected of numbering Mrs. Dunton, his
mother-in-law. Wounds that fully con-
firm the suspicious of Chicago relatives
were revealed at the autopsy on tie body
of Mrs. Dunton. Five fractures of the
skull were discovered that showed beyond
question Low death had come. The exam
ination was by GAINESVILLE physicians, DR..
Henry Palmer being In charge.
A letter handed to DR.. Palmer before
the examination began stated that Chica-
go physicians asked that the c)ndl-
ton of the tissue beneath the wounds at
the top Of the head be examined with es
peciaI care and that portions of the mem
brane here and at the point where the ny
perdermic needle entered be saved for
thought at first that the
Chicago prosecuting attorney might
want a coroner's inquest, and in that case
the post mortem here would preclude any
examination at that time. The fact that
a more thorough examination could be
made today than at any time later, and
that the evidence of the physicians from
here would be perfectly satisfactory
if they had filed diplomas with the
Illinois state board, finally resulted
in proceeding with the examination This
was not begun till late this afternoon
although it had been intended to begin at
ten, but dispatches from Chicago resulted
in postponement. The point was raised
that the testimony of physicians after un-
official action might not carry weight in
Chicago criminal proceedings. A tele-