The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06
coon STORIES OF THE PRESENT DAY.
The Case OF Eur,co Rivers, Convicted OF the
Murder of Her Father.
ocpuioh. 1898. by cha,,,, H. L,,sf.

| In Relating InD OF tnlS EIOTy i
shall do exactly what l do not wish to do
cast doubt upon conviction undor circum-
stantinl evldence-but yet the history Of a
crime. especially when woman Is concerned.
| is always interesting to the general reader. AT
raro intervals nm innocent person has suffered
| disgrace. imprisonment, and even death for
| the crime OF IN othor. This is one OF the rare
instances. II should have no influence on the
verdict OF juror, nor should it castthe slight
| est reflection on the law and its ways OF meas
uring out Justice When n criminal has had q
| fair and i'm partial trial by jury when his law
| yers have exhausted all the privileges granted
to one on trial, whom twelve reputable and
fnlr-minded mon have brought in verdict Of
guilty rs charged" that ought TO settle tho
matter for all Of us.
For more than twenty years James Rivers
hal lived In the village Of Colon. In Iowa. In
approaching the village from tho south his
was the first dwelling you came to- 1t stood
back from the street about 100 feet. and was
surrounded by fruit trees. The house was n
frame. being an upright, with an l." to II.
Three years before l saw tho village or heard
of the family Mrs. Rivers died. There was n
daughter 20 years old. who was away teaching
school. and she had to come home to keep
house for her father. The name Of this young
woman was Eunice. and even before her
funeral. she spoke bitterly Of her father.
and said he would marry again within
n year. Everybody who knew tho fam
lily knew that Eunice and her father
had not been in accord for years. 1t had been
common talk for years that he was harsh and
cruel to his wife, and he would not have con-
sented to the daughter going away but for the
fact that it lightcncd his expenses Rivers
bought wheat. WOOL and produce for ship
ment to Chicago and was supposed to be
we'll off,
My first knowledge OF the village and the
family occurred three years after Mrs. Eivcrs's
death. then had business with Mr.. Rivers di-
rect. railroad had been surveyed through II
piece OF land owned by him. and my errand was
to secure the right Of way. He was away in
the country when called. and made an APP
pointment for later hour. l found Eunice
courteous enough, but 1t struck me that her nat
ural disposition was aulky and obstinate. Sho
was very plain faced. and during the fifteen
minutes was in the house she did not change
her expression. mean her face did not light
up rs she talked, nor at any time was there a
semblnnce OF q SMILE The furniture was
scant and od-fashioned. ana had l not heard
all about Mr. Rivers before calling l should
have put him down as parsimonions. This
call was made at o'clock ono September
evening. l returned at that hour. which is
evening at that season. and found the front
door partly open. There was neither bell nor
knockcr. and while I WAS looking about l
heard voices from the family sitting room.
There was something irritating. oven to me-
in Mr.. Rivers's voice as he said:
You will obey me. or will turn you out OF
doors and disown you'll"
Just as you threatened mother q hundred
tImes!' she replied. lam ready to 60. how
ever. 1 have come to hate YOU! 1 wish you
were dead!
There was bitterness in the daughters
voice cannot describe. but had no thought
Of murder. There would have been more con-
versation. but knocked loudly on the door.
and Eunice came and admitted me- saw no
more OF her that evening. though was in the
house for an hour. / found Rivers hard man
to deal with-so graspng and avsricous that
We could come to no terms-and l finally went
away saying l would call again. l left the
weeks, During that interval. as after
ward sworn to by various persons Eunics
packed her things to leave the house and
capped from tho house by night. and he over
took and brought her lack. She said to three
pluck to H him. On the limb of cherry tree
In the yard was corn cutter which had been
neighbor woman saw Eunice sharpening this
implement on birthstone at the back door
peddier who stopned q, the house was asked
boy II years old was sent to the village drug
store for strychnine. and explained that it was
daughter and they were living on better
in the so snd On h made s'rs Sa
appointmen .to to come to the hotel at
IN he Wits
a widow to whom no was to be married. He
did not get home until half past I. He then
suddenly disappeared. At half-past $ V called lice.
at his house; as wanted to leave town next
morning. l Knocked long and loud on the
front door before the girl admitted me- She
had Ssen Synf ana vas very
among the, trees. but as was talking with
Eunice at the same moment savo tho matter
when replied that would like to wait for
him she hesitatod over it SO long that 1 said
the village. Mr.. Rivers was found dead in his |
room np stairs and i, Eun , was missing The
ter and his head terribly cut and sasGSd. |
There were about dozen cuts in all. and tho
three hours after receiving them though |
probably unconscious all that time, SO far
robbery. Mr.. Rivers did business with tho |
village bank; and never kept much money 10 |
nS t MsG the bhs rr%n
and fed. search was begun. and after
week or so sho was found in n village n
hundred miles away ami brought back. She
had expended her last shilling to get as far
away ns possible. When told Of the crime.
she expressed no great surprise, and when
charged with it she contented herself with II
simple denial. She stated that when her father
came homo hat night he said the wedding
would take place IN two weeks. This resulted
in II quarrel, and though she did not threaten
e le%ve she she resolved y, to 20 that very night
barn to sec to the cow.
desired to keep clear of til o case. and sue
ceede,i in doing so as far as the preliminary
examination was concerned When she WAS
placed on trial Tor her life was called as ono
Of the thirty or forty witnesses against her,
Perhaps did wrong, but am FREQ to say that
! made It us light for her MS ! posi-.
bly, could. fully and firmly believed
her guilty OF the crime. but | pitieI
her. Their; was not one single witness
for the defence. All the testimony AMI
svery circumstance was against her. and
her lawyers had no hope from the start IT
was. as you must SEQ. a case Of circumstnntinl
evidence pure and simple. She had made GER
tain statements and threats: there had been
repeated quarrels: she had been seen sharp
ening the corn cutter. she had fled from tho