Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-30
A FAMILY FROZEN.
HORRIBLE RESULT OF TIE INTENSE COLD
IN PUTNAM.
Three People Burned to Death Babe Frozen
A Mother Murders Her Child - O.her
State News Of the Week.

snap in Putnam county.
News reaches here Of the freezing to
death Of an entire family, consisting Of
father, mother and four children, the
Youngest, a babe, only surviving. The
occurrence is reported to have taken
place in an Isolated portion OF Putnam
county, near the Lincoln line. The
family is that Of John Michaels, or
esquire Bob" as the head Of the family
was Familiarity known. Mchaels, IS
we'll as his wife, was weak minded, and
for years had done nothing but tramp,
spending their summers on the
road in West Virginia and
Ohio, begging for living, and when
the rigOrS OF winter came Oh, going
south. They paid a visit 10 Hamlin
every summer, staying few days, theE
continuing their migratory and no
madic journey. The winter coming on
early, they failed 20 get away 20
warmer climate last fail, and the early
part of the cold snap were az the Cabeil
county PoOrhouse. They wandered
away from there, and reports say were
camping out one of the recent cold
nights, when the terrible fate overlook
them. That the infant did not also
perish, Is accounted for by its being
better provided with wraps. The fam
lily always displayed the most SQualid
poverty, aud were never seen clean or
well clad"
Near Clarksburg the family OF Syl-
veSter Murphy. consisting OF Murphy,
a B. d 80 i'm
q suffering condition from the cold
few days ago. Some OF the neighoorS
having reason 10 believe there was
something wrong az the house went 20
investigate. They found the house
miserable hOyel that afforded but little
protection against the cold. There was
not a semb.ance of furniture of any
kind In it, not even bed. The only
articles there were one ragged bed quilt
and a pot for cooking purposes. The
family was indeed In miserable con-
dition. They had no shoes aud had been
irving 70 carry wood by wading through
the snow n their bare feet. The feet
OF some OF the children we're so badly
frozen that the bones prOtruded through
the skin, They were all Shivering over
a poor wood fire and on the verge OF
starvation. The two youngest children
are girls, the other four boys. Such
kind citizens as j. K. MCL3in, Or. Late,
Commissioner Lodge and others at once
went 10 work 20 supply their wants.
Bed clothes in prOiusion were contrib
uted, good straw hunks made for them
TO sleep in and other necessary articles
given them.
At Springfield, Mineral county, last
Saturday night, the house Of James Ma
lone caught fire. A few minutes after
ward Malone was aroused Oy the bark
OF a dog il the next room. lie and
Arthur McCarty, who was there at the
time, tried TO arouse the other inmates.
Mrs. Malone was gotten out, but was
horribly burned and may die Arthur
ran upstairs, where his brother Eddie
and sMr Malone's brother Lutte were
sleeping and awOke them, and as the
flames were already entering the room
he threw a feather bed out Of the win
dow aud jumped, telling them 10 jump
after him. They probably tried TO save
some OF their things, and while doing so
the house fell In and both met a horrible
death among the flames. Only a few OF
the bones were found among the ashes.
Malones are well-to-dO and respectable
people. Eddie McCarty was a grand
son OF Mr. William Light, Of near Hig-
ginsville, and was aged about l. years.
Mr.. Malone also lost his SmOke-hOuSe,
and the granary would have burned IL
he and mis- wife had not carried water
I'm their bare feet and night clothes 20
throw on IL.
Mr.. George A. Alderman, who resides
twelve miles north OF the White Sui
phur Springs, in Greenbrier county,
while out hunting in the vicinity OF
AnthOny'S Creek, ran across black
bear which had been driven from its
den by a pack Of dogs. Mr.. Alderman
had succeeded IN wOunding bruin and
the dogs were trying 20 finish the work
OF destruction, but were being wOrSted,
when Mr. Alderman came TO their
rescue. The bear turned upon him, biz
him In the calf OF the leg and threw him
upon the ground, aud was on top OF
him, when be procured a pine knot
within his reach, and succeeded in re-
leasing himself by we'll aimed blows,
killing the bear. In the desperate
struggle. one OF his hands was badly
lacerated. He made a very narrow cs-
Sape with his life, as 10 was the merest
nance that he was able 70 Kill the i0-
hriated brute. The bear was Of the
lack species, supposed TO be two years
ia.
On last Wednesday complaint was
made by Perry Starcher before Joseph
Lynch, justice Of Calhoun county,
charging Martha Starcher, wife OF
Jacob Starcher. who lives at the mouth
of Barnes run, in Lee district of that
county, with infautcide. The authOri-
ties were notified, and on going there
the said Martha StarCher denied that
any child had been born, but after
search q well developed child was
found in a valiSe hanging over her led,
perfectly frozen. A jury was Sum-
money, and after examination the jury
brought i'm a verdict that the child came
10 it's death by violence from the hands
OF Martha Starcher. Mrs. Starcher be-
ing unable 10 be taken TO Jail, is now In
charge OF an officer until she can be re-
moved.
An unknown man was killed in the
railroad yards az Hinton, last Thursday.
He was walking on the track aud was
hit by an engine and dragged st least
five hundred yards.
A brakeman named Hawk fell from
his train on the Norfolk and Western,
on the nth, and was killed
Three thousand tons of West Vir-
GINA coke will be loaded at Baltimore
for TampicO, Mexico.
Two more persons have escaped from
the Tyler jail, making eight escapes in
ell racanfiv