Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-17
TIE DEFENSE BEGUN.
Mrs. spease Testifies In Her Own Behalf.
Corroborative evidence Introduced
r.,..,f Tsf<ora,a IN fhS 2sCtxtsr


this morning, when the defense took up
its side OF the Spease case.
Samuel Werlich, OF Washington, Pa,
said the prisoner had lived with him;
knew nothing against her character.
Amos Spease. husband Of the defend
ant. said when he returned from work
the day she was injured, MRS. Spease
said Nora had been asleep in chair,
fell off and hurt her head.
DR.. r. L. Hartman, Of Independence,
Pa, was called TO give expert testimony
on nervous and blood diseases and the
probable causes OF the child's sores. lie
said such sores might be caused by cpl
leptic or cataleptic convulsions. lie
was on the stand four hours, but not
much was gained for either side.
Mr.. Spease was recalled. Dr. john
son said TO Mr.. Allen after the opera
tion that he had not got head liked up
as he desired. | saw the apron among
the dirty clothes whore my wife had
thrown il. Did not try to conceal any
thing about the house. My wife SEEM
ed pleased to take Nora when | brought
her home. The child was always clean
several instances of Nora stumbling
and falling. The child had sores which
appeared about two weeks after she
came TO our house, one was on her leg;
they seemed 10 be growing all the time,
she complained Of the back OF her head,
but never saw signs OF soreness there.
The sores remained several weeks.
Mrs. Maoy took the stand after the
noon recess. Nora was Dear-sighted,
she lived with US awhile. We never let
her 90 out alone, she would often fall,
and as we we're paid for keeping her,
we didn't want her 10 be falling and
hurting herself. She stated several In
stances where she fell while walking
along.
Mr.. Mallory corroborated his wIfe's
statement.
Mr.. Spease again went on the stand.
Knew nothing Of the chlld's injury
when / returned except what my wife
told me. Nora said her head felt funny.
My wife told her to walk around. She
started to do so, wife going 10 the
kitchen TO attend to her bread. Just as
she got ont she heard the child fall and
saw her getting up. Told her to lie on
the bed and went back to her work.
Robert Allen, father ofthe defendant,
saw her fall several times; have seen
her asleep on chair on several occa-
sions. Got to the house just as the doc
tor was binding up NOra's head after
the operation. DR.. johnson said he did
not get IL fixed up as he would like, ow-
ing TO q rough place in the skull. Never
saw my daughter strike her; she was
kind to her.
Cross-examined: Saw the child's eyes
black once or twice, but never asked
the cause.
Mrs. Allen. her mother: Nora had a
salow kind OF look, as though she
wasn't healthy; her eyes were often
black. Her further testimony was cor
roborative. Owing TO nervousness she
was compelled TO retire from the stand
for a time.
Maggie Aliens statement was as
above.
Mrs. Allen said she looked better after
her daughter took her, but after break
ing her leg looked worse until her
death.
Samuel Stocks corroborated the state
ments OF the Aliens. He said the treat
ment OF the child was OF the best ma
ture. noticed the bruises; they would
seemingly arise from pimple and grad
uallv grow larger. The large sores
seemed mattery, the smaller ones re-
sembllng pimples with yellow tops.
Frank Allen saw her fall at the Rodg-
ers bonse and strike her head against
the easement.
Mrs. Spease, the defendant: Have
lived IN Brooke county about year;
In the Rodgers house three months,
then TO the Daugherty house; while at
the former my husband brought Nora;
she wasn't In very good conditions;
had sores, which were often mattery
ewes had blue lines beneath; they would
often be swollen shut; she complained
of her head considerably; cared for her
much as I would for my own child;
sometimes she had q good appetite, at
others none; always appeared sleepy
and drowsy, and never cared TO run
around: had sores on her legs when
she came 10 US; always washed her
thoroughly every week; the day she had
! chair, and ! was hurrying to finish max
ing ounce butter TO go TO my mothers;
told her not 10 go to sleep and fall of,
| or she couldn't 90 10 gfandma's with
me: was sitting on the opposite side OF
| the room, with my back turned toward
her. pairing ounces, when / heard her
fall; looking around saw her getting up,
when she fell again; went and helped
/ her up; found she couldn't stand, and
thought her leg broken; sent for DR..
! johnson, who reduced the fracture.
| The Doctor saw her eyes were black; ]
didn't tell him / had cuBed her; he
asked her II she had been falling again;
Nora said mo-: tolo him that ! had
scolded her, but might as well have
/ whipped her, for she cried. On the
/ day Of the last accident, when
IL was making bread, / heard
her fall: she got up and heard her fall
again; she was lying by the bed; picked
! her up and found her unconscious, and
her nose bleeding; washed it Of and
bathed her face: went for Mrs. Daugh-
erty: never punished or whipped her
while she was in my care; when we
went to mothers carried her the
rough places; her eyes remained black
uatil after the sores came out on heI
limbs; she had no apron on when hurt
the last time; had sores on her nose
which bIed when picked; never told DR..
johnson was sorry took the child.
The case goes TO the jury tomorrow.
Relieved to Have Been Robbed and Mur-
| dered.
| PTTTsBURS, Pa, March I6-Andrev
johnson, a Swede, en- route from Chicago
l 70 New York with bis family, IS missing
aud Il is believed that be was robbed xnc
murdered. He had 8, 500 in his possession