The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-12-07
THE TRhGjC END OF NRHUM Parker!
THE SAD HISTORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE
FAMILY

He was sent back to the asylum and |
after time came back home. appar-
emily completely cured OF his insanity. !
Last summer, the old enemy returned, |
resulting in the horrible murder of
the mother by the crazed son. His
cup of bitterness was overhowing. At
the time of the killing of Mrs. Parker,
he had but the wreck OF what might
have been a princely fortune. He
stood on the very threshold Of mans
allotted time on earth, and could look
back at naught save sorrow and disap-
pointment. His wife dead by his sons
hand, that son raving maniac his
fortune frittered away, is itany wonder
that an intellect which at its best,
wavered always. .sucCumbed and that he
while in this unfortunate condition,
should put an end to his existence?
: A Butte newspaper, III publishing
the account of this tragedy, intimates
that George Parker was driven insane
| through the cruelties OF his father.
and that Parker's treatment OF his
wife was not what it should have
been Such is not the case. Those
who know the dead man. best, assert
that no man could have been more
kindly to his wife and son. The affec-
tion with which he treated Mother, y
as he called Mrs. Parker, is we'll
known in this community. With the
boy he was always indulgent. AS for
the boys insanity, it came from the
father 10 certain extent. The taint
was in the blood and all the physicians
in Christendom could not remove it.
DID PARKER KILL HIS WIFE?
There are many in this community
who firmly believe, and always will
that Nahum Parker, while acting un
der the strain of insanity which i;
known to exist in his family, ana
which he gave evidence of from time
to time, killed his wife, and then b,
the cunning which insane men fire.
quently possess, fastened the guilt up
on his son. The MADISONIAN believes
| that the unfortunate man is innocen
OF this crime, but there are many, the
majority in fact, who reside in thi
community, who firmly believe thi:
theory to be the true solution of tht
Parker mystery. Hugh White, one o
the witnesses at the coroner'5 inques:
on the body of Mrs. Parker, and the
first to arrive at the scene, swore tina
the body was cold when he arrived
whereas Parker insisted that the kill
ing had just taken place. Young
Parker, when he came to town on tbs
morning of the murder, was apparent
ly sane, and during this apparent luci(
interval, insisted that his father haC
done the deed. Three hours later hi
brain had given way and he was
shreiking, bowling maniac. He has
quieted down, when later, he testitie,
that he had killed his mother becaus
she was doping him. He has clune
to this statement ever since.
Mrs. Parker's death wound was re
ceived on the right side of the fore
head. The bullet hole was not clea
;. cut, and extending from the bulle
g hole in four directions, forming eros
. the skin was split one and one-hal
o inches each way. Those who believe
. Parker responsible for the murder il
!, sisted that this jagged wound had bee
inflicted by his iron shod crutch, an
pointed to it as an evidence Of his gull
The jury was forced to consider tn
: mysterious wound. It was elaine
l. that after he struck the blow with tn
/. crutch, he fired in the center of tn
n wound to mislead those who would /
q called upon to investigate the killing
"a The same weapon was the ;nstrumer
/. of death in both cases. The wound 9
y Parker's head presented IDENTICAL
le the same appearance as did that c
II Mrs. Parker. The skin was torn
1t four directions, forming cross, tt
"a center being the bullet hole, and tt
n jagged wound was perfect counte
lg part of the wound on Mrs. Parker
n head, the dimensions being exact