Omaha daily bee., 1895-04-20
MRS. pARSnLL FUND HoUNDED.
Picked Up on the Roadside Unconscious and
with Blo1d ON Her Fncc.

BORDENTOwN, N. j., April 19.-Mrs.
Della T. Parnell, mother of the late Charles
Stewart Parnell, who lives at Ironside over
looking the Delaware river near here, was
found bleeding and unconscious on the road
side late last night by Charles Casey, son OF
the farmer who has charge of the farm, at
Ironsde. While descending a hill which
marks the boundary of the property formerly
occupied by Mrs. Parnell's father, young
Casey heard the means Of some one apparently
in distress. Hurrying to the spot from which
the sound came, he found Mrs Parnell
lying beside the fence with her face covered
with blood. By her side were two small
pieces Of board, piece Of fence paling about
three feet long and a brick. Help was OBJ
tanned and she was carried to the house of
Farmer Casey. DR.. W. II. Ships, who was
hastily summoned, made an examination and
found that besides several bruises about the
face the woman had lacerated wound on
the right side of the head.
Mrs. Parnell is unconscious and because OF
her advanced age her condition is regarded
as critical. The authorities are unable to
determine whether she was assaulted or fell
and received her injuries. Her handbag was
found alongside the railroad track near by
with her pocketbook missing and papers
scattered in all directions. This circumstance
lends probability to the theory that she was
brutally assaulted and robbed Mrs Parnell
frequently came to this place at night and
remained until a late hour. She was here
last night.
The authorities are convinced that Mrs
Parnell was assaulted and robbed and have
sent kilograms to all the nearby cities and
towns asking that lookout be kept for a
man CT medium height with smooth face,
wearing light overcoat and derby hat who
was seen in the vicinity about the time the
assault is believed to have been committed.
Mrs. Parnells house stands on a hill about
half a mtle from Bordentown and Is known
as "Ironsde." 1t is a two-story frame struc-
ture and was built by her father many years
ago. 1t is as dreary a place as one could
imagine. The aged woman has no close ac-
quaintances in Bordentown and previous to
1890 had been living In destltution. In that
year the attention of congress was called to
her straitened circumstances and the gov
ernment granted her a pension of $50 per
month. At that time she lived alone in the
bleak house, the only other person about her
300 acres being a gardener. The rooms of
the old building are most desolate. During
1883 and 1889 in fit of desperation the aged
woman stripped the house of its furniture in
order to obtain food and the rooms have
never been refitted up. Mrs. Parnell had
often expressed a desire to go abroad before
the death of her son, Charles Stewart Parnell,
but she never appealed to him for assistance.
She was once asked why she did not ask her
son to aid her and replied: He is at the end
Of his means"
How well she told the truth is history.
At one time she wrote to Mrs. Carslake of
Trenton, saying she would have to leave her
home because she was unable to pay the
rapidly accumulating taxes but friends came
to her assistance and later the pension was
obtained for her.
Mrs. Parnel regained consciousness this
evening, but was unable to throw any light
on the affair. DR.. Ships found her still
suffering from the effects of the shock, but
no symptoms have yet developed pointing
to fracture Of the skull. 1t has been learned
the old lady, while in this city, visited a
hardware store and rendered $40 check in
payment for a bill of about 81. After re-
ceiving her change she left for home, walk
ing along the railroad tracks, where the
assault was doubtless made. ''''- -