The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-19
FOUND BY MOANS.
Charles Observation-Disclosures
Discovered Nearly Dead.
Was Lying Beside a Fence
Bruised and Bleeding.
COVERED WITH BLOOD
Mrs. Parnell is Unconscious and
Expected to Die.
Evidences That She Was Brutally
Beaten and Robbed.

BoRDENTowN, N. j.. April 19.-Mrs.
Della L. Parnell, mother of the late
Charles Stewart Parnell who lives at
Ironside, overlooking the Delaware
river near here was found bleeding and
uncon nscious late last night by Charles
Casey, son of the farmer who has
charge of the farm at Ironside.
While descending a hill which marks
the boundary of the property formerly
occupied by Mrs. ParnelPs father, young
Casey heard the means of some one ap-
parently 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
a board, a piece of fence paling about
three feet long and brick Help was
obtained and she was carried to the house
of Farmer Casey.
DIR. w. H. ohipps, who was hastily
summoned, made an examination and
found that besides several bruises about
the face the woman had a lacerated
wound on the right side of the head.
Mrs. Parnell is unconscious and be-
cause 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 injur-
les. Her handbag was found alongside
the railroad track near by with her
pocket book missing and papers scat
tered in all directions.
| These circumstances lend an active
probability to the theory that she was
brutally assaulted ard robbed. Mrs
Parnen frequently came to this place at
night, and remained until late hour.
| She was here last night
At noon Mrs ParnoIl still lies in an
| unconscious condition. The authorities
are convinced that she was assaulted
and robbed and have sent kilograms to
all the nearby cities and towns asking
that a lookout be kept for man of
medium height, witn smooth face, wear
ing light overcoat and derby hat, who
was seen in the vicinity about the time
the assault is believed to have been COM
mitted.
Mrs. Parrells house stands on a hill
| about one mile from Bordentown, and is
known as Ironsides Its big old two
story frame structure and was built by
her father many years ago. 1t is as
dreary place as one could imagine.
The aged woman has no close acquaint.
auces in BorIentown and previous to
1890 had been living in destitution. In
that year the attention of congress was
| called to her straightened circumstances
&
sion of $50 per month. At that time she
lived alone in the bleak house the only
person about her 800 acres, being gard
iner
The rooms of the old building are mosi
/ desolate. During 1888 and 1889 in a fl
of desperation the aged woman stripped
the house of its furniture in order to OBJ
tain food and the rooms have never been
retitted.
Mrs. Parnell had often expressed de-
sire to go abroad before the death of hel
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. She said, "He is a
the end of his means"
''How we'll she told the truth is history
At one time she wrote to Mrs. Carslake o.
Trenton saving she would have to leave
her home because she was unable to pay
the rapidly accommodating taxes, bu
friends came to her assistance, and late
the pension was obtained for her.