The Worcester spy., 1898-10-08
And His Wife
Nancy"
LIVED IN CITY.
They Are Well Remembered
by Tokens" Left Behind.

Worcester has been honored # her
people will have it that way, by num-
bering among her residents the woman
who is attracting worldwide attention
at the present time, none other THAI
"Dr. Nancy" Guilford
Hundreds of people in Worcester and
vicinity will recall Dr. Melancthon
Guilford, who came to this city in 1879
and after remaining within it's classic
environments for about two years dis
appeared one day as quietly as he
came. leaving no word for numerous
friends as to what his future address
would be.
The numerous friends, by the way,
suffered to the tune Of several hun
dred dollars divided in amounts vary
ing from few dollars to two or three
hundred. 1t was in 1879 that DR.. Cult
ford first hung out his shiMgle H. Wor-
cester, being located for a time in room
S5 Of the Lincoln House block. After
ward he secured apartments at 21e
Main street, where he had an office and
boarded with Mrs. Joel I. Lund, who
now lives at the Dickinson house, 267
Main street.
DR.. Guilford had been in Worcester
but a few days when he was Joined
By his wife, Nancy and their two
children. Harry, boy Of about eight
years, and Eudora, then a mere baby,
Mrs. Lund is positt'Ys of the names,
and her theory is confirmed by num-
bers Of others who were intimately ao-
quainted with the family. When she
first read of the Yellow MIL pond trag-
edy, Mrs. Lund remarked to her hus-
band that she was positive that the
Nancy Guilford who 6gured in the
case and the woman who formerly re-
sided in Worcester, were one and the
same.
DR.. Guilford moved his family, a few
months later, to the old DR.. Hero place,
so-called, at the corner of Arch ana
Summer streets, where he conducted a
Turkish bath establishment in addi-
ton to his regular practice. He after
wards lived on Lincoln street. Resi-
dents in the neighborhood of the Sum-
mer street house, remember the family
very well, and say that there was al
ways something suspicious about the
place while it was conducted by DR..
Guilford, and it was commonly ru-
mored about the neighborhood that the
doctors business was not altogeth ar
legitimate. Carriages wers seen to
drive up to this house late at night,
ana feminine figures deeply yelled
aDght and enter the building on diff
ferent occasions. while others say they
haze Ase9 women leave the building
~,
ees.
On different occasions strange wo-
men have been seen about the house.
M'J,ch fact may have been accounted
for, however, by the fact OF the Turk
ish bath. AT this time nothing was
known about Mrs. Guilford posing an
midwife or doctress or any sort.
Thomas Day, who lives at Arch
street, and has had charge of the
grounds about the Washburn estate, on
the opposite side of the street from the
DIR. Hero" house, recalls DR.. GuiIford
and his family distinctly.
z DO remember him?" he said in re-
ply to the query OF The Spy man, ''Weil
l should say l did, for $58.83"
The Turkish bath or water cure as
it was known under the regime Of DR..
Hero, was established by the latter
physician, who came here from West
boro. The institution was not a par
ticularly paying investment. however,
and finally passed into the hands of DIR.
Brown, another Westboro mas. He in
turn disposed Of his interest to DR..
Guilford. Mr.. Day remembers the fam
lily perfectly, even the names of the
children.
Still another individual who has good
cause to remember Dr. Guilford was
located in the person of a we'll known
business man of this city, who became
acquainted with the doctor soon after
he came to Worcester. He still holds
notes against the physician to- the
amount of 5000 or more.
He expresses himself as perfectly sat-
isfied that Nancy Guilford, who is i'm
plicated in the Yellow Pond affair. and
the wife of DR.. Guilford who lived in
this city, are one and the same. He saws
he recognized the pictures printed in
some or the papers, at q glance, as of
the woman in question
Ihis gentleman and his wife were in
timately acquainted with the Guilford
family, and expressed great surprise
when they learned the line Of business
IN which Mrs. Guilford had engaged.
During their stay in Worcester Mrs.
Gullford was looked upon as a most es-
timable woman and highly respected.
Dr. Guilford, while possessed Of a
splendid education and considerable
ability as physician, was a man of
ungovernable temper and decidedly ir-
regular habits. An instance was re-
called when the doctor flew into a pas
sion while conversing with an acquaint-
ance In Main street store, and before
any one could interfere he struck the
man over the head with heavy walk
ing stick. The affair was aired in
court, and in connection with other
matters of a similar nature served to
give the doctor considerable notoriety.
He borrowed a mans team one day.
to drive to Leicester. The team was
left standing by the road side and was
stolen. The doctor came home, told
the man his team had been stolen. but
made no further attempt to recover it.
or make restitution. A short time af-
ter he interested the business man in
question and persuaded him to advance
money for the starting of a business
project. A few days later he disap-
peared. His friend still treasures the
notes which were given, as a souvenir
Of their acquaintance.
The next heard of the Guilford fam
lily was in Lynn, where the doctor and
his wife were mixed up in a maIprac-
tice case, as has been brought out in
the recent Bridgeport tragedy. DR..
Guilford was sentenced at this time.
Dul lNduSy lldhdSSQ W get OH, anu
since that time Nothing has been heard
of her by. Worcester people, until the
Yellow Mill pond affair came to light.
A Worcester man saw DIR. Guilford
soon after he was sentenced, being
transported across the city of Boston,
chained to a number of other prison
ers, among whom he loomed up con-
spiouously His high silk hat and i'm
maculate linen gave him the appear
ance of a prosperous professional man,
rather than the convict
The fact of the coincidence in names
and the recognition of the picture by
one who was intimately acquainted