The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-12
KILLED BY A MAD WOMAN.
PARKER FELL DEAD AFTER SHE
HAD STRUCK TIA

n Fight IN tne hnnane Waro OF tho Foorheuso
Near stamford, Conn, which superin-
tendent Parker Tried TO oueil-nis struE-
Gle with Bridget Drought Ends Fatally.
STAMFORD, Conn.,, Feb. 11.-During a fight
to-day among the inmates Of the insane ward Of
the poor farm, ten miles from this city, James
II. Parker, the superintendent, who went In tho
ward to restore order, died suddenly. Whether
Parker was murdered or whether his death was
due to an attack of heart disease cannot be de-
termined until the cause Of death Ii deter
mined by an autopsy to be performed to.mor-
row by Coroner's Physician Kceler. Consta-
Bile Andrew Schlechtweg, however, arrested
Bridget Drought, one Of the inmates Of the
ward. and had her rcmanded to the Jail to
await the result Of tho autopsy and Coroner
Doten's inquest.
The insane ward 10 a ramshackle old shanty
100 feet In the rear of the main building, In
which are housed the forty pauper charges OF
the township. 1t Is equipped with three old
cells. only two Of which have iron doors. The
main room is generally occupied by the keeper,
George w. Babcock. or his assistant, Oscar
scheaks, both of whom are almshouse inmates.
The three inmates were Bridget Drought,
Mary Ann McGhuy. and Anne Kelley. Bridget
Drought was the only one considered dangerous.
This morning Superintendent Parker returned
to tho poorhouse from the farm with George
Babcock and found Schoaks greatly excited
over q row among the insane inmates. Scheaks
IL q cripple unable TO walk without crutches,
and it was not unusual for the women to Inn
pose upon him in the absence Of the superinten-
dent or chief keeper.
.'Drought's raving mad. Roaring stark
madi" yelled Scheaks. Parker, who was q
powerful man, six feet tall. although 90
years old, strong and vigorous, hurried to the
shanty. Scheaks followed him.. and Babcock
went into the main building. What happened
after Parker entered the building is known only
to scheaks. His accounts have been somewhat
contradictory. owing to his mental condition,
but in the main he told a consecutive story.
Scheaks says that when Parker entered the
shanty the Drought woman and Mrs. Kelley
were auarrelling, and each was trying to Sc
cure the control Of q cup. The McGhuy wom-
an. whose feet have been amputated. was hob.
shouting: ~.'..Te,he-he! Te-ho.he. Kill herl
stand back, there yelled Parker, humping
~ became calm, but the D ID %ann % rGpSn
saYe'se afraid Of him yelled Mary MeGhpy.
0s shut N to 1D!', os ySflGled Parker land y0u' Drought
Mary McGhuy refused to be silenced. and when
Parker approached Bridget Drought she leaped
throat. The woman Is small and emaciated;
She had the strength Of an aroused maniac and
In bis arms and carried her into her cell.
Blood! Blood for met screamed the Mo
ahpy woman; hoIblins , around n front IN az q the
hit the woman, but endeavored to force her on
to the bed. She struck him in the face and on
groaned and fell backward, the weight Of his
S SsPs sss sISsI Is il %ss 1 Nsss e. sS Ssq sis,s s9 sssssss
1sSa not infrequent and he had often witnessed
When he heard Parker fall he picked up his
SHlt 70 t SeG na. -; as sRe WRen hs anaiIy op eoeS
him and struck him a blow in the face.
Glory for Y. Bridget" screamed Mary Nc
do SSaeS Sis c was hssf hs conl EieS not stand. 10 He Iea re-.
treated hastily toward. the door.
t, BRIDGET Ssr i Sgfp5n snd q so him b %st shroa and s sFisd tS
and bit With all his might, She screamed and
hSw 1s1l: ;Si far h Rsln; Dss sBBeaRs S Speid o aer ua ahff Is
had nearly severed the fingers. The pain had
taken all the fight out Of the oman "a and when
ing the blood over her face and moaning that
she was killed. The McGhuy woman was also
scheafs Summoned: help. and when Bah
tered Bridget's cell. they found Parker's body
in q sitting position behind the door. He was
dead. DR.. Williams. the poor farm physician,
was called. An examination OF the body showed
that the only marks were n scratch on the left
side OF the face and u small bruise on the left
Jaw under the lobe of the ear. When Coro-
ner's Physician Keller arrived they agreed that
death was either caused by a blow on thcjaw,
dislocating the neck. or by a sudden attack OF
heart disease. TheIe were no symptoms Of apo
plexy or rupture of the heart.
Constable Schlechtweg and Deputy Sheriff
Miller arrived shortly atterward and ques-
tioned.the woman.
II bit.him once or twice and he fell, - was all
that she saw nothing, and Mary McGhuy would
Parker's family of three sons and two daugh-
tiers declare their father never had heart trou-
Bile. but their step-mother said that her hus-
band had complained of pains around the heart
during the last month.
Bridget Drought was once at the State In
sane Asylum at Middletown and Parker has
made repeated efforts during her three years of
confinement at tho poor farm to have her sent
back, declaring that she was dangerous. Town
ship Selectman Holly, however, said that the
expense would be too great. The McGhuy wo-
man has been an inmate of the poorhouse since
last January. At that time she became drunk
and lay In the gutter all night. Hor feet were
frozen. Subsequent pain and whiskey made
State asylum, All three women are from the
outlying districts of this city.