El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-22

A murder under uncommon and
amazing circumstances has just been
committed in the beautiful Kentish
town of Biddenden, England by the
middle aged, austere maiden daughter
of the old rector of the parish church.
She was narrow-minGed and filled
with religious zeal. She had been
superintendent OF the Sunday school
and church organist, and as vigorous
IN the church work rector's
daughter could be. Her morals were
irreproachable, and if she erred at all
1t was on the side of severity.
Two years ago one of the teachers
In this Sunday school, who was also a
local newspaper correspondent, boot
maker and insurance agent, had been
charged with misconduct with a little
girl in the school. Nothing came of
the charge, and it appears to have
been due to the idle gossip that pre-
walls in small towns. The teacher
against whom the charge was brought
was named John whitley, and the
person most wrought up over the af-
air was the rector's daughter, Bertha
d'Spaen Heggertson Peterson. There
had been some little disagreement be-
tween the two before for some of the
church people thought whitley, who
had been a teacher in the school for |
more than twenty years. should be |
superintendent of the Sunday school |
instead of Miss Peterson. When the |
charge was brought against whitley, |
the rector's daughter set herself to
investigate. She concluded that he
was guilty and publicly said so, and
after time the man withdrew from
the Sunday school, although the sym
pathy of the townspeople were more
or less with him.
Bertha Peterson was not exactly
popular in Biddenden The towns
folk thought her too cold and narrow
and domineering. 1t was for this rea-
son, perhaps, that story got about
that she was starving her father, the
Rev. William Peterson, for whom she
kept house since the day her mother
fell into fire and was burned to
death. At any rate, while Bertha was
to church one Sunday, the old rector .
was taken from his bed and carried
to a home for the aged, where he was ,
more comfortable than his daughters
had made him.
After her father was taken away, ,
Miss Peterson left the rectory, which I
has been vacant ever since, moved to Z
4 town a few miles distant and finally '
became nurse in a home for inebri- 7
ates. Nothing more was heard from
her in Biddenden, and she and her :
luarrels had been forgotten, when she q
appeared in the town recent 6
y and expressed a wish to make a Z
public acknowledgment that she had 4
John whitley She wrote r
o several officers of the church, ask p
ng them to see her after the church :,
ervice the following Sunday, and to n
lear her retract what she had said
bout whitley a few years before d
The also wrote this letter to whitley: =,
Il have had very much on my mind II
That took place between you and me +,
q the spring Of '97. Are you willing a
o forget it? If so, what amends do G
GU think you should ask of me? 1 n
7as wrong in the attitude 1 took. I 6,
elieve you were very badly treated | q
in any case, 1t was not for me to
1dge. Will you come into the infant
chool room after church tomorrow
forming and look at a picture I am
living to the schools and shake hands.
nd l have also asked Mr.. Raven, Mr.. r.
inyon, Mr.. Lavence and Miss Thir- y,
ell to come, and they will then see @,
lat 1 retract what 1 said about you. ~
want to give Ell Is. to the Foresters. -,