Middletown transcript., 1899-11-11
WIFE MURDER!
Harry Wallace brains hi
Common Law wife
near Deakynevile,
in New Castle
County.

Mrs. Mary g. Perry, the common
law wife of Harry Wallace was brutal.
murdered by him at her home nea
Deakyneville, New Castle county, nea
the Kent county line early Monday
Nov, 6.
The crime was one of the most re
voting in the criminal history of New
Castle county. Harry Wallace wa
possessed of high and ungovernabl'
temper, as was also Mrs. Perry. They
frequently quarreled and at times lif'
was hell upon earth for both OF them
Wallace had left Mrs. Perry severa
times and had only been at ber home
this last time about six weeks. They
were never married, but had two chill.
dren.
Wallace attempted to escape but wal
captured at Mt. Pleasant by David
Colpitts and others who had descrip
tion of him. He was given in charge
Of the State detective who brought him
to Middletown and he was committed
to Jail upon his confession to the coro.
ner aud the detective. In his confes-
sion he said:
''Mollie and / quarrelled over Sic
and she told me to leave at once. ]
would not do it, said, until the boat
left, and told her | was going out to
husk COIN. You will get out right
away; for I am tired of your nonsense.
Yon have got right back in your old
tricks and I feel just like killing you.
Saying this she picked up hammer
which | had left lying on the window
sill where had been knocking a nail
out Of our little girls shoe. Mrs.
Perry let the hammer fly at me and it
struck me on the shoulder afterwards
bouncing off and flying into a corner.
| then struck her in the mouth with
my fist. She bad store teeth and l
think knocked them out of her mouth.
When | struck her with my fist she
fell over a lounge onto the floor and as
she got up she picked up the hammer
and started for me again and when
she was about to strike me I wrenched
the hammer from her hand and struck
her once in the forehead and she fell
striking the stove with her head and
landed in the fire place.
He pretended not to know she was
dead when he was talking. 1t is be-
lieved be struck her oftener than once
and that he placed the body 10 the fire.
place. The undertaken discovered in
preparing the body that she had been
struck six times on the back Of the
head, the cuts ranging in width from
one and half to two and half inches,
while all but two Of the front teeth
we've knocked out and her left jaw bone
was broken, while two bruises were
discovered uron her right arm. Thus
it can be seen at u glance that Wallace
brutally beat the woman with ham,
mer and then placed her as she lay
when discovered by the neighbors and
as viewed by the coroner.
Mrs. Perry is q daughter of John FL.
Smith who now lives in Lindenville,
Adair county, Mo. She is forty-eight
years old while Wallace is about the
same age. Neighbors are taking care
Of the daughter, Mary, the baby being
with Mrs. Perry's sister in Missouri.
She was the divorced wife OF William
Perry, an honored and highly respected
citizen Of near Woodland Beach. Owing
to marital troubles they separated some
eight or ten years ago. She was o
comely woman fond of the pleasures Of
the world and year after leaving her
husband, became ensmoured with
Harry Wallace, who at that tiue was
considered an industrious man and was
possessed of some little means. Mr.. Per.
ny finally secured divorce from his
wife and left her free to live as she
seemed inclined. She and Wallace lived
together near Leipsic for awhile and
then moved to the farm near Deakyne-
vile sirhin a astone's throw of Friend
ship Church. This place is an old land
mark. The barn is On one side of the
road while the house stands upon the
corner of two roads, one leading to Col
Inns Beach, the other to the Iron
Bridge. The old dwelling had been
somewhat remodeled and later a new
and modern residence was erected BY
Mrs. Perry and to outward appearances
1t is one of the prettiest homes in that
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