The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-21
PREACHER STUART HELD.
Record of the Minister Accused of
Wife Murder.

WILKESBARRE, Pa, Nov 20.-Rev. D.
sworn out yesterday. charging him with the
murder of his wife and with abortion. was
captured in Philadelphia late last night. and
this afternoon given a hearing before Squire
Hess, at Wyoming. Constable Kulp who has
worked up the case, has the sworn testi-
mony of thirty-fve witnesses and this evil
dence follows the strange career Of the ac-
cused man from the time he made his first
appearance in Wyoming, ten months ago, to
the time of his wife's death and his disap-
pearance.
When Stuart reached this city this
afternoon he was a pitiable sight. bag
gard, unshaven, dirty, his clothes rain
soaked, mud-spa tered. and weary. He
looked anything but the handsome young
man who had won the hearts OF men and
women at Wyoming.
He refused to say anything as to
whether he had a wife and children in
Canada, refused TO admit any of the
charges which were made against him,
and would not reply to any of the nurner-
Gus questions He insisted on being taken
to the ONCE of his attorneys, and in COM
pany with one of them he went to the Of
fee where the hearing was to take place
There the charge made against him was
for abortion only. Constable Kulp decid-
ing to hold the murder warrant over his
head, and the prisoner was released on
$500 bail for hearing tomorrow n ght.
Constable Kulp says it is known that Stu
art was alone with his wife for two hours
before she died. When he called for help
and her aunt rushed into the room she
found the young wife in her husbands arms
unconscious and her lips and chin horribly
burned By carbolic acid. The bottle CON
tanning the acid was on a dresser and the
husband cried, as the aunt looked at it, Il
did not see her take it"
Half an hour before he had seen his wife.
he had purchased the acid and taken it to
the house with him.
Kulp also has the evidence OF some people
to whom he said, speaking of his wife:
she is always having fits. and I cannot
live with her. / wonder how / can get
rid OF her"
His flight on the night of the funeral fol-
lowed.
All that is known here of Stuart's his
tory is that he has told some persons
that he has parents living in Boonton.
" j. He told others that he had lived
in Perth Amboy. He appeared in Wyo-
ming in last January and said he was n
regularly ordained Baptist minister look
ing for a church. The little congregation
of the Baptist Church was then without
a pastor and its members engaged him
when he had been only a week in the
town and without making any enquiries
about him.
Among the new members OF the church
was Mary Harris, seventeen year old
girl. quite pretty. The young pastor bap-
tized her and began to call at her home
until his attentions became so marked
that her parents stepped it. Then she
slipped from the house to meet him fire.
quently, and finally the parents kept so
close a watch that this was impossible,
and she ran away away altogether, so
that she could be free and see him when
ever she liked. He obtained for her a
place as a servant. When she lost that
he got her another, and for some months
she lived that life.
At last he was informed by the trustees
of the church that unless he married the
girl they would turn him out. On August
] the marriage took place. Troubles be-
gan to Increase and he had some squab-
bies with the trustees about the church
money. Toward the end of September the
trustees gave him twenty -four hours to
turn over 81 he had or be arrested Then
he resigned and turned in the mon y.
From that time on he and his wife lived
in number of places, and ON October %
he took her to the home of her aunt Mrs
Evan John, in Plymouth. On November
che gave birth to a child 1t was dead
She grew stronger slowly. and on No
vember 10, the last day of her life. she
seemed to be improving. Her husband
went to her room at noon. Two hours
afterward he shouted for help from the
window. Five minutes later his wife was
dead OF carbolic acid poisoning.