The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-15
The Petition of Mrs. Elizabeth
Burch For Divorce From Her
Husband, DR.. Thomas H. Burch,
of Interest in Worcester
THE WOMAN A FORMER
WORCESTER GIRL
AS Miss Elizabeth StoCkWeII She
Was Well Known Here and Was
Left a Large Sum of Money at
Her Fathers Death-Evidence
Said to be Sensational

The divorce suit of Mrs. Elizabeth
Bancroft Burch against her husband
DR.. Thomas Hamilton Burch, in New
York, is attracting a lot Of attention
in New York and Worcester on ac-
count of the social connections of DR.
Burch and the relations of Mrs. Burch
in this city. Mrs. Burch before her
marriage to the doctor was known in
Worcester as Miss Lizzie Stockwell
and even while here she attracted
more or less notoriety. Her father was
the late Emerson J. Stockwell who
built the Stockwell block on Mechanic
Street and who lived for many years
at the corner of Harvard and John
Streets. He was proprietor of livery
stable on Mechanic Street for many
years and at the time of his death he
had considerable property, which he
left to his widow and daughter. On the
death of Mrs. Stockwell, a few years
ago, the property went to Miss Stock
well with Maj. E. T. Raymond as
trustee and he still looks after her in
terests.
After the death of her mother, Miss
StockWell went to live at the Bay
State House and few years ago she
went to New York where she met DR.
Burch to whom she was married in
big style.
Miss StockwelI is said to be the mys-
FERROUS yelled lady who attended the
trial of Lizzie Borden, in Fall River,
for the murder of her parents, and
while in Worcester, after the death of
her parents. Miss Stockwell attoir5 j
some notorety by falling into the
hands of Madame Zingari, the we'll
known adventures who brought sor
row to other Worcester families. She
is said to have secured possession OF "A
lot of money and jewels from Miss
Stockwell.
The latters marriage to Dr. Burch
has proved to be not a happy union,
although the doctor is well connected
in New York, being a member of such
prominent clubs as the New York
Athletic Club and the New York Yacht
Club.
Since Mrs. Burch brought her suit
for divorce she has had a pile of
trouble of one kind or another and it
was only a short time ago that The
Spy had a story about her being found
penniless and almost in rags in a hos
pital. She claims that her marital
troubles broke down her health.
Mrs. Burch's lawyer is Albert Mas
sey, and Joseph H. Beal represents
DR. Burch in the case which has been
It-tIu DGIOTt 0HdTIeS II. KNOX dS
referee. Referee Knox had completed
the taking of the testimony, which has
proved to be rather sensational, and
when the case comes up in the Su-
preme Court it is said application will
be made to have the testimony sent
to the district attorneys office for
criminal proceedings
DR.. Burch has brought a counter
suit against his wife for a divorce on
statutory grounds and it is in this
connection that the sensational testi-
mony was brought out.
Mrs Burch charges that a palmist
whom she consulted in her troubles
with her husband and who gave her
"love powder" to win back the doctors
waning affections, entered into con-
evidence on which the doctors case
was based.
The sensational testimony was given
by John S. Summerville, a private de-
tective who was employed by Mrs
Burch to get the confidence of the
palmist. In his evidence he testified
that he. so thoroughly accomplished
this that the palmist wanted him to go
into a plan with her to swear to com
promising acts on the part of Mrs
Burch. He swore that she declared
she could get 5000 from DR. Burchs at
tOrney with the evidence, Mr.. Sum
merville testified that Miss Lee, the
palmist, wanted him to locate some
name on a hotel register and then
swear that that person had been seen
under compromising conditions with
Mrs. Burch. Summerville said the Lee
woman knew him as Mr.. Stevens and
when he appeared on the stand to tes-
tify against her she nearly had a fit