Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-11-01
END OF ARTHUR SPENSER
The Convict Hanged Himself to
His Prison Door,
DENIED TRUTH TO THE LAST
Old Lucy Piper Makes Public Spenser'
Identity Letter 10 Warden ard Ills
You We.

Penitentiary. under the name OF Johh
Doe. to serve term OF - years Tor
larceny in Western Maryland, commit
ted suicide at an early hour Friday
morning by hanging himself with q
twisted sheet which ne had fastened
to the grating above his cell door IN
the prison.
The cause Of his last act according
to written statement which he ad-
dressed to Warden Weyler, was due to
the fact that his wife had deserted
him. which he attributed to the Bal
more American.
The fact that Spenser had committed
suicide was dicovered by one Of the
keepers. evidently few minutes after
the man had straneled himself. At
2.10 o'clock yesterdag morning the
keeper. while on his rounds. saw
spenser sitting near mis- cell door
He was busily engaged in writing
evidently his letter to the Warden
when the keeper spoke to him.
well, Arthur, how do you feel, >
asked the keeper.
ooh. feel all right, " said Spenser
in calm voice
SPARK OF LIFE GONE.
The keeper then proceeded on his
way. On his next round about an
hour later he found Spenser hanging
from the cell door He ran into the
cell, cut down the body, and then
snmmoued Warden Weyler. The War
den arrived. III short order and the
body was placed upon the bed and an
examination made. The pulse had
ceased to beat but the body was so
warm that the Warden endeavored to
resuscitate the man by artificial means.
His efforts however, were futile.
Two Letters We're found pinned on
the dead mans breast. One was adj
d V'a-aeu wevler and.the 9th
err to Mrs. Spense~.
Several hours later Warden Weyler
notified Corone~ Martin, who summon
ed "a 5Grv If inquest which decided
that death was due to suicide, The
body was then removed to the Morgue.
where it will be held until Spenser's
relatives can be communicated with.
1t was while the Coroners jury of
inquest was reviewing the remains of
the suicide that letter from Mrs.
Spenser reached the prison for her
convict spouse. II was returned to her
unopened.
LUCY PIPER'S CONFESSION.
The last act of Spenser's life was TO
denv, practically speaking, the fact
that he was of colored extraction and
the SON of Lucy Piper the mulatto
woman now living at Wheeling w
Va.
dispatch was received last night
from Wheeling which tells the true
story OF his life as given by old Lucy.
The dispatch is as follow:
Thank God. it's all over, exclaim.
Ell Mrs Lucy Piper, when told that
her SON, Arthur Sponsor, had ended
his troables
Mrs Piper Continued = am now
eoi0r rs tell vo mething l have
ne,e. t--.. Gay uouy.
He was NV son.
II e.was born at Harper's FERRY,
s. Va. in 1859; his father was am
Englishmau uan. ~ s.e.se- vo.ei
ha-5 10 give my aov ,ood education.
lie married that Sir. without ever Civ
ing me an opportunity to say 70 her
what was uppermost in my mind II
was pretty bad wien / could not be
known in thot wedding transaction as
his mother
He introduced me to his wife as
his best friend.
One dav she asked me if l ever
knew his mother
1t was on my lirs to tell her, bat
mr. courage failed me.
'Soenser was "a good bov, bat he
had hls grandmother's curse. She
said TO me one dav that he would die
IT, rne penitcutiarv. She cursed my
b.otnee ana said he would die in a
state prison He died in Columbus
prison for killing man in self-de.
Tense Although my mother is dead
and IN her gravel think she is large
ly responsible for the thievish traits
Mv 5Ov devel0Ded