Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-03
"A DISGUSTING CRIME.
An Old Man Permitted to Starve, Rot and Die
By His Relatives. The Maggots Tell
Horrible Story of Neglect.

to the officers. who at once appeared
for rigid examination.
This afternoon DR.. Kahle, the
coroner, Major Lowther, the ct unity
health officer, Captain Way, the d.
rector of the poor, accompanied by
the representatives of the press, re-
paired to the scene of the death for
the proper examination. One view
of the situation was enough and he
very promptly called corouer's
Jury, consisting OF the following
gentlemen: II. Fl. Flack, J. E.
Sine, E. G.. Knowles, James Rus.
sell, J. B. Hall and o. E. Gish,
who were duly sworn and inspected
the body, after which they ad-i
iourned to meet tomorrow morning
at nine o'clock, when a full and
complete inquiry will be made Into
this revolving condition, not to say
crime.
Mr.. Henthorn was an old man.
He had done no work for more than
a year. He had been confined to
the house for months. He had
been confined to this filthy cot
since last Wednesday. His wife
said that on Monday they suggest
ed to the old man that they put
clean clothes on him. He objected.
Perhaps he was dying then. At
any rate his objection went no
further than his word, and the facts
today reveal at least a wonderful
and unaccountabie negligence on
the part of those In the house In
not insisting on the change OF gar
ments. His resistance would not
and could not have gone further
than his word, for even then the
hand OF death mnst have been on
his brow. To let a husband and
father continue-much less die-in
such filth, IS something the good
people of this community will not
understand and will ask to be In
quired into. It Is condition that
appals the mind especially when
the close relationship of wife and
daughter Is considered, and the
Review refrains from saying the
many things which naturally
spring up In the mind, leaving 1t
to the proper officers of the law to
do their duty.
Assistance has been given this
family for some time from the
county for the support Of Mr.. Hen
thorn, which makes the situation
the more serious. No doctor had
been called, the excuse from the
wife being that he did not want
any. That does not help matters
any. Usually we do not permit the
members of our families TO die
without medical skill simply be.
cause, perhaps, when dying, they
declaim against 1t. We are not
faith curlsts to that extent. No
claim for Christian science IS made
by this family. They have not
even the nerve to give that as an
excuse, for even the Christian sci.
entists keep their patients clean and
permit no mageots to hinder them
In their work.
Mr.. Belford enjoys a good repu.
tation among, at least, that portion
of the business community with
which the Review has had time to
inquire. It Is to be hoped that he
may be able to present sufficient
excuse .sfor this lamentable condl-
ton In his own home. AS for the
wife and mother the Review
leaves them to the judgement of
the community after all the evil
dence has been adduced by the
coroner and his assistants.
An excellent jury has been sum-
moned, and the public can we'll
leave the inquiry In their hands,
resting assured that all the facts
will be known when the inquiry Is
clused.
The Review demands that jus.
tice be done, leaving 1t to the proper
officers to ascertain where 1t Is to
fall.