The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-04-29
BENNErrsvILLE, S. s.csaIFRIDAY, APRIL %, 1904.
THG LUCK:Y ESCAPE

THg lucky ESCAPE
Of an Invalid Wife From Death at tn,
Hands Of Her
w1cHsD PREACHER HUSBAND. lIs
Rey.Dr. Buckle. Pastor of Fashion
ablsA Elizabeth, New Jersey,
Ghnroh, Wanted on
Serious Charge.
CHARGED by his invalid wife with
having attempted to murder her BY
strangling and suffocation as she lay
sleeping; and facing arrest and dis
missal from his pastorate, the Rev.
DR.. George Buckle, fcs twenty years
pastor of the fashionable Greystone
Presbyterian Church at Elizabeth, N.
j., fled Wednesday with $4,000 In
cash and securities. Detectives failed
to find him, and it is believed that he
has left the State. This is the sequel
OF an amazing and, according to
membefs Of the Buckle family, a
tiendish attempt at murder. The only
motive attributed for the alleged
crime Is that the would. be slayer was
tired Of his wife because she was an
invalid.
DAUGHTER wEDs SHORTLY BEFORE.
Romance is blendid with the tragic
element Of the case, as the murder is
said to have been attempted early
Tuesday INC rning few hours after
DR.. Buckle solemniZed the marriage
OF his eldest daughter, Ruth, to Rufus
Stuart Adams, q wealthy resident of
Mnntclair- This ceremony was ner-
formedin the parsonage drawing room
directly<under the sleeping apartment
where husband and wife later had
their terrible struggle.
Although the attempted Staying oc-
Cured twoldays ago, it was not until
Wednesday that the Elizabeth police
were notified. Because she sbrank
from the notoriety of a public COM
plaint, nearly thirty hours passed be-
fore Mrs. Buckle applied TO Police
Justice Mahon, Of Elizabeth, for a
warrant for her husband. Before
papers could be served on the accused
pastor, who learned in some mysteri-
GUS way that his arrest was threaten
ed, disappeared.
FAMILY PROMINENT IN SOUTH.
Neverhas aristocraticsection of
Elizabej been SO stirred as by this
narrowlg averted tragedy. This is due
not only to the prominence of the
Rev. d. Buckle, but to the populari
ty of his wife and daug ghters, the two
eldest being leaders in the mos5 ex-
elusive young rsetiof Elizabeth.
The plarriage of Miss Ruth Buckle
on MGR6 6eg evening was "a society
TT. i..i..is son. Only one iea-
AZ asissssssFr,z,, YES o. the l5fidf e N aTred
the sssy sf5s5Ss,Ioo 5l = iiS1.
mother. 1t was learned Wednesday
that sh3 had protested against her
husband performing the Ger ,mony, In
view of certain allegations which were
Under consideration by the church
elders at the time. All was otherW Sc
pleasant, however, and the you lg
couple started on the way to san
francisco and tie Orient on til cir
L foneymoon.
According to mem oers of the falni-
IT, the Buckles ret red early, follow lg
the departure of their guests, and by
midnight the orly persons in the
parsonage were tile the husband and
wife, with their seventeen year-old
daughter Virginia, and four-year-
old baby girl cradled in the same room
with her parents.
WIFE'S WIERD STORY.
Shortly after mi might, Mrs. Buckle
says she awOke tC find her husband
Standing over her. Frightened by
the hatred in his eyes, she hurriedly
asked him what vas the matter.
Oh" she says he replied, Il just
wanted to see il you were asleep"
She complained OF having headache,
and he offered to 'lampen a towel, she
said, and put it on her forehead.
What occurred then was told to police
Justice Mahon by the complainant,
as pale and still bearing marks OF
violent struggle, she wildly described
the terrible ordeai as follows:
When my husband offered to relieve
my suffering l was somewhat surpris-
ed, as he seldom showed me any cour-
tesies of the kind. But he left the
room and returned in few minutes
with large Turkish towel. Before
bringing 1t to me he carefully closed
the door leading into the adjoining
room occupied by our daughter, Vlr-
ginia.
Then he brought the towel to me.
IL was dampened with warm water
Instead of cold and l told him that a
warm towel would not relieve a head.
ache. He replied that it was good
enough and folded it in a thick
square. | noticed this, as we always
kept dim light burning In the apart
ment because or our baby, who slept
in cradle near the led.
TOWEL COVERS NOSE AND MOUTH.
Suspecting nothing, l permitted
him to lay the towel over my face,
but remarked to him that 1t was too
far down, as it covered my nose and
mouth. He said No matter: you
will feel better in a few moments"
l was grateful because Of his un-
usual kindness, and was slow to real
lie that tina towel was being firmly
and gradually pressed closer. Then
no otuf uft,l li.,,,f I