Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-07-24
The Story OF An Old Crime RetoId.

Judge T. ]. c. Williams, of Baltimore,
formerly OF Hagerstowu, has written for
a recent issue of the Baltimore Sun a
Romance of Crime" story that many
years ago created tremendous interest
and excitement in this section. II is as
follows
About the year 1870 a woman died in
Bayview, the Baltimore city almS-house,
whose career OF crime was variegated
and sensational. In her youth she was
described as most beautiful. In one OF
the newspapers of the time it was said
that "her person was perfectly lovely /;
that her countenance was mirror in
which each winning grace Strove for
pre-. emInence and that she possessed as
great share OF personal lovelineSs as
was ever lavished in woman by nature
in any Of her freaks"
Rachael Cunningham - that was her
name-was born near Bedford, Pa. At
ter leaving her home as young girl she
went to Franklin county, where married
man became infatuated with her and was
divorced from his family in consequence.
Rachael, after this family was broken up,
went TO Pittsburgh, where she became
acquainted with her second victim, a
wealthy ironworker. The wife of this
man had no mind TO rest supinely under
her wrongs, but accomplished her re-
venge by burning up her husbands prop.
ety, including a large stable. This
drastic remedy worked the cure in this
case, and Rachael fled to Harrisburg,
where she captured and ruined her third
victim, judge in one of the courts.
She went from place to place, leaving a
track of ruin and misery behind her, until
she finally reached Hagerstown, Md,
where she shortly became acquainted
with George Swearingen, one OF the
wealthiest and most popular young men
Of Washington county and member Of
one of the proudest families. The penal
ty he paid for his surrender TO her was
the extreme penalty of the law.
In 1927 Swearingen had been elected
sheriff of Washington county, the most
honorable of offices, and the vote he re-
ceived indicated the esteem in which he
was held. Competing with him for office
were three most popular and highly es-
teemed citizens, namely, Christian New
conner, Andrew Kershner and Jacob Mil
Ter. Swearihgen received as many votes
as the combined vote of the other three.
After the result OF the election became
known he came to Hagerstown on the
stage from which he alighted at the tav-
ern at the corner of Jonathan and Wash
ington streets. He scattered handsful OF
coin among the crowd that had assembled
TO meet him.
Some years before this time Swearingen
had eloped with a girl from a boarding
school and married her. She was
daughter OF Mr.. James Scott, OF Cumber-
land. This young girl, Miss Mary c.
Scott, is descri bed as a charming, tender
and loving wife, and ''the deep damnation
of her taking Off seemed peculiarly
atrocious. have no account Of the first
meeting of Swearingen and achael
Cunningham. Butthey became acquainted
about the time Of Swearingen's election,
and not long afterward the sheriff built
house for the woman in the southern
suburbs OF Hagerstown, on the edge OF
what was then a swamp. A peculiarly
of the house was that the side toward
the town was a blank wall, with neither
door nor window in it. The house stood
many years, and this peculiarly always
excited curiosity and wonder. II was
pulled down in 1891 TO make way for the
tracks in the yard of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad. The blank wall did not
protect the sheriff from public scorn and
indignation, and his wife Left him in bitter
resentment. At one time party OF citi-
zens gathered around the house with the
intention of pulling it down. But the
sheriff, with rifle in hands, stood them
off.
The separation OF Sweariugen from his
wife was brief, however. Rachael was
sent off to Virginia, there was a recon-
Citation and the injured wife returned to
her husband. But the sheriff was de-
ceiviEg his wife, for without her knowl-
edge he had the woman go to farm in
AlleganY county, which was owned by
Mrs. Swearingen.
In the Hagerstown Torchlight of Sep
tember Is, 1928, this item appeared:
"Much excitement has been produced
in this country during the last week by
the death of Mrs. Mary c. Swearingen.
which occurred near Cumberland, Ale
gany county, on Monday week last. As
the accounts OF this melancholy event
are contradictory and the reports are ex-
ceedingly numerous and conflicting, we
shall wait until something positive tran
spires before we hazard statement"
The next week the editor announced
that there was reason for believing that
she came TO her death by the hands of
her husband.
Mrs. SWearingeu was on a visit TO her