The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-11-17
ABANDONED WELL
SEARCHED FOR BODY
Disappearance Of Man and Story Of
His Boy Alleging Step-mother's MUIR
der Starts Search.

der Starts Search.
Langdon, N. H., Nov. 12--An all-day
search by Sullivan County authorities
failed today to disclose any trace of
the body Of Mrs. William B. Whitney,
which her 15-year-old stepson, John
Whitney, is alleged to have said he
saw his father bury in a well four
years ago, The we'll in the Ohitney
barnyard, which had been filled in,
was dug out in the presence of County
Solicitor Henry Hurd and Sheriff AL
bert Barton.
The sheriff said that tomorrow he
would superintend the search of an
other abandoned well on the Whitney
property, in meadow a quarter of a
mile from the house. Should this re-
veal nothing he added, he would pro-
cccd to an examination of three other
wells in the town on farms formerly
in the possession of Whitney.
Mrs. Whitney was last seen on the
night Of June 80, 1916, when she and
her husband attended lccnre in Al
sead, a few miles distant
Whitney himself disappeared on Oct.
so, last.
The boys alleged story was to the
effect that after a quarrel on their re-
turn from the lecture at Alstead, his
father had killed his stcpmothcr with
stick Of firewood, hidden the body
in the hay in his barn and later buried
it in well which he had filled in.
Langdon, \. H.. Nov. 12-An aban-
doned well on the farm of William 3.
Whitney, which had been filled = .th
rock and debris was reopcncd to.tay by
county authorities in search for the
body OF Whitney's second wife. The
search WAS ordered by County Solicitor
Henry ~ Hurd as a result Of declar-
alton made to him by John .Whitncy. IL
year old son Of William b. Whitney
by former marriage. that he saw his
rather strike down his stcpmother in
their home four years ago, take her
body TO tho haymow and later bury il
in the we'll
". b. Whitney disappeared from
town on October 3Oth after eight
years of residence here in which he
gained a reputation as solid citizen.
In his wage came Bankruptcy pcti-
tons against hin, and charges that he
had duplicated mortgages on his home.
Ihc family was originally named
Doolittle, according to the son, and
lived at Madison, Maine, where the
mother died. The father was chraged
with passing worthless check, his
son said, and calling his children to
him, told them he was leaving for the
west, and their names thereafter would
be whitney. He went to Montana and
lived there several years, returning
east in 1912 with second wife and
settled here.
The family was reunited, the four
sons by his first marriage being
brought into the home with their step
mother. On the night Of June 80, 1915.
Whitney and his wife went to a lee
ture in the neighborhood town OF AL
stead, returning late.
ahShn. according to County Solicitor
Hurd( told friends that after their re-
tanrn that he was awakened in his bed
over the kitchen by a dispute and
looked through the hot air register
into the room below. He said he saw
MS father grasp stick of firewood,
and beat his stcpmother with it.
The woman was apparently killed nv
the repeated blows. tho boy said, add
ing hirat he saw his father next take
the body out Of the house to the hay-
NOW in the barn. There according to
his story, it lay for several days, before
Whitney prepared the well TO bury Il
Then he placed the body in the old
waterhvle, threw on top it stones gath
cred for the purpose and debris of the
farm yard and told his son that IL he
ever toAd any person what had been
done he w0uh kill him, the BOY said.
Mrs. Whitney had been planning
visit to relatives in Ohio and Whitney
told the neighhors that his wife had
gone there Subsequently her relatives
wrote to inquire why she had not ar
rived and the letters went unanswnred