Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-11-13
open ABANDONED WE'LL IN
QUEST OF SLAIN WOMAN
Youth Says He Saw Father Strike
~. Down Stepmother and
Bury Body.
PROSECUTOR ORDERS SEARCH
Parent Threatens Son With Death
Unless He Maintains silence, Ac.
,na cording to Boys Story-Tragcdy
Stlrs New Hampshire Town.
tBy Associated Press.l

LANGDON, y. H., Nov. lc.-An
abandoned we'll on the farm OF WI
liam b. Whitney, which had been ALI
ed with rock and debris, was reopen
ed today by county authorities In a
search for tho body Of whitneys sec.
ond wife. Tho search was ordered
by County Solicitor Henry y. Iiurd as
a result; OF n declaration alleged 20
have been made to him BY John Whit
ney. nfteen-year-old son of William
u. Whitney by former marriage.
;hat ne saw his father strike down
MS stepmother in their homo four
years age, take her body to tho hay
now and later bury il in the we'll
W. &. Whitney disappeared from
town on October so. after eight years
ut residence here, in which he gain
I'd reputation as a solid citizen.
In his wake came bankruptcy nc
titions against him, and charges that
he had duplicate mortgages on h.a
homo.
3 The family was originally named
Dool!ttlc. according to the son. and
lived at Madison, Maine. where the
mother died. The father was charged
with passing a worthless check, his
SON said, and. calling his children 20
him, told them he was leaving for
the West. and their names thereas-
ter would be Whitney. He went to
Montana and lived there several years.
returning East in 1912 with a second
wife. and settled here
Awakened by Quarrel.
Tho family was reunited. the fou.
sons by his FRS; marriage being
brought into tho homo with their step
mother. On the night OF Juno 30.
1916, Whitney and his wife went 20
a lecture in the nciEhborins town OF
instead. returning late. John told tho
county solicitor lie was awakened IN
his bed over The kitchen by dis
pute, and looked through the hot
air register into the room below. He
said he saw his father grasp a site.
~ firewood anI beat his s,epmo;hcr
With il.
The woman was apparently killed
~ the repeated blows. the boy said.
aadinE that he saw his father next
!ake the body out OF the house 20
The hay NOV in the barn. There.
according 10 his story, It lay for sew.
."ral days before Whitney prepared,
The we'll 10 bury Il. Then he placed
tho body in the Old water hole. threw
on ton of st stones gathered for tho
purpose and the debris OF tho farm
yard. and told his son that Il he ever
told any person what had been done
he would kill him. the boy said.
Planned Visit TO Relatives.
Whitney had been planning q visit
% relntivcs in Ohio and whitney told
the neiEhhors his wife had gone
there. Subsequently her relatives
wrote to inquire why she had not ar
tived and tho letters went unan.
rwcTca. The relatives apparently
r!acsd tho matter in the hands OF
ONO police. because official Inquiries
we're made and in the summer o:
1917 county authorities went 10 the
farm 10 investigate. After they LETT
younE Whitney said. his father built
{, hay stack over the we'll
When County Solicitor IIurl. High
Sheriff Albert Barton and his DEM.
lies and force OF iaburers SUSPENDED
Tor luncheon this afternoon the work
Of clearing out the well. they re-
ported that a. the bottom they had
round a wooden object, which
sounded Ike box. i was under a
considerable depth O. mud and slime.
and further work was necessary be.
lore 1t could be recovered.
solicitor lIurd and Sheriff Har,on
said that should the object at the
bottom Of the well San 20 sa,isfy the
purpose OF the search, .hey intended
% dig out another old we'll on IN.
premises.