Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-21
'SHEARER INSANE,
vi SAYS W|FE'S KIN.
GRANDMOTHER Of Woman Slain
m Lycoming Creek Gives Rea-
SON for Double Tragedy
srAKEs CHILD TO NEW YORK
By a std1 CQSrespmdent

\. ViniamspOrt, Pa, July q. - The
snly person who. might reveal the real
cause of what police officials regard as
the most amazing double Staying in
4 f,ycoming County's history left here
Iris morning for New York.
II was Helen Marie Shearer, the two
and .one half year -old daughter Of Mr..
and Mrs. Henry NJ. Shearer, Of Attica,
.tN, Y, whose bodies were found
wednesday night in Lycoming Creek
with their throats slashcd.
The child nestled in the arms Of her
srsat. grandmother, Mrs. Mary Withe.
INV. of Hornell n. Y. apparently
shliyions to the tragedy that left her an
ornban. Even the sobbing Of the aged
Vomon who intends to adopt the baby.
fniled TO arrest her exclamations Of de-
light.
"You know you told me that mamma
and daddy would meet us. didn't vou?"
Eyes, dear" whispered the woman,
and gazed in the direction Of the bag.
gage car ahead.
Woman's Body Taken to IIornell
There, incased in n mahogany caskct,
.isv the body of the child's mother.
Ehearer's body Is held here for his
bparents who nrc coming today from
.Bachmanville, twenty miles from Har-
-risburg. :.
Mrs. Witherow. came what is con-
adhered the most plausible reason for
the double tragedy. Sitting in the
undertaking parlors Of Harold>f in
Fourth street. the elderly woman-she
Is nearing sixty--unfolded to Sheriff
Gray a story that had Its inception in
small community in New York.
n 81 dislike to divulge. personal sor-
rows" she snid. ''but for the sake OF
my granddaughter feel that I should"
Then pointing towards the rear of
, the house she added:
"That man whose body lies along
side the woman he killed deserves no
sympathy. He lured her to the creek
rand did away with her."
Tells Of Marriage Four Years Ago
A recital of events thnt culminnted
q romance Of unusual fervor followed.
I. "Henry Shearcr married my grand
daughter four years ago this August |
an the home of her parents Mt Hornell. |
She was Ruth Webb. Her mother and |
father moved not long ago to Casca-
,dera. Calf
: "They seemed to adore one another. |
Many times after he came home late !
.srcnt in firing a locomotive on the Erie |
Railroad he used to make her get out of |
bed to play with him.
!. "He was like child that way-al.
ways wanting to cut up. He used
70 tease her about being year older
than he was. Then she would laugh
Back and say. We'll. I'm still young
nnd ] wont be twenty nine until Oc-
:tober. She meant this coming October.
! "About four months ago. shortly
after they moved to Attica from Buff
gallo. where they had been living, I no.
iticed Henry acted very strangely. He
had lost his former joviality. lie
Jared up at every little thing that
didnt suit him.
!. Thought He Was Losing Mind
81 belle 4 him to be losing his
mind. y .ften returned from work
and took .rcat delight in saying nasty
things :. my granddaughter. Once he
told me that if anymore children ar
rived he would not keep them. He told
me | could have them.
Then he asked his wife to leaye
him, but she believed the man was run
down from OvcrwOrk. She insisted upon
''dnuihS r ny nm , ,,
shna i.ast luesaay' MRS. Wltherow said,
and take trip with HIM to his parents
home at Bachmanvlle.
.,,r ln"f nad dinner with mo before
hnTod ., ,a'. mon,. Smn continued. lie be-
ene1' e.I .o,, ,.,. ar
%, ,d saId 10 huth: Honey, hadn't
you oetter postpone your trip? Henry
Mems Whn 10 be broodins, over something.
t,angy' ms eyes are bulging from his
~aS r.a' h,s nnt % sne laughed and told ME it
nor whan luunS peileve ne intended to XIII
c.ao,, @ "hTh tney stopped alongside the .
sIesSi sSN, H. l , believe he posed for his snap:
SIs wjfo gt ,ne Siue OF tne car then took :
stsbhod ho o '.e edge OF me water and
m;c%o dcDIa - her to death and committed