DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (Conshohocken, Pennsylvania - 1884)

Stripped of the charming (if florid) prose of the nineteenth century, this is what this case comes down to: Dad JOHN MAY brutally murdered his 17-year-old daughter when she fought off his attempts to rape her.

It's clear that this father had long been obsessed with this girl. The daughter had kept away from the family for several months by staying in Baltimore--and I suspect that the major reason was to avoid Daddy, who had obviously abused her before. Not that it helped, because her father apparently sought her out there. It appears that the daughter may have contacted the police in Baltimore regarding her father, but it's not entirely clear. Then May essentially forced the girl home again so he could continue his abuse from an easier location.

Notice that Daddy Dearest uses the same grooming and shaming techniques common to contemporary child abusers. The mother admits to being aware of the sexual abuse, but in 1884, what was she going to do about it, especially since she had 8 children?

And contrary to my earlier theory, note that we also have the 19th century equivalent of the clueless neighbor ("he seemed like a good guy!") blathering on through the first paragraph of this account. However, when the neighbors discovered the crime, they were quicker to anger than modern neighbors would have been, and immediately wanted to lynch the father, who, unfortunately for their purposes, was already dead.

I have to wonder, though. Did this father really commit suicide? Or did other members of the family kill him in retaliation, and then agree to cover it up?

From the New York Times, July 13, 1884

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9402E2DC143FE533A25750C1A9619C94659FD7CF

A FATHER'S CRIME

HE MURDERS HIS DAUGHTER AND THEN HIMSELF

Philadelphia, July 12.--The people of Conshohocken, a town of about 10,000 inhabitants in Montgomery County, a few miles from this city, were thrown into a state of extreme excitement early this morning, by one of the most horrible crimes every perpetrated in a civilized country. John May, a German shoemaker in good circumstances, 49 years old, and the father of eight children, had conceived an unnatural passion for his daughter Lizzie, a pretty, well-developed, fresh looking young Miss, just entering her 17th year, and because she refused to gratify his passions, he cut to her to pieces with a knife and then killed himself. May, with his family, removed from Baltimore to Conshohocken about a year and a half ago. He was a sober and industrious man, and as nothing was known against his moral character he stood well in the opinion of his neighbors. Lizzie had been living for some months in Baltimore. Early this week May sent his wife to bring Lizzie home. The mother and daughter reached home yesterday, and were welcomed by the father and the seven brothers and sisters of the girl. May and his wife joined the Protestant Episcopal Church last February, and since that time they both evinced marked interest in all matters pertaining to the Church. The story of the crime as told by Mrs. May is as follows:

"About 9 o'clock last evening my husband told me that he intended working all night. I went to bed with my daughter and two little sons. A few minutes later after 10 o'clock he returned to the house. About an hour after I had been to bed he came up stairs to his daughter's room and exclaimed: 'Lizzie, you're a bad child and don't love me.' I exclaimed: 'For God's sake don't abuse your own child; remember she's your own flesh and blood.' The eldest boy, who is only 12 years of age, at this time awoke and began to cry. Then my husband said he would leave teh house. The boy was now taken into our bed. My husband then took my son out of the bed and put him into his own bed. He went to bed too and shouted to me to wake him up at 2 o;clock, as he had to go to his work, being very busy. Immediately after the clock struck 2 I aroused him. He began to fuss and quarrel. He said that he intended leaving his home. A short time afterward he left home. I went after him to get the key. He went to the store, got a knife, and returned. He said something to Lizzie, and she said, 'Oh, pop, I do love you.' He said, "I'll murder you and then I will kill myself.' First he plunged the knife into her left breast, then he pulled it out, and again and again in rapid motion he plunged the knife into her. He stabbed her 17 times; then he plunged the bloody weapon into his own breast and fell to the floor. My daughter had also fallen to the floor, and she rooled under the bed. I ran to the door and shouted murder. On last Monday he gave me $6 and told me to go to Baltimore and bring my daughter home. I left on Wednesday. We got home from Baltimore yesterday morning. He gave her a warm welcome, and said she must stay at home hereafter."

When Mrs. May cried murder, an excited crowd son gathered and if May had not killed himself he would have been lynched. He was already dead when police arrived in response to Mrs. May's shrieks for help. He had stabbed himself fifteen times in the region of the heart. The girl is still alive but cannot recover. While Lizzie was in Baltimore her father visited her and did not return home for several months. It is said that he attempted to assault her then, and that he spent the time that he was away from home in hiding from the police. The knife that he used this morning, has a blade 5 inches long and 3/8 of an ich wide. It is roughly made and is set in a rudely carved handle about 3 inches long. The room in which the double crime was committed is a mass of gore. Business in the town was almost entirely suspended on account of the excitement and horror at the crime.