Crime & Punishment

Bingaman, Charles: Murdered 2 of his 3 children

Bingaman is one of those names that pops up a lot in my research as my great-grandfather's sister married a Bingaman. SO when I come across a story featureing the Bingaman name, I tend to take soem notes. This is one that captured my attention, for all the wrong reasons.

2 Murder victims are Buried Today
 
Pottstown, Pa. Feb. 3. Priscilla, Bingaman, 3, and William Bingaman, 18 months, who were beaten to death by their father last Saturday, and George C. Bingman, 73, grandfather of the children, who died from excitement as a result of the tragedy, were buried today.
 
Walter Bingaman, farmer and father of the children, who killed them while demented, according to the police, is in the Chester county hospital for the insane. His condition today was said to be improved. Should he recover his reason, the district attorney said today he may be placed on trial for murder.1
 

Here's a second article with a bit more info on the case:

Constable Assaulted [Joseph W. Holman]

Phoenixville: An attempt was made to murder Constable Joseph W. Holman, of this place, about midnight. Holman was on the trail of the thieves who stole two teams from Chester Valley farmers the ngiht before, and while driving along a dark and lonely piece of road near Chester Springs, he was knocked from his wagon by a large stone thrown by someone in ambush. After he fell from his wogan by the roadside he was again struck by a furoius blow on the breast with another stone. After his assailants saw their intended vicitim lying in the road they rushed from their cover, intending to kill Holman where he lay, but the fallen man had strength enough to reach his revolver, and as soon as the man got within a few feet of him, he shot at them and drove them back. They then began another attack with stones, but Holman drove them back with his pistol until he was able to climb into his wagon and make his escape.

Eliza Balley Murdered

West Chester, Pa., Dec. 10.--The body of Eliza BALLEY, colored, aged about thirty-five years, was found in a pond here today. Her husband, Rev. E. S. BALLEY, pastor of Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, was arrested on suspicion of having murdered her. The couple had frequently quarreled.1

  • 1. The Sun (baltimore), 12/11/1896