Parker, male: 1871

The Murder of Male Parker

Mrs Sarah Parker was arrested about August 17, 1871, for the murder of her husband’s son by a former wife. Mr. Parker adopted the child about June of 1871; other accounts state the boy came from the city home. The consensus of the time appears to have been that the boy was the child of Mr. Parker’s first wife.

At first the new Mrs. Parker seemed pleased to have the boy, but grew tired of him, and several times she was heard to say she’d like to get rid of him. Reports were that she had threatened the child’s life when she was in a passion, and had punished the boy severely. The family lived in the Sixth Ward, and the boy was about 19 months old.

On August 12, a neighbor passed by the house in the evening between the hours of five and six, and saw the child standing at the window; twenty minutes later, he heard Mrs. Parker screaming. He entered the house and found the child dead. Parker said the child had had a fit and fallen from the chair to the floor; when she reached him, he was already dead. The neighbor saw finger-marks on the boy’s nose, and his features indicated he had been strangled. The authorities were notified, and Officer Hazzard arrived. He sent for Coroner Humes. A coroner’s jury was empaneled, and a verdict of death by strangulation determined. In addition to finger-marks on the boy’s nose, there were more on his forehead and cheeks, indicated hands had been held over his mouth. There was also a bruise on the back of his head.

Sarah Parker was arrested. She was taken to jail in Hollidaysburg to await trial. She changed her story, stating that she had been punishing the child, and had put her hands over his mouth to keep the neighbors from hearing his cries.

Sarah Parker was from Harrisburg; she had worked as a car scrubber for the railroad depot in Altoona. Mr. Parker was a conductor on the Emigrant Train between Altoona and Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania Railroad.