Chester-Delaware County PA Archives News.....Investigation of Hannah Speakman Death January 27, 1906 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Wanda casella james_casella@verizon.net February 18, 2005, 12:11 pm CCHS Suranme File Mystery The Philadelphia North American fo this morning says: Through the mystery surronds the history of Hannah Speakman, who died alone and penniless in a lodging at 230 North Juniper street, last Thursday, a little light has been gleaned, yesterday. She was not a maarried woman, as at first supposed. The trunk full of faded silk and laces, fans and litlle trinket of jewelry, found in her room, did not lie in their evidence of former wealth and refinement, for she was a daughter of the most distinguished families of Chester County. In her youth she was endowed with all the wealth and beauty and position could give. How she descended to her penniless station and came to die ina a cheap lodging, alone and unbefriened, is a tale still unveiled, for the mysterious informant who told this much of the woman`s history said that her relatives believed she had fifteen years ago, until they read of her death in the Junipter street lodging last week. Here was the hint of romance, the tale of a refined and intelligent woman living for fifteen years within a few miles of her relatives who believed her dead. RELATIVE REFUSE TO BURY HER. Mystery must continue to clothe her life for this peiod. But whatdrove her forth from her family and caused her to line in poverty, avoiding their knowledge? Not romantic, but pitiful, was futher information brought by the unknown man. The woman`s relatives refuse to bury her. They are wealthy- he admitted that: that they learn of existence of a relative who they supposed died a decade and ahlf ago, but they refuse to extend the charity of decent burial leaveing that ot the mercy of strangers. Their motive for this denial of blood rights, whether hate or parsimony or some other, is part of the mystery. This was how a little light was shed on Miss Speakman's history: a well-dressed man called at the morgue to see the body. He was accosted by Deputy Corner Megonigie, who has been trying to find the woman`s relatives. "Yes, I know who she is," said the young man, "She is Miss Hannah Speakman, a mrmber of a prominent Chester County family. Her relatives thought she died fifteen years ago." BODY WILL GET CHRISTIAN BURIAL. Further than this the stranger would say nothing. He refused to five his name. He said the woman`s relatives, though wealthy, would not bury her, and that they had instructed him to their identity a secret. Then the well dressed young man, fearing that he had said too much, hurried away, leaving the mystery in some respects a more baffling one than before. It is probable that the Corner will abandon the attempt to penetrate the secret of Miss Hannah Speakman`s life. The body will be given today to Deaconess Perkins, of the Protestant Episcopal Mission, 225 South Third street, who has offeref to give it a Christian Burial. NO RELATIVE HERE, SO FAR AS CAN BE LEARNED It was reported that the above mentioned named deceased woman was a former resident of this county, and had relatives here, but so far as can be learned there is none in West Chester. The parents of the deceased, William and Elisabeth Speakman, at on time resided at Edgemont, Delaware County, where the father kept a store. They moved to Phildadelphia many years ago. Thier deaths occurred there several years ago. The daughter, Hannah, was never married. she at one time was a purchasing agent for a Philadelphia business house, and latterly has lived a retired life, and was quite poor. A West Chester resident named Cox at one time resided in Philadelphia, near the home of the deceased. He never heard her speak of Chester county relatives, but in had her speak of relatives in Delaware county. He knows nothing of the claims which have been mentioned . The family was evidently in straitened circumstance, and had no particular property. 1/30/1906 The Philadelphia Record of this morning says: With little possiblity of the mystery of her life ever being cleared up, the body of Hannah Speakman, will today be turned over for burial to the Episcopal City Mission, by Coroner Jermon. Everyday has added new complications to the peculiar case, and yesterday was no exception, additional information reaching the coroner from two sources. An anonymous letter was recieved by Cheif Deputy Sellers in the first mail, in which it stated that Miss Speakman, was heir to one fourth of her fathers estate in Chester county and that she was distantly related to Clerk Charles Good, of the orphan`s court. The letter concluded with the comment: "If god`s could talk they would tell strange stories." Clerk Good told the Coroners` Deputy, who went to see him, that so far as he knew the woman bore no relationship to him, though through marriage some of his family were related to the Speakmans of Chester county. Subsequently to receiving the annoymous ltter a man who lived in the neighborhood of Twelfth adn Pine streets visited the Coroner and told him that he was satisfied the woman was a daughter of William Speakman, who for years lived at what is now No. 1204 Panama Street, and that his sister named Susan, who the Cornoner has been trying to locate, married Henry Tunison, an alderman, who has been died many years. A brother of the dead woman, the visitor said, was frequently seen in the neighborhood of Sixteenth and Market streets up to a few years ago. Chief Deputy Sellers says that more has been done in the way of investigation than it is incubment upon the Coroner to do, and that no further effort will be made to learn the woman`s history. The body will be interred in a lot belonging to the City Mission in Mt Moriah Cemetery. 1/31/1906 The body of Hannah Speakman, who died at No.230 North Junipter street, Philadelphia, last Wednesday, was yesterday turned over to Deaconess Perkins, of the Episcopal City Mission for burial, and at the same time some of the mystery was clearered up. When the Coroner examined the woman`s effects a handbag containing a purse was found in her trunk, in which was a card of Mrs. E.A. Weaver, No. 251 Harvey street. The handbag had been reported as stolen or lost in a Market street store two days before Miss Sepakman died. Besides the card of Mrs. Weaver, whose husband is a Pennsylvania Railroad official, there was in the bag when it was lost an unsigned check for $6 and $7.20 in cash. Besides these things there were among the dead woman`s effets four rings, silver spoons,cuff buttons,dress pins,napkin ring and half a dozen silver knives adn forks, all new ware. Simultaneously with tis the Coroner ascertained from teh police record that on December 11,1901, Hannah Speakman, alias Florence Smedley, was tried and convicted before Judge Ralston on a charge of larceny as bailee of a diamond ring and defrauding a boarding house keeper. The prosecutor was Ella Cavender, of No. 611 North Eighth street. the record shows that sentence was deferred and the defaendant discharged on December 20. Charles B. Cox of West Chester, states that the deceased at no time resided at 1204 Haines Street, Philadelphia and he knew both her and her father, Willaim Speakman, who when Mr. Cox resided in Philadelphia, was still living. Nr. Cox says that the statement of Mr. W.J. Hopewell that William Speakman never kept a store at Edgemont, Delaware County, is incorrect. Mr. Cox`s father tended store for Mr. Speakman away back at Edgemont away back in the early forties. While Mr. Speakman was proprietor the store caught fire from a stove pipe which passed an upper floor, and the building was entirely destroyed. The owner had much difficulty in obtaining any insurance. The insurance company finally rebuilt the stor building. The proprietor stayed there several years , but finally went to Philadelphia, and lived in straitened cicumstances. Mr. Cox says he does not believe the estate has amy big claims, as he does not see how they could have obtained it. The deceased`s name was Sepakman, and not Smedley, as she never married. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 8.6 Kb