Chester-Delaware County PA Archives News.....Investigation of Hannah Speakman Death January 27, 1906
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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.
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