Harvey and Fannie Wells

DELMAR, Del., Oct. 16 – Harvey B. Wells, of near Delmar, who was committed to jail upon the charge of wife beating, entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to serve one year in the work house and pay a fine of $150.  At the request of his wife the lashes were omitted.

Above from the Philadelphia Inquirer 17 Oct 1909

Mrs Fannie E. Wells was granted a decree nisi from her husband Harvey B. Wells upon the grounds of cruelty.  Wells is serving a year sentence in the New Castle work house  on a charge of wife beating.

Above from the evening journal (Wilmington) 29 June 1910

Laurel, Del., Oct. 1 – Harvey E. Wells, the farmer who was arrested on the eve of his wife’s funeral five weeks ago on the technical charge of threatening to kill his brother-in-law, Ernest Callaway, was brought here to attend a continuance of the inquiry into his wife’s death.  The jury returned a verdict that Mrs. Wells came to her death by poison.  On the strength of this Deputy attorney General Frank M. Jones has ordered well’s arrest on the charge of murder of his wife.

Well’s son, a lad of 12, testified that the day previous to his mother’s death his father forced her to drink something out of a bottle and that later he drove the children out of the house and compelled his wife to go into a bedroom and fasten the door.  Mrs. Wells was never conscious after that.

Above from The Evening Journal (Wilmington) 01 Oct 1910

Harvey got away with it.  He was the son of Levi and Nancy Wells of near Parsonsburg Maryland.  Fannie and Harvey children were; Herman, Raymond, Levy, Nancy and Blanche.  The children were passed out to family members to rise.

Harvey led a life of violent to everyone around him.  Numerous fights over his life from the one at the Melson campground meeting in which he nearly decapitated Frederick Williams with a pruning knife and received in turn a number of bullets in his body.  In 1922 he was involved in a shooting affair and took 4 bullet wounds in the stomach. Harvey Wells in 1932, living in Shavox, would kill himself with a shotgun.

Fannie E. Callaway was the daughter of Isaac Callaway

Herman Earl Wells (1898 - ) went to live with Ernest William Callaway and Jennie Callaway in Jersey City NJ.

Raymond Harvey Wells (1900-1962) Married Ruth Davis Lived in Pennsylvania.  Ran Wells Store, a grocery store

Levy Newell adopted by Samuel M. Reynolds Milford Del

Nancy Pearl Wells (1905-2001) married Howard Van Valin lived Pennsylvania

Blanche Wells (1908-2006) adopted by Samuel M. Reynolds Milford Del