Some
two weeks ago “Every Evening” chronicled the elopement of James Thomas Hearn of
Delmar with his cousin Mrs. Martha Turpin, wife of Joseph Turpin, also of Delmar.
It was supposed at the time that the guilty parties would strike for Virginia, and
there reside, On Wednesday last the guilty
woman returned to her father's residence, near Delmar, and asked for shelter,
which after a time, was granted her. It is supposed that she was afraid to continue
longer with Hearn, as the expose of the affair, first given in the “Every
Evening”, having been largely copied by the southern papers, made it unpleasant
for them to continue their guilty relations together. When she sought
admittance to her father s house he refused to recognize her, but, on her appealing
for shelter "for two or three days until she could get a divorce," he
admitted her. Her husband, hearing of her return, dropped his work and went to
have an interview with her, at which she expressed no regret at her course and
refused to recognize or return to him. Hearn went on to Virginia. Before leaving
Delmar he sold his home and lot, turning over the notes for deferred payments
to a confidential friend to hold the same in trust, hoping thereby to defraud
his creditors. The latter showed, however, the fraudulent nature of the transaction,
and the balances due Hearn will now go to the liquidation of his debts.
Above from
the News Journal 21 Jan 1885
Faithlessness
and Loyalty.
Laurel,
Del., Aug. 31.—Joseph Turpin has gone to Florida to bring back the body of his
dead wife. Five years ago he married Miss Culver, and they lived happily until
Thomas Hearn came that way. He and Mrs.
Turpin eloped. A few days ago she
dropped dead in Florida.
From the
Daily Republican 31 Aug 1891
"'Ostler
Joe " Turpin
A special
from Laurel, Del., to the New York World
says “about five years ago Joseph Turpin married Miss Culver, the daughter of a
neighboring farmer. They lived happily together until Thos. Hearn, a very
smooth young man, made his appearance at the house.
One day Turpin went home and found a letter
from his wife, stating that she could not live with him any longer and had decided
to elope with Hearn. The runaway couple went to Florida, where Hearn has an
orange grove. They lived together there
as man and wife.
Thursday
the relatives of Mrs. Turpin received a telegram from Hearn saying that she had
dropped dead. Turpin has started for Florida to bring back his wife's body.
The aged
parents of the dead girl are prostrated over the sad occurrence
.
Above from
the Middletown Transcript 10 Sep 1891
“Ostler
Joe” refers to a poem by George Robert Sims that was popular at the time this
article was written. In 1908 it was made
into a movie. It was also popular as a
poem to read at “readings and lectures”
Martha
Ellen Culver (1862-1891) was the daughter of John Burton Culver and Elizabeth
Eleanor Hearn. The article says Joseph
Turpin went to Florida to pick up his wife’s body and she is buried in St Stephen
cemetery under the name of Martha E Culver.
Joseph or Josephus A Turpin married Martha Culver in 1881. Joseph was
the son of Luther and Mary Turpin. In
1889 Joseph would remarry to Ida Florence Hearn and they would have two
children Elsie and Luther.
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