
“Riverton, Kentucky, July 17. (Special): There was filed last evening in the Greenup Circuit Court, a suit, the style of which is Elizabeth Messer vs. John Messer, for divorce. In the petition files by her attorney, Jeremiah Davidson, she avers that on the — day of April, 1884, she then being a widow, aged forty-four, was married to the defendant, John Messer, a young man of thirty; that on the 25th of April of this year he deserted her; that he had been guilty of adultery with her daughter, Isabel Roberts, by her former husband; that he is guilty of habitual drunkenness and neglect and abuse of her and her children. Wherefore she prays for divorce and three thousand dollars alimony , and an attachment against defendant’s property to secure any judgement she may obtain against him, and for restoration of name to Elizabeth Roberts. Hereby hangs a tale, the details of which show that crimes of deepest dye have been committed, whereby a husband rather mysteriously met his death, his two daughters were led astray by their step-father, and foul murder committed to hide their shame. Forty years ago Elizabeth Fisher, at the age of twelve years, left her father’s home, in Pendleton County, and came to this town, where she found a home in a prominent German family, and later became a waitress in the Kentucky House. “
“Benjamin Roberts was the son of one of the pioneer settlers of the county whose home was on White Oak Creek, some twelve miles from town. Young Benjamin, when in town on business, made the Kentucky House his headquarters, and soon became acquainted with the fair maid who waited upon the table, and was smitten with her charms. The attachment was mutual, and the young lady agreed to resign her position and accept a home in the country with Benjamin as his bride. They were married and settled on a farm on Brushy, near New Hampshire Furnace, in this county, where after some years of toil they accumulated a small fortune. Several children were born, among them two beautiful girls, named Alama and Isabel.”

“The father grew prematurely old, caused by hard labor, and had to hire most of his work done. Among his hired hands was a youth named John Messer. Messer was a native mountaineer, uneducated, but of good appearance and a slick tongue. Time had dealt gently with the young waitress, and now, though the mother of several children, she was said fair to behold, and was the object of a great deal of attention from young Messer. Her husband had become an encumbrance, and was in the way. One day he was found standing in the well in the yard, stiff in death. Ugly rumors were heard that he likely was dead when placed in the well, and it was generally supposed that poison had been administered. The location was rather out of the way of public travel since the abandonment of the old furnace, and nothing much was seen or heard regarding the matter of his death. In a few months after Messer and the widow were married. In April, 1884, less than three years afterward, Messer was arrested and brought to the county seat to answer a charge of assault, committed on his step-child, Alma Roberts, a girl of sixteen years. The town was thoroughly aroused, and during the trial, when the attorney prosecuting, Honorable BF Bennett, at present our Representative in the Legislature, was denouncing the willian who had, under the guise of his position as father of the girl, seduced her, there came near being trouble, in which Messer would have undoubtedly lost his life.”

“The girl had taken strychnine during the time that had elapsed from her seduction, with suicidal intent. Messer at the trial was acquitted of the charge of assault, but was held to answer for seduction, as he admitted that he had been criminally intimate with her, but that it was with her consent. His wife then instituted proceedings for divorce, but never prosecuted the suit. Nothing more was heard of matters concerning them until a few months ago rumors were heard that Messer had ruined another daughter of his wife, a lovely young girl named Isabel. These rumors were confirmed by the fact that he deserted his wife and openly lived in adultery with his stepchild Isabel Roberts. Whereupon this suit was filed. She charges Messer with procuring of an abortion upon Isabel Roberts, and with the death and secret burial of the child, which was prematurely born, but was alive. These are established facts, stranger than fiction, that tell a tale of crime unparalleled in the annals of history of crime in our county. Both young ladies are now in Cincinnati, so the unnatural father says, doing service in one of the numerous hostelries of the city.”1