I was doing some reading about the trial of Harry K. Thaw, who murdered Stanford White in New York City, presumably to remove him as a rival for the affections of well-known model, Evelyn Nesbit. One of those who testified at the trial was Dr. Charles F. Bingaman, the family physician. Since my own family lines are connected indirectly to the Bingaman family, I was interested to learn more about the family' connection to the Thaw case. Two articles immediately attracted my attention:
Grand Forks Daily Herald. 1909-08-05
Pulliam Feared Curse
Pittsburg, Pa. Aug. 4 - A tale of the blighting curse of a cripple is out here in connection with the suicide of President Harry C. Pulliam, of the National league. Pulliam with Harry K. Thaw and Dr. Walter S. Bingaman, both close friends of his, were standing in front of the Hotel Henry in Pittsburg, four years ago, and three laughed loudly at some joke just as a cripple in passing slipped and fell on the pavement. The cripple, thinking the trio was laughing at his fall, became most bitter and pronounced a curse to the effect that none of the trio would ever die a natural death.
Pulliam was much exercised over the incident and hurried after the crippled man trying to explain that he and his friends had not been laughing at his fall, but the cripple stormed away and would not have anything to do with Pulliam.
The famous baseball man apparently never forgot this curse of the crippled man and mentioned frequently to it among his friends. One year later Thaw killed Stanford White and has been in the hands of the law ever since. Recently Dr. Bingaman was sent to the Dixmont Insane Asylum, and Pulliam is dead by his own hand.
The second articles tells of the problems experienced by Dr. Bingaman:
The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1909-07-23
Friends Believe Him Sane
Special to the Inquirer
Pittsburg, Pa. July 22. Dr Walter S. Bingaman boyhood friend of Harry K. Thaw and one of the leading young society physicians of Pittsburg, has been placed in Dixmont Insane Asylum, and the case promises to develop into a sensation. The nervous breakdown appears to have been aggravated by his infatuation for Katherine Frank, a pretty German nurse who attended some of his patients. Bingaman writes the nurse from Dixmont that he is held there because he would not marry a rich East End girl instead of herself.
Friends of the young physician, however, are inclined to question his incarceration, and today members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows called on Dr. C. F. Bingaman, an uncle, and on J. F. Bingaman, the man's father, demanding that the case be re-opened. Dr. Walter Bingaman is a member of this order, and his lodge mates assert that they will go into court and ask that he be brought into court on a writ and his sanity inquired into.
His close friend, Dr. Henry M. Goebring, with whom he has been associated on many cases and who was treating him at the time he was ajudged insane, has come out with a statement that he does not think Bingaman was insane. "Purely some nervous trouble," said Goebring.
Dr. Bingaman was ajudged insane by Drs. W F. Edmundson and J. H. McClelland, recognized medical authorities throughout the country.
Miss Frank, the nurse, who received a long letter from Bingaman written from the asylum, said tonight in tears:
"I know Dr. Bingaman as a physician, I handled some cases for him, and when his nerves gave way, I helped attend him, but I have never had any thought of marrying him."
The second article lists his father as J. F. Bingaman but should actually list his father as Joseph Philips Bingaman, who was the son of Fredrick Bingaman of Chester County. Dr. Charles Bingaman, who testified at the Thaw trial, was Joseph's brother. Many of the Bingaman family stayed in the northern part of Chester County and quite a few of them are buried at Coventryville Methodist Cemetery. I haven't yet found out what finally happened to Walter, so there is undoubtedly more to the story.
In other family news, it becomes quickly apparent that Walter is NOT a good name to have if you're a Bingaman:
Gettysburg Times, 1925-02-03
2 Murder victims are Buried Toady
Pottstown, Pa. Feb. 3. Priscilla, Bingaman, 3, and William Bingaman, 18 months, who were beaten to death by their father last Saturday, and George C. Bingman, 73, grandfather of the children, who died from excitement as a result of the tragedy, were buried today.
Walter Bingaman, farmer and father of the children, who killed them while demented, according to the police, is in the Chester county hospital for the insane. His condition today was said to be improved. Should he recover his reason, the district attorney said today he may be placed on trial for murder.
In this case, it's a different Walter, with the same sort of result. The grandfather, George Chrisman Bingaman, was buried at Coventryville Methodist, so the two children probably were also.
Here's another article covering the same story in more depth:
Times Signal, Zanesville, Ohio. 1925-02-01
Beats Tots to Death; Aged Father Dies
Horrible Crime Enacted By Farmer During Religious Frenzy; "Spirits" Told Me To Kill Baby; Only Explanation; Had Attacked Wife; the Father Dies of Fright
Pottstown, Pa., Jan. 31 - Walter Bingaman, a farmer of Warwick township, near here, while in a religious frenzy, beat to death two of his three children.
When policemen broke into the farmhouse that found the farmer's father, George C. Bingaman, 73 years old, also dead. His death, Coroner Russell James of Chester county, said was probably due to excitement and heart disease.
Tonight Bingaman was in the Chester County jail violently insane, police said.
Bingaman's wife was at a neighbor's hose when the tragedy occurred. The dead children were Priscilla Bingaman, 3 years old, and William D. Bingaman, 18 moths.
Thursday night, according to Mrs. Bingaman, her husband tried to convert her to his way of thinking in religion.
An argument followed and he tried to strangle her. She was rendered unconscious for some time. Friday night her husband again attacked her and she fled to the house of a neighbor and remained there over night, fearing to return to her home.
Today she became alarmed when nobody was seen about the farm house and the authorities at West Chester were notified. Breaking into the house, they found Bingaman and a five year old son, Walter, Jr., stretched across a bed, with the dead grandfather and the two lifeless children in the same room.
The county officers seized Bingaman and manacled him hand and foot. He said he was prompted by "spirits" to kill the baby He evidently had beaten the infant to death with the handle of a carpet sweeper.
When his aged father died Bingaman said he had to "sanctify" the home by sacrificing the three year old girl. Her skull had been crushed.
The coroner held an inquest and decided Bingaman had killed the two children and that the father had died from the excitement and heart trouble.
Bingaman spared the life of Walter, Jr., his five year old son, he told his captors because "God had not commanded him to take it." The coroner believes that the fit of temporary insanity left the man after he had killed the two children, to return later.
Bingaman was placed in a straight jacket late tonight and taken into the Chester county insane hospital after examination by two physicians.
