Philadelphia Inquirer, That Alleged Confession: An Ignorant Woman's Gossip Caused Unfounded Rumors (1890)

Philadelphia Inquirer, That Alleged Confession: An Ignorant Woman's Gossip Caused Unfounded Rumors (1890)

The Philadelphia Inquirer published this article in 1890, two years after Julia Moulden's death. The article accuses her of spreading misinformation about Joseph Levering's murder twenty-four years prior.

America's Historical Newspapers — Philadelphia Inquirer

1890-03-08

America's Historical Newspapers

Newspaper

English

“It now turns out that the story of the alleged death-bed confession by John G. Henderson of the murder of Dr. Joseph Levering, at Rosemont, Lower Merion, Montgomery county, twenty-four years ago, has no other foundation than in the imagination of one Julia Molden, an ignorant and half-witted negro woman. The story has been rumored about among the colored folk of that neighborhood ever since the death of Mr. Henderson, six years ago. Julia Molden started the story three years ago, but as she was, before her death in 1888, notorious for inventing stories, no one attached the slightest importance to it.

Jacob L. Stadleman, of Ardmore, says that he had frequently heard gossip about the murder, but that as far as he knows no confession was ever made. The story simply spread about, was revived for a time and then dropped. Morris O’Neill, a watchman at the Bryn Mawr Bank said that he was in Henderson’s store when he heard the shot fired that killed the doctor. All the people in the store ran to the Levering home, Mr. Henderson being among them. He says Mr. Henderson was either in the store or in his house at the time. Until the story was published the members of Mr. Henderson’s family said they had never heard the rumors. Mr. Henderson lived in Harrisburg from 1867 until 1883.”