Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-05-20
ROMANCE AND MURDER All SEA.


A poor fellow is now on his way TO Cali
] fornia 10 have his trial for numbering youug
woman on the Yankee Blade, between New
York and Rio. A letter TO the Panama Star
gives names and particulars:
The prisoner, whose name is Edward H.
Avery, is now on board the steamer, is a
young man Of abou, lwen,y-siy years of age,
born in Springfield, Mass, of respectable
parentage. himself being person Of consid
cradle intelligence and rather agreeable in
his manners. The deceased female, v hose
name wss Susanna Russell, was rather a good
looking young woman, with bright eyes she
was about twenty years Of age. They be-
came acquainted in house of i'll fame in
worcester, Mass, where they both resided
al Inc lime Avery, becoming much attach
ed 10 her, proposed taking her 10 California,
ana ior that purpose he brought her down 10
New folk city, where they lived together
as man and wife, until he engaged passage
for her on board the Yankee Blade he agree.
ing TO work his own passage. He represent.
ed her as his sister on board. The Captain,
whose goodness Of heart throughout this
whole sad affair has been most noble and hu-
mane, in order 10 protect her from insult in
the sieerage, for which her passage had
been taken, gave her berth in slate-room,
in the second cabin, with another woman
This removed her considerably from the pre-
sence of her lover, who worked on the forward
deck; and she: taking advantage of her po.
silion, began 10 flrt with the young men on
hoard, which when the knowledge thereof
came 10 the ears Of Avery, rendered him ex-
ceedingly jealous,
Goa the 18th of February, at abou. 8
o'clock in the evening, the passengers were
alarmed by shrieks from a female voice,
which proved 10 be Susanna Russell, who
| ran about the after deck, crying my brother
has killed mel! and falling upon the deck,
in FIVE minutes she was a corpse. She had
been but few minutes previous TO that sit
ting in the cabin, engaged in lively conversa-
tion with one Of the passengers, when Avery
called her on deck. On approaching her he
drew from belt in his side large ten inch
bowie knife, with which he stabbed her In
the right breast, severns the right ephemeral
artery, the knife passing though her back
Immediately after committing this dreadful
deed, he snapped pistol twice al his own
breast, but finding il would not go of, he
drew razor from his pocket, with which he
tcnt severe cash in his throat, then rushing
| forward 10 why're she had fallen, and where
the passengers and others began 10 collect,
he cried, stand back, gentlemen, did it /;
| hen falling beside the dead body, he bent
over it and kissed the marble cheeks, say
ing: Il loved that girl, but you cabin passen.
gers did this' This was the most heart
rendering scene the writer ever witnessed -
| There laid the poor mangled body of the
unfortunate though guilty lover, u,tering the
most lamenlabe expressions of his feryen,
attachment to her, while the blood came
streaming from his throat. Every one ex-
pec,ed TO see him momenariy expire. He
did not die, however, as the surgeon succeed
ed in sewing up his wound, and he is now
nearly recovered. He had preliminary
examination before the American Consul at
Rio de Janerio, who ordered him on 10 San
Francisco for trial.