Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-16
From the Pittshurg Chronicle of Saturday.
A Tragedy at Pittsburg.

LONE AND JEALOUSY \ WOMAN SHOT Bl HER LOVER.
The most intense excitement was created in the
city to-day, by Il coward attempt on the part Of
Il man named Thomas Smithsun. to take the life
Of Young lady named Ellen Henry, to whom he
paving his addresses. Intelligence of tho
bloody affair reached Us, about eleven O'Clock. and
Mastering to the residence of Miss Henry, at the
foot ot Second strecs,ond adjoining the First Ward
school house, We found it SURROUNDED ly an angry
and excited crowd. Ali was anxiety to learn the
details OF the outrage but owing to the excitement
which prevailed aud the fact that the house was
closed to everybody bu; the ply sicians atten ding
the young lady, there were few fortunate enough
to CLEAN sufficient Tor the satisfaction of their Gu
riosty' After waiting for SOME time, We we're
admitted to the house and learned from an a,l-
thcntic source, the following particulars of the al
fair
Smthson, It would seem, had been paving his
addresses to Miss Henry. but from what we could
learn, his advances was not received with that
cordalIty which he desired. Some time ago the
Young lady went on visit to the country and
returned hsne this morning. Smithson heard of
her arrival and about zen O'Clock called at the
h use and saw her littlc brothcr,to whom he gave
five cents for telling her that he desired seeing
her.
Whether she SAW him then or not we cannot
say, but certain il is that he remained fully an
hour in the house. during which Miss Henry was
engaged in attending 10 some domestic duties along
with her sisters. NAe BETRAYED very little desire to
converse with Smthson. and told him she WAS en-
gagged and had not time to talk TO him now lie
insisted on conversnE with her, whercupon she
told him to 80 away, and was about passing into
another room when he deliberately drew pistol
and discharged its contents in her back.
The report of the pistol alarmed hcrmothcr and
sister who were i'll the ward attending to some
matter or other, and they hurried in to ascertain
the cause # the explosion. Miss Henry met them
in the passage. ami declaring that she was shot,
fell in her mothers arms. She wa, laid gently on
lounge, and medical aid summoned, while mes
sengers were dispatched to the Mayors office with
information Of the bloody transaction. Drs. Nc
Cook and Mcdonald were promptly the ground
and made an examination ofthe poor girls wound
passed out through the breast injuring tho lung
and narrowly escaping the heart itself The in
ternal bleeding was very severe and at half past
II o'cl,ck had not been stopped. The physicians
therefore, deem her case hopeless. and ere this
reaches our readers she will in all probability have
ceased to exist.
Miss Henry il about seventeen years old and
possessed of considerable beauty. Her father has
been dead some time, and she resided with her
mother and sisters in house on the corner of Sc
cond and Liberty streets. She bore an excellent
character among those who knew her. and 40 deep
was the indignation abroad to-day. when the par
tculars of her shooting were made public, that if
Smithson had been caught, he would, beyond all
doubt or peradventure, have been lynched and
that such punishment would be too lenient even