The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-22


suit for damages on the plea of breach c
promise. She tried to bring this suit i
Chicago, but as Burroughs was at tn
time resident of Washington and
clerk in the Treasury Department, shewa
advised to go to Washington and inst
tute the suit there. During allthis tim
she was laboring under great mental ea
element and acted strangely. She a,
tackled one of her best friends, Mrs. Dey
lin, withaknife and would havekilled he
but for the interposition of other parties
and one day in Chicago, while passing
store where pistols were offered for sale
shesuddenly stopped, entered it,purchas
ed small revolver and had it loaded
Shortly after this she left for Washing
ton, with the avowed object of com
mencing suit for breach of promis
against Burroughs, the young '..thousant
dollar clerk" She arrived in the CAPT
tai and on the following day paid visi
to the Treasury Department, where, by
inquiry, she discovered the room IN
which Burroughs worked as clerk
The time, 4 o'clock P. M, came for the
clerks to quit work. Young Burroughs
gathered up his papers, and full of Joyful
hope, picked up his hat and left the Of
fee, and was advancing toward the stair
way to go out of the building when
shot was fired; he turned round, beheld
the girl, perhaps, and attempted to es-
cape. She fired another shot, which
took effect upon his body, and he fell up
on the stairway, expiring almostinstant-
ly. These are substantially the facts.
Miss Harris, although pleading not
guilty, does not deny the fact of shoot
ing Burroughs; but expressed the deep
est regret and contrition for having COM
mitted the act. She AYERS, thatalthough
she had waited for so long a time in the
hall Of the Department for him to come
forth from his room, and had not gone
into that room to see him, still she had
no intention of shooting him; and even
when he passed by her she did not think
of it, but her wrongs came upon her
mind at that moment with such force,
that her arm, avithout any prompting Of
her will, stretched forth irresistibly, and
the trigger of the pistol was pulled. A
strange story; and be it remembered al
so, that all this was done without any.
thing ever having passed between these
young persons that would be calculated
to bring blushto the cheeks of modesty
Great sympathy was expressed il
Washington and in Chicago at the time
for the young lady, and she was visitet
by the Senators and Representative
from Illinois and Iowa, and theirladies
and many other distinguished persons
in Washington. The ladies' did all in
their power to render her Imprisonment
as agreeable as possible, and the most
talented lawyers in different parts of the
country rendered their services for her
defence.
The main points in the case were full
ly proved on the trial by the prosecu
ton. The defence set up was the long
and strong attachment existing between
the parties; the wrongs the younggirl had
suffered-which wrongs, it was alleged
had changed her nature, and turned bel
brain; therefore, at the time of the COM
mission of the deed she was laboring
under fit of temporary insanity. On
this point many learned medical men
have been examined, whose opinions are
divided on the question.
But we will let the case now speak fol
itself and give the arguments Of coun
sci, asfollows:
Mr.. Wilson, Assistant District Attor
ney, commenced his argument for the
prosecution. He argued at length
against the line of defence adopted by
the prisoners counsel, contending tina
they failed to establish such state o
insanity on the part Of the prisoner al
to relieve her of the responsibility of he
acts. Until some five minutes after she
committed the fatal deed she gave ne
evidence of any cause which had actu
ated her to do it. She shot at him the
second time, and then deliberately walk.
ed away, attempting to make her escape
into the street. What is there about the
commission of the deed to make you
think she is insane? DR.. Nichols says
one of the reasons for his opinion is,
that she did not take the first opportu-
nifty to commit the act. Is that evi.
dence? Is there any evidence to show
you that when the deceased was in O
position where she could shoot him she
threw herself upon her knees, tore hel
hair and wept? Is this evidence of in.
sanity? What is woman's nature made
of that such an act as done there that
day would not call forth the greatest
horror? We come down to the time
that she was confined in Jail. The same
inconsistency did not depart from hel
at that tine. We have had very pa.
thetic, sentimental and affecting account
of her conduct in Jail by one whose
kindness of heart we all know. Oh
course she said and did many things
which would make us feel for her; but
she said nothing to convince you that
she was insane or subject to paroxysmal
nus OF insanity. The counsel have very
ihgenlously endeavored to put us in q
position antagonistic to the physicians;
out we would not accept it. He argued
mat she was not proved to have been
SUBJECT to insanity, but only fits of hys-
sria, ana that her act was caused by
]eaionsy, arising from disappointed love.
MI W., t w nson 4, argument occupied about