The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-05
The New Orleans TraTedy.--A Young
Girl AssaSsinateG by Her Lover In
1he City Park.
From the Ncw Orlcnns Times. .Iuly 2sth

From the New Orleans Times, July 2sth.
About 10 o'clock Friday night the City
Park was made the scene of one OF thu
most shocking tragedies that has occurred
in our city for years. 1t is expected tina
the hand of violence will sometimes bt
raised by man against man, but when {
young and delicate girl is made the victim
of n cold-blooded assassination the public
mind is shocked, and the heart shrinks from
the recital.
The victim is young girl, about seven
teen years Of age, named Caroline Ketchum
whose parents reside in Algiers, but wh'
has been employed for the last two years a
q milliner's apprentice in the establishment
of Mrs. Smith, at the corner of Dryade
and Euterpc streets. 1t was at this place
about eighteen months since, she made TIT
acquaintance of young man named Saliva
dor Carlottc, employed as butcher in thu
Dryadcs Market, and residing on Mclpo
meme street between Dryades and Baronn'
streets.
The acquaintance on the part Of the CIR
ripencd into affection, and, under q pro
mise of marriage, as she alleges, he sue
cccdcd in dcpriving her OF her good lame
and woman's honor. Young, inexperienced
and all but n child, it appears. that she has
chung to her scduccr, despite of outrage and
violence, which his fierce and domineerine
disposition has frequently subjected her to
About a year since, in burst of passion
he struck her with a knife and inflicted Q
dangerous wound in her left side. She re-
covered from this, and, undeterred by this
attack upon her life, kept up her evil inter
course with him. But about month since
he announced to her his intention of mar
rying another person. =.
d" | will make you ashamed if you do, y"
replied the heart broken girl.
'sIf YOU fool with nc I'll lay you out y
was the savage reply.
But Notwithstanding his dark looks and
threatening aspect the girl did not believe
he meant her personal violence. And when
he invited her, Friday night, to accompany
him to the City Park she received the lnvi-
tation with joy, and went with him accord
ingly. Arriving there, they proceeded to a
secluded place near the centre of the Park,
where the young man attempted to exact
from her n promise that she would not at
tempt to interfere with his contemplated
marriage. This promise she refused to
Give, and almost on the instant he attacked
wounds were inflicted upon her with keen,
sharp-bladed knifc-cithcr of which will
prove mortal-onc over the left breast and
two in the side. The girl then graspcd the
knife with her hand and held it so tightly
that the keen blade severed one of her fin
gers, and begged piteously for him not to
kill her.
Whether momentary pity took posses
sion of him or not, he, at all events, consent
cd to spare her in case she would swear
never to tell who had stabbed her. This
oath the dying girl has faithfully adhered
to. But chain of circumstances revealed
her assassin as certainly as if her lips had
declared his name. Leaving her, as he sup
posed, diving in the Park, he made his way
back to the city. But the girl had strength
enough left to drag herself to the street, and
from thence to the residence of Mr.. Baker,
at the head of Bicnville street. To the
family Of this gentleman she told her con-
dition, and carriage was Immediately sup
piled, in which she was brought to the office
of the Chief of Police. DR.. Richie was i'm
mediately sent for, and after examining her
wounds pronounced them mortal, and d.
rcctcd that she be sent to the Charity Hos
pital.
70 the repeated solicitations Of Captain
Cain she refused to reveal the name of her
assassin, but in her delirium she uttered
his name. On this clue the Chief and Oil
Ger Marks set out to arrest the murderer.
After long and patient search they found
him, apparently asleep, in the Dryades
Market The Chief at once proceeded to
the residence Of Recorder Becker, and, get
ting search warrant, started for his resi-
Gcnce. Here his clothes were found. The
pants and shoes were plentifully besprin-
klcd with blood, but his coat had just been
washed by his mother. Indeed, the clothes
were found under her arm just as she was
in the act Of leaving the house with them.
Notwithstanding the thorough washing to
which it had been subjected, the coat still
diecloses one or two deep blood stains.
The CONSERVATION Of the family when
the Chief and the officers presented them
selves at the residence of Carlottc was
still an additional evidence of guilt, while
the blood-staincd clothes and the name
which the dying girl pronounced in her
dclirium fixes his guilt almost beyond ques-
ton.
This is the history of one of the most
terrible tragedies the criminal annals of
our city have ever known. 1t is unre-
deemed by single mitigating feature, and
shows the fierce and sanguinary depravity
of the mans heart.
At 9 o'clock last night the reporter, in
company with the Chief of Police, visited
the wounded girl at the hospital. She was
sleeping at the time, her face flushed with
fever, and breathing heavily. Her light
brown hair, long and dishevelled, lay in
thick shining masses on the pillow, where
it pictured, as in frame, face singularly
pretty. The slender, almost fragile, form,
outlined beneath the thin covering, dis
closed frame lily prepared to sustain the
fearful wounds she had received. She
looked as if life was slowly ebbing away
as if her short career would soon be over.
Poor girl 1t must have been heart of
adamant that could conceive q revenge so
fierce and bloody as that which has blighted
this young life.
As soon as she awakened from her titful
slumber she asked the Chief, whom she re-
cognized, if he had brought him with
him." meaning Carlotte.
NO" said the Chief, "but will to-
morrow"
"Oh, do; she said; ~ want to see him.
You won't punish him, will your And
the eager eyes and parted lips showed how
warm at her woman's heart dwelt the image
of the ruffian stabber yet.
If he had heard her voice, broken with
pain, pleading for him then, it seems, il
his heart was human, it would have relented.
She then went on to state that his mother
had been to see her, and had pleaded wit h
her to forgive her son. The Chief, how
ever, has given orders that no more persons
are to see her unless by his instructions.
1t now appears that there are two others
who are implicated as accessories before
thn fnct In this deed of blood The ri ri