North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-04-06
A Horrible Tragedy..-.A Young Mer.
chant the victim...Suicide Of the


A HOrr1Ol0 Tr0Sc0yss-sA Young MNfs
chant the Victim. .Suicide Of the
Murderess.
Our city was awakened out of its us
ual quietude last evening by shocking
murder and attempted suicide at the
clearinghouse of Mrs. Cornelius Web
ster, No. So Fifth street. The victim
was Theodore L. Parker, of the firm of
o. o. & T. l.. Parker, young man aged
but 90 years, and the deed was commit
ted by Mrs. Lizzie w. Chapman, a
daughter of VIM. Duffy, aged about 40
years. The parties have been intimate
for some months past, and have been
frequently together upon the streets
and although there is no direct testi.
mony in regard to any improper init.
macy between them, yet it is reasonable
under the existing circumstances to
have been the case. Mr.. Parker was a
regular boarder Of the house, having
lived there for the past Is months, and
Mrs. Chapman was in the habit of taking
her meals there, but lived at No. IS
South Second Street.
At 6 o'clock yesterday afternoon the
couple were together on the street, and
Mrs. Chapman was afterward seen tc
enter her residence, probably to procure
the weapon with which she committed
the deed.
The boarders of the house, among
whom were Parker and Mrs. Chapman
sat down to supper at the usual time
and about half past six the two arose
from the table, passed through the sit
ting-room and into the front entry Of
the house. Almost Immediately three
distinct reports of a pistol were heard
and the landlady rushed into the entry
just as Parker staggered and fell.
Mrs. Chapman was standing near
Parker with Colts revolver in her
hand, still smoking from recent dis
charge. The pistol was taken from the
woman by male boarder, and she then
reeled into the sitting-room with the
cry, II am shot" and fell upon a lounge.
Parker was carried into an adjoining
room, and almost instantly expired,
without uttering a word. DIR. L. R.
Johnson.was called, and, upon examin-
ing Mrs. Chapman, found that a pistol
ball had passed through her abdomen,
the ball going through her body, the
wound being evidently inflicted by her
own hand. She was made as comfort
able as possible, but Immediately went
into succession of fainting fits.
At the time our reporter visited the
spot, shortly after the deed was COM
mitted, the house was scene of con-
fusion. In little bedroom off the sit
ting-room laid the form, stark in death,
of him who but brief hour before was
in the full vigor of manhood. In the
front parlor, in fainting condition,
was the woman, unconscious, for the
time being, of the terrible deed she had
perpetrated, while in the sitting groom
was the surviving brother, already faith
erless and motherless, completely stun
ned with grief at his sudden and ire
parable lost. He had parted from his
brother at 6 o'clock, and was summoned
to the house after the murder, only to
find his brother cold in the embrace of
death.
The weapon used was an ordinary
sized Colts revolssr, apparently new,
and three shots were discharged, two of
which took effect in the person of Park
or, one passing through the upper por-
ton of his right arm into the chest, and
the other entering the small of the
back. Either was sufficient to cause
death. Mrs. Chapman's wound was
pronounced to be Of serious nature,
and medical assistance was promptly
given her. What passed in the entry
prior to the shooting is known only to
the woman, and she is very reticent on
the subject.
Shortly after 9 o'clock in the even
ing, Mrs. Chapman was seized with
violent pains, and confessed to DR..
johnson that "after she was shot she
had taken poison, consisting of a
mixture of arsenic and laudanum.
Emetics were administered, but with
out affording any relief, and at mid
night she died.
If Archdeacon Denison, of England,
could be made a candidate in that
country, and this for some high distinc.
ton in the gift of the noble army OF
martyrs who are in favor of, but are not
favored with, short sermons, he would
receive the largest vote ever cast for a
mortal In recent speech at Wolver-
hampton he said that, generally sermons
were very dull things indeed. He was
dining lately with an English gentleman
who had been long time in India, and
the conversation turned upon preaching
He (the Archdeacon) remarked that he
aimed at preaching TEN MINUTES in the
morning. s'Dear me, Sir, where do you
live ?" asked the gentleman 81 SHOULD
LIKE TO COME TO YOUR CHURCH EVERY
SUNDAY
Last winter, when Bishop - was
making his annual visitation to the
churches of his diocese, he came to.