Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-08-30
From the GoldsbOrO' Messe niger.
The Recent Boon Hill Tragedy.

We have seen and heard so many con-
f1icting reports and rUTmOrs touching this
affair, that we have taken the trouble 10
procure correct information and fun parli-
culars.
Fhe unfortunate lady was the WIFE OF MI:
Reuben ID. Perry, young merchant OF
Boon Hill. She was the daughter of JOSH
ma Herring. ESQ.,, of LenOir county, and
had been married to Mr.. p. only about ten
weeks. The young couple were comtOrta-
bly settled in the village of Boon Hn!, ana
nothing occurred in their household gener-
ally known as family disturbances. The
Young bride was esteemed and visited by
all the ladies of the town, and no one suS-
nected that she could even entertain the
idea of self-destructiOn. 1t is trne, how
ever. that on several occasions when a.One
with her husband or while riding out with
him, she exhibited melancholy symptoms.
Thus, on one occasion she desired to know
how many apples one could est TO pro-
| duce death. Again she enquired the surest
place to shoot body if death was de
sired. On another occasion pistol fired
| accidentally while she was handling il in her
| own room. 1t is also stated thaC she
went to the turpentine distillery of her
| husband, a short distance from the
| residence, and asked the super lntendent
| how to manipulate small Smith and
| w
nothing in her demeanOr had excited the
least suspicion of these around her. On
the day prece ing the tragedy her father,
MI. Herring, who had paid her visit, re-
| turned home. She bid him a hearty fare
well and remarked that she felt as if she
would never see him and her mother again.
| Or the same day married sister OF MIR.
| Pelrys came to the house to remain on q
visit. That night she retired as usual and
apparently in the best of spirits. On the
following morning, August 18th, she W q
seen going to the garden house. Shortly
after the report of pistol was heard in
the house, but nothing was thought of it.
On her not returning search was made. A
brother of Mr.. Perry opened the garden
house door and found Mrs. p. in the
last agonies of death, kneeling on the
floor with her arms and body resting on
the bench. The pistol had fallen to the
| ground. When taken hold Of she rolled
her eyes and expired. Three shots had
| penetrated under her chin and two others
had glanced her head. The weapon was a
small Smith and Nelson's, and the balls
had not sufficient force to penetrate her
brain. She is supposed to have bled to
death. That she did the work herself
was very evident and beyond a doubt
The corOners jury all agreed 50, and rem
dered their verdict accordingly.
The following is verbatim copy of a
note found i'll her husbands tobacco
pouch, which was in Mrs. P's own hand
writing:
My Husband love you better than
life but L must leave you. My mind
mind
Farewell ! God bless you.
Your wife, K.
No cause can be assigned for the rasl
act. The general impression is that she
C )mmitted the deed while in state q
temporary mental alteration. Her age
was 20 years.
Some weeks ago while riding out with
her husband, and passing the cemetery Oh
Mr.. Perry's fathers place, she, in melan-
choly mood, asked that she be burr,
there when she died, and said she desired
to be dressed in white. This, we learn
was done.