Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-09-05
Rum and Murder.
We copy the following from the Balti-

we copy the following from the Baltl-
more Saturday Night of the Goth ult
The revolving and horrible tragedy
which occurred Thursday evening last at
No. So ST. Paul street, resulting in the aw-
full murder of Mrs. Eugene Carter Showal-
ter by her drunken husband, DR.. Joseph
Clarence ShoWalter, is another potent COM
mentary upon the evils of intemperance.
1t is seldom so shocking tragedy finds
record in the annals of crime. The sight
which presented itself Immediately after
this murder was horrifying and distress
ing beyond description. There lay in that
tragic chamber, which should have been
the abode Of domestic peace and happi-
ness, once confiding wife with her throat
cut from ear to ear, literally weltering in
her own blood, commingled with that of a
debauched assassin husband-pale, mo-
tionless and dead. A son aged Ell ghteen
years, stood near by frantic with grief.
Two nieces, fine, intelligent looking young
ladies were also present, weeping in bitter
agony; whilst the guilty husband, crazed
with rage and drunkness, having cut his
own throat, blood flowing from deep cash
and bleeding profusely, presented the ap-
pearance of ferocious mailman. The floor,
bed and walls were literally saturated with
blood. It was scene calculated to strike
terror into the bravest heart. Confusion
and lamentation and CONSERVATION were
seen and heard through out the entire
household
The murderous husband and would be
suicide, Immediately after perpetrating the
dreadful deed, wandered off, bleeding and
apparently dying, to the vicinity of the
Washington University Hospital, North
Calvert street, where he was picked up
from the curbstone, carried inside, placed
on a cot and his wounds attended to by
surgeons. He died yesterday about noon.
What commentary is all this upon the
evil contemporaries or in palmer language,
drunkness The wife represented as an in
dustrious, excellent lady, true to woman's
instructive affection, was supporting by
her own labor, Creeping boarding house,
this inebriate husband-and he killed her.
Let others, yet within the pale of safety,
but subject to runs insidious temptations,
take warning, lest in an evil hour they, too,
become crazed unto similar deeds of blood.
Never, in the history of our country, has
there been so many wifemurders, assassin
atoms, suicides and other criminal outrages
as during the past few years. Scarcely a
day that we do not read of them in all di-
rections. It is really fearful condition
of affairs, and what adds to the enormity
of these crimes is, they are mostly commit
ted when the perpetrators thereof are in
sane from the effects of liquor, laboring
under a disease termed mania-a-potu, or
delirjum hemens.
Such being the case, we think the time
has come when our legislatures and law
making powers, should, without delay, e.
nact stringent statutes requiring that all
men, or persons, upon whom the inordi-
nate drinking Of Intoxicating liquors, pro-
duces insanity, mania a-potu or deliriiun
trenaens, be at once arrested placed in con-
fnement and there kept. If able, they
should be made to pay their own expenses,
if not, let them be taken care of by the
public. Such mailman and mGrderers are
certainly unfit to run at large. There can
be m gnishment too severe for them. -
The open, professional murderer, is real
ly less fearful, because he knows what he
purposes doing and assumes the response
bility; but maniac from intemperance
strikes his death blows in the domestic
circle, and knows not until too late, why,
or upon whom they fall. Are such crea-
lures to be longer tolerated and permitted
because sane when occasionally sober, to
murder their wives, children, relatives and
confiding friends, when they become de-
mons of drunkenness Justice, the safety
of society, and all that is sacred, demand
that these depraved monsters and self
made maniacs on account of intoxication,
be henceforth restrained by the strong arm
of law.