Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-10
THE MEMPHIS TRAGEDY.
Full Particulars Of the Assassination
Of Gilmore by his Divorced Wife.

The Memphis appeal of the Sth says:
About two o'clock yesterday afternoon,
John Gilmore was asleep in his room on
Center alley, between Main and Front,
and Auction and Concord streets, his wife
assaulted him and split open his head with
a broadaX. The blade the AK penetrated
the skull and reached down TO the jaw
bone, producing horrible wound, which
will necessarily cause death. At a late
hour last night Gilmore was unconscious,
all his friends entertained but little hope
of his recovery. The first one to discover
the fact of the assassination was a lady liv-
ing in the adjoining room of the building.
She gave the alarm and Mrs. Gilmore start
ed away from the scene of her bloody deed.
Officer OCOnnor, hearing of the attempted
murder, started to the house, but met Mrs.
Gilmore At the corner of the alley. The
following conversation ensued:
Officer O'Connor-Are you the woman
who committed the deed?
Mrs. GilmOre-4es, | am the woman
who did il:
Officer That's not possible,
Mrs. Gilmore-Yes, it is so; | killed
him.
Officer O'Conuor-HOw did you kill
him? Did yOu shoot him?
Mrs. Gilmore-NO, with an AK.
Officer O'Conuor-Is your husband dead?
Mrs. Gilmore-Yes, be Is dead.
Officer OConnOr-Then Won will have
to 60 with me.
Mrs. Gilmore-Where to? The station
house? You are not going to take me in
this way? l want to get my shawl-it is
| in the house.
Officer O'Connor-In go with you to
get your shawl.
Mrs. Gilmore-No, I am afraid to go
| home.
Officer O'Connor-AfIaid of WHAT He
| is dead.
The officer then proceeded to the house
| with Mrs. Gilmore, who was calm and
composed until she entered the room where
her two little boys, aged three and five
! years, Were kneeling by the blOOd-clOtted
| bed Of their diving father. This scene af-
| fected the wretched woman very much. and
pointingtO the children, she exclaimed:
| 1--WE done this for your sakes: it was not
| for myself, and / am going To stand the
| consequences She procured her shawl,
and was then conducted TO the Adams
street stationhouse by Officer O'Connor.
She alleges that her husband threatened 10
kill her, and showed the picture Of a W0-
man whom he intended marrying iii . few
| DAYS. Stuug with pride and maddenel by
jealousy, she could not resist an oppOTtuni-
~ to kill him. The history Of the actors,
as obtained from their acquaintance,
is as follows: Several years ago, John
Gilmore married Miss Adelia Cause
grifle. at Nashville, and became a
member Of the metropolitan police force Of
that city. He rented a frame grocery
store on Church street, Immediately west
Of the Chattanooga depot, from Pete Jen-
nIngS. and allowed his wife to conduct the
business. Owing to high rents he closed
UP the store, which enraged his wife so
much that she assaulted him with an AK,
while drinking a cup Of tea, and came very
near killing him. The result was, Gilmore
obtained a divorce, and bringing his chill
dren to Memphis, commenced running
Switch-engine. At the time of his Unfor-
tunate assassination, Gilmore was en-
gineer of the switch-engine in the Louis
vile depOt-yard in this city, and was re-
garded as a faithful employe. He wife
came here from Nashville last Friday and
took lodgings in the adjoining room in the
house where he slept. Taking advantage
of his slumbers, she procured an AK and
silently stealing into the room, let fall the
instrument. She is beautiful woman, is
Of dark complexion and about twenty-fOur
wears of ace.