, 1874-08-23
THE INDIANAPOLIS TRAGEDY.
Suicide of Miss Flora Harding.
Her Father Shoots Mr. Sol Goritz, Her
Alleged seducer.

Her Father Shoots MIR. Sol Moritz, He
| Alleged seducer.
f4om the indianapolis sent'nel Aug. u.
little after 1:30 O'Clock the report that Geore
c. Harding, the well known editor OF the Herald
had shot Mr.. Sol 11ortz. was circulated
| aud Bpread 'Ie wildfire through the city. Re
portors flew on tho wings OF the wind, as it were
and finally learned tho following state Of facts
At about 1870 O'Clock, alr- Moritz and Mr. Hard
ing met at the junction Of New Jersey and Yer
| mont streets with massachusetts, avenue. Mr.
| Moritz's first exclamation was, "George, Wha
are YOU doing here 2" A1r. Harding made no an
| 8 .cr. but pulling out pistol. began firing q
! Dir. aloritz. TIE latter ran uD Vermont street
| crying out "Oont shoot, don't shoot" Mr.
| Harding continu ed firing,
| TWO snoTs TAKING EFFECT
| in the body Ut Mr.. Moritz, the third missing
At tho fourth pull of the trigger tile cartridge
did not explode. BY this timo Mor1tz had
| Park Church, on Vermont street,, tho blood
meanwhile flowing from his mouth and nose
At this poiut he was met By Dr.. R'1nno1e. who
hailed an express wagon going bv, and, with the
assistance Of the drTer paced the the wounded
house, at 10G East North street. lie
| was taken in and placed in the front room OF
tile second story. The family physician,
Or. Parvin. was ssnt for, but, he not bein 3
| ab!o to come, Dr. l. G. Walker was summoned.
! it being found that ore had entered under the
| loft shoulder and then through the hasa OF the
| lung. finally lodging On the outside Of tho
| stcrnum or brosst-bone, so that its appearance
very slight probing would have suficed to tavo
taken out the ball, but in the mans weak
condition this WAS unnecessary. The second
bali entered the left arm just below
tile elbow, cut through the flesh, hit
tho bone, and dropped out, leaving only
d trace of it's course. After tho wounds had
been dEesaed, Moritz felt more comfortable. and
though weak was comparatively easy. He waH
bleeding internally. and considerable anxiety
wan felt lest this should coItinno and provo
fatal. At 4 later hour, Drs Parr.n and Atslcu
were called in and held consultation. By 5
O'Clock Moritz was considerably easier aud his
PHYSICIANS gave the opinion that the wound
would not provo fatal unless Inflammation Eet
At first the public we're bevldered at tho
event. " Why was it ?" - Wnst ioee the at
tack mean ?" etc. But this was explained when
it WAS stated that Mr.. Moritz was accused Of
REDUCING MISS FLORA HARDING
(the daughter Of George uardius). who had at
tempted suicide and WAS at the point OF death.
This was the key to the whole matter, and sery-
ed to renew the blaze OF excitement, which
now burned all tho fercer. On every side
was heard the loudest expressions OF con-
demnation OF the action OF Noritz. and
sympathetic ones for tho father who had
thus sought to avenge his daughters ruin. But
amidst all this excitement the news Of the eccne
at the house OF mourning eGdaeued tho COM
mupity. and every one felt tile utmost sympathy
with the afflicted household.
THE s1H1cKES HOME.
The house Of mourning on p,ntt street, near
tho Fourth Preebvterian Church, presentsfl in
the afternoon Of the fatal day sccue tnat wonld
have softoned the hardest heart. No one who
gazed upon tic broken hearted father
YESTERDAY. as he Eat beside the dsing
found it in his heart to condemn the terrible
vengeance that he had inflicted upon tue brad
of her alleged DESTROYER. The diving child had
bidden adieu to world which had brought to
her far more Of sorrow and anguish than is
wont IN one so yonng. Her father, to whom
she had been as dear as. life itself. sat bv her
bedside unable to stay The departure Of tho
yo,1nG life that was fast fading out.
Shortly before S O'Clock in the afternoon
Flora breathcd her last, and her earthly tronblcs
scarcely c1osed before the father was called
upon to accompany tie officers of Justice.
ARREST AND EXAMINATION.
At o'clock Mr.. Harding WAS taken before
the Mayor in his court to have preliminary
examination. There were but q fea spectators
in the room, aud tine bond WAS readilv fixed at
S10Gn0, q preliminary examination being
waived. He WAS taken ~ the jail. followed
bv his att,rne:s and friends. the latter
showing willingness to stand to him to tho LAST.
At the jul Office the bond was signed by Judge
Gordon, Mr. David Stevenson, Col. ". r.
Holloway, and Thomas F. Ryan. ald Judging
from assertions male there mud on the streets,
the amount could have been indefinitely multi
piled. and bondsmen easily found. During the
afternoon members Of the prominent legal firms
protIered their assistance to Mr.. Harding, and
number OF the business men OF the community
came forward with profTers OF all kinds OF belp.
u.A1.. l.,.,t TIL, H.
had his buggy in readiness, drove him to bis
home, where tie ne!ghbors vera congrrgated
asking il they could do anything to assist the
bereayed family.
THE FACTS
OF the case, it seems. have been coming to the
surface for a day OF two and, in truth, the r,1s-
picion originally reached the bereaved father
some months ago. However, night before last
A1r. Hardine, on coming homo about 9 O'Clock,
was called By his daughter to come upstairs to
him of all her troubles. She told him how
everything seemed to Justify him in Ills
course yesterday. lie talked to her in f.
kind, tathcrly way, and did all be could
ting her into cheerful state OF mind she
sad she had taken some opium about noon +;
that it was not enough to cause any alarm. aud |
that she did not do it with any deadly intentions.
but rather to quiet her nerves. lie farther saw
that wbat she said was true 30 far Is the effects
-
Of the drug After again rcassnring
her that he had erased all harsh feelings against
her. and went to bed feeling at least satisfied |
tha. reconciliation had been affected be- |
tween him and his pride. It may here be /
stated that for some timo East there |
had been all estrangement between the two, ow-
ing to the fathers suspicious that she w.s not 90
conducting herself as to gain his love. He had |
spoken to ler several ti1ueB before about her ST
fairs. but sho sklfully evaded all questions that
would lead to anything definite. He awoke yes |
tsrday morning, feeling like man crushed, not |
as he had her full confession and |
promise TO lead different life. Shortly before |!
o'clock he went up to her room and Knocked |
at the door, and on receiving no an |
sver knocked again and called to her
to awaken. On getting no response,
to his repeated knocks. dark suspicion began
working in his BRAIN and ho broke into the room,
Hhere ne found lcr lying in her bed in . |
comatoRe state. In moment it flashed on him |
that size had taken nors of tho
DEATH-pEAL1S7 DRUG.
fie tried to arouse her, but i'll vain. and then |
rushing down stairs, ho told the family of her
condition. at the same time dispatclllne his son,
3 young lad. to DR.. Fletcher's house, Short dig
lance north on Pennsylvania street. The boy had
been gone but q moment. when the
father thought be should Le back,
Ind ho ran to the residence of Dr.. Parviu. on tile
corner Of Alabama aud New York streets. fear
~ n