American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-10-21
A Kentucky Love Tragedy.

The Cincinnati Commercial of the
9Th says: On Tuesday morning Will
liam Henry Harrison, grandson of ex-
President Harrison, made furious as
sault on the person of Miss Mary Moore,
daughter of Maj. J. H. Moore, of Boone
County, Kentucky, about II miles be-
low this city. The parties are neigh
bors, occupying adjoining farms. Har-
rison lost his wife about year since,
and lately he had been paying some at
tentisn to Miss Moore, with a view to
matrimony. She rejected his suit, and
gave him no encouragement-in fact,
informed him in plain terms that she
would not marry him. On Tuesday
morning, knowing that the father of
Miss Moore was away from home, Har-
rison called on her, and renewed his
propositions of marriage, with the same
result that attended his previous offers.
He then cried out: "I'm crazy! I'm
crazy!'' and, drawing from his pocket
a large jack-knife, he struck at his
defenseless victim. The first thrust
took effect in Miss Moore's left breast,
producing wound about three inches
in length, and about two inches deep.
The second cut took effect on the left
side of the face cutting the cheek open.
A third in the right hand, with which
Miss Moore attempted to wrest the
knife from the Infatuated man, and a
fourth and fifth in the neck, one of them
barely missing the jugular vein. Miss
Moore finally escaped to a room occu-
pied by her crippled brother, and, after
locking the door, sank to the floor ex-
hausted from the loss of blood. Har-
rison then left the place, and, going to
his own home remarked to his son and
daughter-in-law that Mary Moore had
refused to marry him, and that he had
killed her. After remaining in the
house for few minutes, he again yell
ed out, 81 am crazy!" and, running
out into the yard, jumped into cistern,
in which there was about four feet of
water. He was rescued by his sons,
and put under guard.
Harrison is also grandson, on his
mothers side, of Gen. Pike, on whose
old place he resides. There is no ques-
ton in the minds of those who know him
and his antecedents well, of his insani-
ty. His mother was insane at the time
of his birth, and died insane. He was
very much attached to his wife, and her
death subjected him to the deepest mel
ancholy. Six months ago DIR. Hughes,
of Cleves, prescribed for him for in
somnia, and warned him at that time
that if he did not seek change of scene
and surrounding, his lettering mind
must soon entirely fail him. The idea
of his insanity is so generally accepted
that even Miss Moore stated yesterday
that she did not want him arrested or
harmed; that she considered that she
had chance for recovery, and that's
could not consider him responsible for
what had occurred. Harrison was tax
en- over to Burlington by some of his
friends (not under arrest, however,
and he appeared to be quite rational
yesterday. He claimed that he had no
recollection whatever of the dreadful
deed he had perpetrated. Miss Moore's
father was greatly excited over the af-
fair, and demanded Harrison's arrest.
If he shall see proper to swear out a
warrant, the arrest will be made. The
lady is in critical condition, but her
physicians think she may possibly rally
and recover.