The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1878-05-23
GEORGIA's CAUSE CELEBRE.

! GEORGIA'S CAUSE CELEBRE.
The Story Of Jealous Wife's Crime. Sen
fenced to the Scaffod-.-WilI Sho Hang?
ATLANTA pecial to the Chicago LINES.
The ruling sensation in this state at
present is the recent sentence of Kate
Southern, the Pickens county murder
ess. The history of the crime for which
she was convicted is a thrilling tale OF
jealousy. During the Christmas holidays
of 1876 Kate Southern, newly married
bride, stabbed and killed Mrs. Narcissa
CoWart at public ball at Jasper, ,Pickens
county. Kate Hambright, the daughter
of q well-todo farmer, and the aoknowl-
edged belle of what is known as the
mountain counties" in the northern
part of the state, after long and per4
sistent courtship allowed Mr.. Southern
to lead her to the altar. Though Kate
had scores of suitors, she was not more
popular than "Bob," He was handsome,
well>formed, good-hearted. reckless,
young, and better fitted for breaking
hearts than for any practical business
Principal among the rivals of Kate Ham
bright was Mrs. Narcissa Cowart.
4.-- A GRASS WIDOW,
who had known and loved young South
ern, and who, it is said, was divorced
irt m her husband with the hope of
marrying g Bob" Southern. After Bob
and Kate were married Mrs. Cowart en-
couraged Southern in his attentions to
her more than ever. "Bob" being fiat
tered by her encouragement, and thinking
lightly about his wife's complaints about
his talking to Mrs. Cowart, laughed at
his wife being jealous of his I" old sweet
heart" and became mere devoted and
conspicuous in his attentions to her.
The newly-married wife, seeing or bes
lieVing that an old rival was trying to
supplant her. in her husbands affections
before the honeymoon had fairly com>
menced, not only grieved in secret, but
complained frequently to her husband
and near relatives about Bob" and Mrs |
Cowart being together so much. Her
complaints doing no good she went to
Mrs. Cowart, with whom she bad never
been friendly, and appealed to her not |
to persist in encouraging her husbands
attentions and trying to destroy the hap
piness of her home By coming between
man and wife. This interview is reported
to have been rather stormy, and the
rivals parted with anything but friendly |
feelings 1t is said that in this interview
Mrs. Cowart said, What If l do part
man and wifi Was not
DIVORCED FOR HIS sAKE?"
Mrs. Southern, seeing her appeal to
Mrs. Cowart had done no good, exacted |
promise from her husband that he |
would never speak to Mrs. Cowart further
than politeness required. Soon after this
and only about three months after she
vas married, a Christmas party was given
at Mr.. Hambright's (Kate's fathe)
During the day Kate heard that Mrs.
Cowart. had said that she intended dauc-
ing with Southern that night in spite of
his wife. Kate, alter this, went to her
husband and attempted to get him to
promise not to dance with " that woman,"
as she called her. Bob," instead of
granting the request, teased her about
being jealous. After the crowd had as
sembled, Kate, meeting Mrs. Cowart in
the dressiug-room3 begged her not to
encourage her husband if he made ad-
vances to her Mrs. Cowart replied
tauntingly that he needed no encourage
ment. Late that night Kate came into
the ballroom and was surprised to see
her husband and Mrs Cowart at the head
set that was forming to dance. She
hurried across the room and reminded
her husband that he had an engagement
with her for that set. Mrs. CoWart
spoke up, declaring that ahe intended
dancing that set with Mr. Southern, say
ing something about having known him
much longer than Kate had. Kate
walked out in the yard and
WATCHED THEM THROUGH THE WINDOW,
until the set was nearly over, Going to
her father, she borrowed his pocket
knife, and concealing it in the folds of
her dress, walked up.to her husband and
Mrs. Cowart just as the dance closed, and
remarking, You have danced enough"
whipped cut the knife and plunged it up
to the hilt in Mrs. Cowart's shoulder,
severiag one of the arteries running from
the neck. She then slashed her dress
across the left breast, the blade of the
knife cutting through the upper portion
of the heart. Mrs. Cowart fell dead
without speaking a word, and Kate
like an infuriated tigTess,
jumped on the dead body, ripped open
the abdomen, and would have literally
hacked it to pieces, il some one bad not
her attention by calling out,
in an authoritative way, What man
killed this Womau2" Kste Southern
drew herself up proudly, and said def
antly, am the man that did it.; and
ought to have done it long ago." One of
lac foor.managers called out that no one
must be allowed to leave the room until |
he matter vas fully invest gattd. At {