St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-07-20
Stripping the Romance Off the
Kate Southern Case.

We give in this paper the evidence
elected in the much talked of trial of
Kate Southern. 1t differs as much as
light and darkness from the sensational
accounts we have been reading in certain
correspondence. There is nothing in the
scenes, the surroundings, nor in the in
cidents to CLEAN 1.-THE of romance.
The whole was fight between two
women, while the gallant Bob Southern
and the rest looked on. They were all
very ignorant people. Kate and her
sister both centered on "Sis" Cowart.
There is no evidence that the man pres
ent tried to part the combatants, nor
does there appear to have been such a
scene as the sentimental writers picture,
of Bob, with pistol in hand, forcing
Kate's way through a crowd. All that
was the Imagination of fancy sketcher.
Kate Southern is not pretty even. She
is medium height, about twenty years
of age, and has dark brown hair and the
twang of North Georgia cracker. She
is very ignorant, can hardly read and
write, and Bob is worse educated than
she. Kate is passably goodlooking, and
wears imitation jet. She says the wit
nesses swore lies against her; that she
acted in self-defense that she can not
dance, and that night at her fathers was
the "fust time she ever seed real rum"
She is now on the plantation of Colonel
Smith, in Washington county, and will
be employed in the household, cooking
and washing for the convicts who work
on the plantation. The six.months
" baby" is sick-teething-and that now
requires most of her time. She says no
money has been sent her from the north.
Her health is bad.
Her sixteen-year-old sister, sentenced
to two years as an accessory to Hates
crime, has been in Colonel Smith house
as servant. She is handsome, and has
been taught to read and write by her
kind mistress. On her fathers farm she
worked in the field and drove an OK to
the plow. Her sentence has proved a
blessing.
Bob Southern is nothing but q strong,
good looking animal--a common,
ignorant, boor. He is now a guard to
convicts on the same plantation. The
woman Kate killed was on par with
the rest.
On reading this evidence one feels
utterly disguised with the amount of
sentimental twaddle that has been ex-
pended on the case. Not scintilla can
be obtained to excite single expression
of admiration. Why, the parties SUR
rendered themselves to get a reward, and
the understanding was that Hates
mother was to get $50 of the money.
Where even fertile fancy could extract
anything of a romance from an atrocious
crime we can not imagine.
We do not believe there is single
woman, no matter how warm and SYM
pathetic her heart may be, who. after
reading this sworn testimony, will sign
petition for Kate Southern's pardon.
Gov. Colquitt did right. He weighed
the evidence carefully, and displayed
both justice and humanity in his de-
cision. A crime has been committed, a
woman killed another in her fathers
house, after she had been received kindly
by her parents-and then to demand of
the authorities that she shall 60 free is
preposterous. If such an act were par
doned, the doing 50 would be mockery
of law. Crime already has too much
license because the statutes are not en-.
forced Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer.