The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-16
THE BRIDE OF A YEAR AGO.
A Young Mother Sentenced to Death for Murder
Done Through Jealousy.

A Young Mother Sentenced to Death for Murder
Done Through Jealousy.
Soon after the marriage of Robert So
thern, handsome but wild young fellow,
to Miss Kate Hambrick, a party was
given at the home of her father, Mr..
Hambrick, in the fall of 1876 in Pckens
county. All the bellies and heaux Of the
neighborhood were invited and attended
Among the number was beautiful young
woman, named Narcissa Cowart. She,
it seems, was one of those handsome
country girls, who, knowing her charms,
delighted in making conquests of men,
but never dreaming that harm would in
any way result Gay and lighted. heart.
ed, she pursued the merry dance from
early evening till late at midnight At
that fatal hour she danced her last time
with Mr.. Sothern. Kate, his wife, it
appears, had become jealous of the beau
tiful Narcissa, and early in the evening
Informed her husband that be must not
dance with Miss COwart or speak to her
during the night To this, it seems, he
assented, but at l2 O'clock, to the aston.
ishment of Mrs. Sothern, she behel1
Miss Narcssa COwart upon the floor
with her husband. SShe calmly walked
up to her husband and informed him he
had promised to dance that set with her.
lie demonstrated, but she persisted. At
length, finding that the two were deter
mined to dance through the set, the jeal.
Qua young wife turned and walked quiet
ly outside to her father, and demanded
the loan IF his knife. Her father inquir-
ed for what purpose she wanted it, She
replied, "ro cut tooth brush" Re
minding her that it was rather late to be
cutting tooth brushes, he reluctantly
handed her his large pocket knife. Re-
turning to the dance room, she found the
dance had stopped. Watching with fren
2ied eye, she soon espied the object of
her jealous rage alone, dancing across
the room. Seizjug her by the shoulder
and one hand, she exclaimed "You
have danced enough" and brandishing
a knife a moment over her own shOul-
der, she plunged it deep into the girls
neck. The warm blood shot from the
wound to a wall five feet distant. Three
blows were dealt, and she lay dead on
the floor.
Confusion and amazement we're never
greater. Some one asked to know who
the man was that did it. Mrs. Sothern
exclaimed firmly, II am the man that
did iIw The excited people rushed to
the door and said no ore should pass.
Southern at once took his wife by the
arm and said, Gentlemen, | am going to
leave this house, and take my wife"
His remarks were made emphatic by the |
exhibition of a dangerous looking pistol |
in his hand The people allowed them
to pass. Sothern and his wife made
good their escape, and though Miss Co.
warts family offered are ward Of $3.50 for
their arrest, aud the Governor added |
$3.50, a year elapsed before any tidings |
were made public of the fugihves. In
January they were found in Franklin
North Carolina. The history Of
their escape and capture is very roman
tic, and they were considering the pro-
priety ofreturning and giving themselv
over to the law when arrested. At the
time of her capture, in January last, Mrs.
Sothern had her first child in her arms
The whole family were placed in Pick
ems jail, together with two or three 9TH
ers engaged in the affair. Last week at
Pickens County Superior Court the case
against Kate Sothern was taken up for
trial, Judge George N. Lester presiding.
The case occupied four days in trial. Ev.
cry particle of evidence possible on Ell
ther side was brought out, and every le.
gal point was hoty contested, After an
exhaustive trial, on Saturday, the 2Sth,
the young bride of a year ago was found
guilty of murder, and was sentenced to
be hanged on June 2lst. The woman
held her child in her arms during the
trial. When sentence was pronounced
she was completely overcome A mo-
ton for new trial was made, and will be
heard on Monday, the 18th inst. 1t is
more than probable the case will reach
the Supreme Court.
Should Mrs. Sothern be hanged she
will be the second woman hanged in
Georgia. And in view of the severe CEN
sures meted out to Governor Smith for
permitting Miss Susan Eberhardt to be
hanged, it is reasonable to suppose that
Governor Colquitt will have to be thor
oughly convinced of the justice before
he will allow her to hang.-Atlanta Con-
StitutiOn.