The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-05-17
A WOMAN 10 BE HANGED.
The Story Of Jealous wife's Crime
Sentenced to the Seafold-Will She
Hang?
Atlanta special to the Chicago Times

Southern, the Pickens county murder
ess. The history of the crime 70
which she was convicted is a thrilling
tale of jealousy. During the Christ
mas holidays of 1876 Kate Southern
a newly married bride, stabbed an'
killed Mrs. Narcissa COwart at pub
lie ball at Jasper, Pickens county
Kate HRmbright, the daughter of
well-tO-dO farmer, and the acknowl
edged belle of what is known as thu
mountain counties" i'm the northern
part of the State, after long and per
sistent courtship allowed Mr.. South
ern to lead her to the altar. Though
| Kate had scores of suitOrs she was no
more popular than "Bob." He wa,
handsome, well-foTmed, gOOd.hearted
reckless, young, and better fitted fol
breaking hearts than for any practi-
cal business. Principal among the
rivals of Kate Hambright was Mrs
Narcissa Cowart,
| GRASS WIDOW,
who had known and loved young
Southern, and who, it is said, was di-
NOrced from her husband with the
hope of marrying Bob" Southern
| After Bob and Kate were married
Mrs. COWart encouraged Southern in
his attentions To her more than ever.
"Bob' being fiRttered by her cncour-
agement, and thinking lightly about
his wife's complaints about talking to
Mrs. COwart, laughed at his wife he
ing jealous of his "old sweetheart" "
and became more devoted and con-
spicuOus III his attentions TO her. The
| newly married wife, seeing or bellev-
ing that an old rival was trying to
SnnI1lult hon. IN, ha,.
tiOnS before the hOneYmOOn had fairly
commenced, not only grieved in Sc .
cret, but complained frequently to her
husband and near relatives about
Bob" and Mrs. Cowart being tugeth-
er so much. Her complaints doing
no good, she went to Mrs. COwart,
with whom she had never been friend
ly, and appealed to her not to persist
in encouraging his attentions and try
ing to destroy the happiness of her
home by coming between man and
wife. This interview is reported to
have been rather stormy, and the ri
ValS parted with anything but friendly
feelings. 1t is said that in this intor-
view Mrs. COwaTt said, "NVhat if do
part man and wife. Was ] not
DIVORCED FOR HIS SAKE"
Mrs. Southern, seeing her appeal to
Mrs. COwart had done no good, pXac-
ted promise from her hWsl.and that
lie would never speak To Mrs. COwart
further than pOliteness required
Soon after this, and only about three
months after she was married, a Christ
mas party was given At Mr. HAM
hright's tkate's father. During the
day Kate heard that Mrs. Cowart had
said that she intended dancing with
Southern that night in spite of his
wife. Kate, after this, went 10 her
husband and attempted to get hlm to
promise not TO dance with "that wo-
man." as she called her. "BOb," i'll
stead of granting the request, teased
her about being Jealous. After the
crowd had assembled, Kate, meeting
Mrs. COwart in the dressing-ruom,
begged h0r not to encourage her hus-
band if he made advances 10 her
Mrs: D4wart Feplied tauntingiy that
he needed no encouragement. Late
that night Kate came into the ball
room and was surprised to see her hus-
band and Mrs. COwart at the head set
that was forming e ;,anre. sha hur-
iifli arI4ss the rOOn and reminded
her husband that he had an engage
ment with her for that set, Mrs COW
art spoke up, declaring that she inten-
ded dancing that set with Mrs. South
ern, saying something about having
known him mnch longer than Kate
had. Kate walked out il tAY yard
and
WATCHED 4HROUGH TIE WINDOW,
until the set was nearly over, Glng
to her father, she borrowed his pocket,
knife, and oOncealing il in the folds of
her dress, walked up to her husband
and Mrs. Cowart Just as the dance
closed, and alking, "You have
danced enough" whipped out the
knife and plunged 1t up to the hilt ia
Mrs. COwart's shoulder, ssVering one
Of the arteries from the neck. She
then slashed her 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 Southern, like an IN.
furIated tigress, iumFGd 4Il the dead
body, rlnpeI 9pen the abdomen, and
wo.Ild have literally hacked it to
pieces, If some one had not attracted
her attention by calling out, in an au-
thOritatiVe way, "What man killed
this woman?" Kate Southern drew
herself up proudly, and said detantly,
81 am the man that did it; and
ought to have done it long ago. One
of the floor managers called out that
no one must be allowed To leave the
room until the matter was fully i'll
vestigated. At this juncture Southern
stepped up to Kate, and putting one
arm around her, drew pistol with the
other, pointing to the doorway,
which by this time was filed with
people, and said in a determined way,
1--WE are going out that way if | have
-
SHOOT OUR WAY THROUGH"
His brother hy this time was at his
side, pistol in hand, to share his iato.
The crowd RAPIDLY moved back, and
Bob Southern, his wife, and brother
left the house, and that night left the
country in disguise, and made their
way to Marion county, North Carroll
na. During their stay there a child
was born, which now shares their uaI,-
tivitv. \ fPW Hon(na ago they Were
trCedIed While they were on the eve of
leaving their farm for the parpose of
coming back TO Georgia te stand trial,
Everybody seemed tn take y for grant
ed that IT would result III an acquittal.
During the fine days while the trial
was III progress Kate Southern, who
had lost none of her beauty from COM
finement, sat IN the cnh!"tt- room with
her child (about months old in her
arms. The child, unconscious of the
terrible reality of her surroundings,
smiled at everybody, and played and
tOyed with kate's hands, rings, etc,
almost necessarily. The scene was
ali affecting one. The father of the
murdered woman was in the court
room most of the time, and toward
the close of the trial seemed to SYM
pathise with Kate as much as any
one. When the
SENTENCE OF DEATH
was nIonounped Oh her, he wept inl-
moderately. She is now under SEN
tence to hang on the 2lst of June. \
motion for new trial will he made
OH the 18th inst. The case will then
go to the Supreme Court. In case the
Supreme Court affirms the decision of
the court below, she will be re-sen-
fenced To- hang some tinle hI October.
Here comes another serious cOmplica-
ton. 1t has been discovered that Mrs.
Southern is now pregnant, expecting
confinement during the latter part of
October or the first of November, and
the laws of this State declare that no
woman shall be hung while quick with
child. Hence s. delay IuGst EeceSsa-
rily lie made. Its safe, | think, TO
say in advance that she will never be
I,,,,r Ilov Emifh p,tt. Loot l.Cv-e.a-