Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-05-10
The Bride Of a Year Ago

YOUNG MOTHER SENTENCED TO
DEATH FOR MURDER DONE THROUGH
JEALOUSY.
Soon after the marriage of Mr.. hoDert
Sothern, a handsome but wild young man,
to Miss Kate Hambrick, ball OF party
w..s given at the dwelling OF her 1ather,
Mr., Hambrick in the fall of 1876 IN flck-
ems county, Ga. All the bellies and beaux OF
the neighborhood were invited, ana at
tended. Among the number was Deautlful
young woman By the name OF Narclssa
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 light-hearted,
she pursued the merry dance from early
evening until the hour of midnight. At
that fatal hour she danced her last time
with Mr.. S0thern. Kate, his wife, 1t ap-
pears. had become Jealous OF the beautiful
Narcissa. and eally in the evening inform
ed her husband that he must not dance
with Miss COWart or speak to her during
the night. To this. it seems, he assented.
but at II O'Clock, TO the establishment of
Mrs. Sotlern, SHE beheld Miss Cowart
upon the floor dancing with her husband.
She calml- walked up to her husband and
informed h m that he had promised to
dance that set with her He remonstrat-
ed, but she persisted. At length tind1ng
that the Two were determined to dance
through tine set, the jealous wife turned
and quietly walked outside to her father,
and asked the loan of his knife. Her ia
e. r Tod
it. She replied Ito cut a toothbrush y
Reminding her that it was rather late to
be cutting tooth brushes, he reluctantly
handed her his large pocket-knife.
Returning to the dance-rOom she found
that the dance was over. Watching with
frenzied eye she soon espied the object OF
her jealous rage alone, dancing across the
room. Selling her by the shoulder with
one hand she exclaimed: You have danced
enough" and brandishing the knife mo-
ment over her own shoulder, she plunged
it deep into The girls neck. The warm
blood shot from the wound to a wall five
feet distant. Still another blow was dealt,
and the sharp knife penetrated deep into
the girl fell, and she lay dead on the floor
Confusion and amazemenJ were never
greater. Some one asked to know who
was the man that struck that woman.
Mrs. Sothern exclaimed firmly, II am the
man that did it!'' The excited people
rushed to the doors and said that no one
should pass. Sothern 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
him to pass. Sothern and his wife made
good their escape, and though Miss Co
warts family offered a reward of $3.50 for
4 year elapsed before any tidings were
made public of the fugitives. Then, in
January, they were found in Franklin CO..
North Carolina. The history of their es
cape and capture is very romantic, and
they were considering the propriety of re.
turning and giving themselves over to the
law when arrested. At the time Of he1
capture, in January last, Mrs. Sothern haG
her first child in her arms a
The whole family were placed in Pick
ems jail, together with two or three, other
engaged in the affair. Last week at Pick
ems County Superior Court the case against
Kate Sothern was taken up for trial
Judge George N. Lester presiding. The
particle Of evidence possible on either sidt
was brought out, and every legal point
was holly contested. After an exhaus
tive trial, on Saturday the 2Sth, the young
bride of year ago was found guilty Of
murder and was sentenced to be hanged
on the 2lst of June. The woman held hel
child in her aims throughout the trial
When sentence was pronounced, she was
completely overcome. "A motion for q
new trial was made, and will be heard OF
| Monday, the 18th inst. 1t is more thai
probable that the case will reach the Su
preme Court.-Atlanta Constitution, Ma!
3rd