The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-01
unT HER FRIEND.
a Curious Story Or 10 from the
Eastern Shore Of Maryl..-a
A Romantic Girl on Trial for Shooting Her
Friend Because the Latter Did
Not Love Her Enough.

Friend Because the Latter Did
Not Love Her Enough.
PoKoRNoKE, May &c, 1870.
This place Is greatly excited over the trial
now going on at this place, Of Miss Lille
Duer. She ID charged with shooting a COM
panion, with whom she had been on the dear
est terms Of friendship for q long time. The
case Ia 30 curious, so full OF startling facts,
that this week has been looked forward to
with the greatest interest. Il is not often
that young lad y takes the life OF herinti.1atei
friend out Of pure jealousy. Yet this seems
to have been the motive which caused Miss
Lille Duer to shoot Miss Ella Hearn at this
place. 1t is, perhaps, the strangest case on
record At the time OF the shooting, In No
yember last, Miss Hearn was is years old. In
figure she Was rather stout, yet symmetrical.
Her features were clear cut and pretty, her
hair black and wavy, her eyes brown, large /
and expressive.
one years old, and has lived oil her life In |
NeWtoWn. one Ut the most charming villages |
In this vicinity. She Is by no means pretty, |
and somewhat awk ward IN her movements,
as though her female habilamentS trammeied
her and she would be better able to get about |
In male attire. Her eyes are large and I'm
filnehing; she meets your gaze with steady,
firm, somewhat defiant stare. The face Is
rather thin end Clearly cut, and her forehead
Is strikingly high and broad. Her thin lips
close tightly, which causes the firmness OF
her expression to strike the observer at once
With short and very dark hair, parted at the
side, she wears roll ct the top Of her head.
Altogether the face Is one which would not
fail to excite Interest anywhere. She talks
quite intelligently and with ease appears to
have entire confidence In herself, and acts as
| though she would much prefer to be g man
rather than q woman. During the spring and
summer Of 1878 the two girls were con-
stantly together like sisters. Miss Duer
appears 70 have obtained q mastery over
| her more womanly and Weaker-minded con-
panion. Itseems strange that Miss LEARN
could love such an unsexed being as Miss
Duer appears, from what is told OF her, to be-
| For instance, she smokes; her dresses are
always worn short and with little jacket
i with inside pockets. She wears q boys hat.
| salute. The young girls with whom she assoc
! ciated tell numerous stories OF her curious
4 idiOsynerasies. Shenever cared for the society
OF the sterner sex, and would make hot love
times they would laugh these strange fancies
away, and at others she would brighten them
| with her vehemence and they would run
| away from her. She was always d mystery,
and young lady who knew her well
says that It was favorite. theory OF
4 hers that two women could be quite as happy
and get along quite as well married as q
4 woman and q man. In all outdoor sports
she excelled al1 her lady friends, and could
jump, shout and play base ball as well
as any young man in Che town. She always
4 carried q pistol, and was an expert shot.
| There was q reception at one Of the country
houses near the town last year, at which Miss
Duer was present; She was during the after
noon exhibiting her skill with the pistol,
when lady present rather curtly said that
such sport was in no way becoming wo-
man. Miss Duer said nothing at the time,
but the next day wrote challenge to the fair
critic OF her target sport, insisting that the
, insult should be wiped out in blood, and ask
ing her to name time, place and weapons; no
notice was taken Of the message. and Miss
Duer was about to have the lady posted ae
was dissuaded by her friends, and the matter
4 was dropped. All OF her dresses were made
with q pocket for her pistol, and IT IL certain
that she always carried one and was fond d
was looked upon In this region as bright
Intelligent woman with queer notions thai
I time would correct.
y Of course the neighbours have many tales te
: tell about the old relationship OF the girls
> Says one informant: Upon one occasion
!. while the two girls were In the woods gather
Ing fallen leaves Tor decorative purposes. Miss
] her companion, when she called upon her Il
J wait. Not obtaining instant obedience to hel
4 somewhat abrupt command she called aga1I
Q quite sharply. This second summons wal
, not needed, when without warning Miss Due
9 at the now thoroughly frightened girl"
|. When asked why she shot, the only reply
I was that Il she had not halted then the mex
g shot would have been more effective than th'
] previous ones. From that time Miss HearI
began to be seriously alarmed when In com
pany with her friend, and on one occasion |
y 1t related when she with strange vehemeric
u asked Miss Hearn Ii she did not love her, AM
Se g. a s m 81 e at sa pa on pa
9 where they had been talking and locked her
y self in her room. These little difficultie
= were gotten over finally, however, and the In
= timacy was renewed, but not 30 warmly q
! before, for Miss Duer was constantly com
: planning that "her passionate love was no
q returned, and signing over her .'lost hope
= Of bliss with her dearest friend when the
. would be always together"
Said another informant, mot long befor
y the tragedy there was a young man OF til
y town who began to pay marked attention
y Miss Hearn, about which Miss Duer remor
= strated with her In the most passionate mar
"a ner, telling her that she would shoot the ma
was Miss Foster, whom Miss Hearn was yer
fond OF. One morning the two had taken
u walk together, and upon the return home Mis-
Hearn found note from Miss Duer reques
ing her to call at her house, as she wished
y see her urgently; 80 when the two met MI
Duer asked Miss Hearn to take walk wit
her next day In the woods. With fear Of tt
" possible repetition Of the former shooting
1; her mind she very decidedly refused. Th
DC appeared to arouse all the Ire Of jealousy
Miss Duer's nature and she passionately an
upon her knees begged that her request migl
D be complied with, but In vain.
II The very next day, at an early hour, 1t We
1T and was shown In the sitting ROOM where Il
latter was sitting with her mother. The col
IL versat1on that occurred In the room was OF