Smyrna times., 1879-06-11
A Psychological Curiosity.

The trial of Miss Lily Duer for killing
Miss Ella Hearn began this day two weeks
at Snow Hill, Maryland. 1t will be re.
membered that the tragedy in question
took place last November. The two young
women were schoolmates. At the time of
her death Miss Hearn was about seventeen
and Miss Duer twenty years of age. The
murdered girl was very sweet and feminine
and her slayer is said to be conspicuously
otherwise. Between the two a strange and
morbid attachment existed, which seems,
however, to have been rather one-sided.
In other words, the one loved, as the
French say, and the other permitted her
telf to be loved. A suspicion to this effect
seems to have grown up in the mind of
Lily, whose devotion to Ella knew no
bounds, and who was fearful not only that
she was insufficiently esteemed but that
the object of her affection cared for some
one else. The displeasu?e Of Lily was ag-
gravated by her belief that this some one
was not a man, but another woman. One
day she charged her companion with this
unworthy weakness. She had wished Ella
to walk with her and the other declined.
"Why will you not walk with me?" she
asked. "Do you not love me?" "Oh,
yes" replied the girl, ~ love you, but l
am afraid Of your ''Do you love Mr..
--?" demanded Lily. Ella made no
| reply. "Do you love Miss Foster, any
better than me?" Ella said, "Yes." This
seems to have stung Miss Duer to fury.
Don't say that" she cried; 'don't say
that" and rushed wildly about the room
Then presently, "If you say that again |
will shoot you" The threat was accom-
panied by the exhibition of pistol. Ella
screamed in terror. "Oh! don't shoot me
please, Lily" she entreated; "don't shoot
me; will 60 with you-l will love you" Il
was too late. The weapon was dischared
and Ella fell weltering in blood. Sh,
fingered for some time, but died on tn,
9th of December. Her story to her friend
willie she yet lived included the details w
have rected. The sad tale naturally causeC
great excitement, and this has been re
vived by the approach of the trial.
| The case may be called one of psyche
logical curiosity. 1t certainly involve
features which, whether or not they ar
more frequent than is commonly supposed
and to whatever of evil they may have led
have yet, as a rule, stopped short Of murder
We are told by a contemporary journal tina
wonder was excited that any girl could Low
| q woman so unsexed as Miss Duer appeare
to De. She smoked, it seems, and eve
| liked tobacco in other forms. Her dresse
were worn very short, and she had JACKIE
like boys, which had pockets usual
"flled with tobacco or liquorice." Sh
wors boys hat, whick she always "tippet
when acknowledging salute" She neve
cared for the society of the sterner se1
''bu. would make love like Romeo to he
female friends" young lady who kne
her well says that it was favorite theor
of hers that two women could be quite
happy and get along quite as well marie
| as a woman and a man. In outdoor spor
"she excelled all her lady friends" an
could Jump, shout and play baseball
we'll as any young man in the town. Sh
| always carried a pistol and was an expe
shot. All her dresses were made with
R pocket for this weapon, and it is said tn
on oae occasion she even sought to provol
| duel with one of the obnoxious opposi
{. sex.
10 How far these eccentricities and mai
N others that we need not name may JUST
| or sustain plea of insanity in the jud
ment, of the court remains to be see
Morbid manifestations Of this kind ha
{. not teen unheard of before, and their
l casiooal appearance in schools and semir
ries constitutes not the least of the di
cultits with which the teachers a
guardians of young women have at tin
10 contend. If, however, there is anythi
. in the case of Miss Lily Duer to warrant
- beine set apart, that is to say, as one
mental alteration, it must be not on
- | count of facts so far made known, but
= cause Of circumstances that have not
been brought before our attention.