Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-12-12
A Young Lawyer Executed for the Murder
of His Sweetheart.

A Young Lawyer Executed for the Murder
of His Sweetheart.
On Friday last Andrew Tracy, a young
lawyer, was executed at Smithport, Pa
for the murder of Miss Catherine Reilly,
his sweetheart and also his cousin, a little
over a year ago. He belonged to an honor
able family, and graduated at Allegheny
College, N. Y. He had two brothers who
were priests, one of whom was with thu
condemned man all night previous to hi
execution.
Tracy had been paying attention to Mis-
Reilly for two years, and many letters
passed between them, hers being filled
with expressions of fondness. She hal
also corresponded with Thomas Carroll
who declares that she was engaged to him
and that Tracy had knowledge of thu
fact. The murder was committed on thu
night of September IS, 1878, while Miss
Reilly was on her way to the house of Mis-
Belle Mullen, who was by her side whel
the fatal shot was fired. During the even
ing Miss Reilly and Miss Mullen had paie
several visits 10 the millinery store OF thu
murderer's sister in the town. Tracy wal
about the house at the tine, and Mis-
Reilly treated him in the most respectful
manner. A short time before she wa
murdered she asked him to play an &C
compartment on the piano to song sht
had been requested to render. Although
a good performer, and generally disposed
to play, he declined to grant her request
She then sang for his qualification, bu
had only half completed the song when b,
left the room.
Miss Reilly had accepted the invitation
of Miss Mullen to stay with her all night
and they walked together. AS they ap
preached their destination they hearG
footsteps behind them, and soon after
some one whom they did not recognize
because OF the darkness, discharged a re.
volver. and Miss Reilly fell to the sidewalk
In less than half an hour she was a corpse
death having ensued from bullet wound
in her left temple. Miss Mullen, who haG
.Old OF the murdered girls arm when the
shot was fired, was stunned and also fel
to the sidewalk Tracy fled, and was ar
rested two days after at Portville. N. Y.
where he was passing under an assumed
name. After he Was secured he admitted
his guilt. During his confinement ht
spent most of his time in reading and
writing. He composed a long poem i1
blank verse, entitled the 'InvOcation. ,
the purpose of which was to show that as
men know so little of God, it is not strange
that they miSjudge the human heart and
the impulses of the mind.
On Friday last he spent NEST of the
morning in devotional exercise, there be-
ing five priests in attendance. He Wa;
conducted to the scaffold at P. NJ, and
ten minutes later the Sheriff sprung the
trap. The murderer dropped through the
unfolded doors, but, through some bland-
OF, the knot of the moose became unfas
ten by the jar, and Tracy fell heavily to
the floor. A new rope was obtained, the
partially unconscious man was lifted to
the platform, and the second attempt
proved effectual, breaking his neck.
In his dying statement published in full
ia the papers of the next day, and occupy
ing some three columns, Tracey gives a
connected and well written history of his
courtship and engagement Of marriage tC
his victim; tue opposition to the match by
the girls family, using for q pretext the
c0nsang1inity OF the parties, and freely
discusses the fathers declaration that s.ht
would sacrifice her life to prevent their
marriage" He states that the man te
whom her parents had engaged her liz
marriage was a debauchee of the worst
character. His repeated and partly sue.
CcOSlu VI dLttluptS lOE lutcINl6WS Win Ills
victim; his final conclusion that she was
to be forced by her father to marry his
rival, and his final fatal shot to prevent
her from worse than death, are thus de.
scribed: II therefore prepared a note,
with some verses annexed, which 1 meant
to have given her at the first opportunity
l could do 81 unobserved by others. The
object OF the note was to reawaken her bet
ter feelings. dreaded the task, fearing
lest she would treat me haughtily l had
been drinking freely that day, and drank
more then, hoping thereby to acquire a
holiness knew l did not pos ess. By
andby she and another young lady walked
out OF the store and up the street. After
some time had elapsed | followed them,
thinking what excuse l should make.
Another person accompanied me, aud |
think he talked, but knew not one word he
was saying. l had almost caught up with
them, when suddenly they increased their
pace. This thought was done to shun
me. 1 became maddened so that realized
nothing at the last moment My hopes
were dragged in the dust and left me wild,
desperate, uncomfortable, and, in fact, a
mailman. The rest l need not tell, the
sad results of which l had never dreamed.
All the subsequent SANDER, injustice, big
otry and prosecution of which | was the
victim are known TO the world. | will adj
NIT that had often before felt that I
should rather see her dead than degra-
ded.'i