The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-31
TRYING A GIRL FOR MURDER
ELLA HEARN'S DEATH At THE HANDS
or HER FRIEND Lille DUER.

The shooting Ciaimed 60 Have Been the
Result Of Accidental Case that IL Extra
3 Ordinary In Whatever Aspect n is Viewed.
Tho trial OF Miss Lille Duer for the MUIR
der OF her intimate friend. Miss Hearn. was
begun on Thursday in the Circuit Court for
Worcester County Maryland. 1t has brought
such throngs to Snow Hill that not only the
court room. but the town itsolf is crowded. In
tho court room and the approaches to 1t tho
crush approaches sufocation. Miss Duer was
In court on the first day and has not since been
absent. She wears a lght-colored out-of-door
suit. velvet trimmed. and fastened high at
tho throat. black silk bonnet and long
black feather. and green veil that
completely eonceals her face. Her sister
Matilda. half through her teens. accompanies
her. and her father and mother occupy seats
near her chair. They are all country bred but
show it more in their faces than in thor dress
or manners. The father. particularly. is sun
burned and sandy haired. On the opposite
Side OF the room. also within the rail. Mrs.
Hearn. the mother Of tho girl whom Lille Duer
Is said to have shot. sits shrinkingly among
the others as II disturbed by the attention tho
throng bostows upon her. She ia an invalid
and the pallor Of her face is heightened by her
mourning garments. Tho expression Of her
face is melancholy. but kindliness is its main
characteristics
lllllt DutI anu Ella ttuTn WeT' Close CONF
pnnions. hut were alike in hardly anything.
Miss Hearn was n very pretty. very effeminate
girl. several years younger than her companion.
who is 81 or % years old. Lille Duer is mascu-
line even in her dress As schoolgirl she
played BOYS games, smoked cigarettes. wore
jackets like q boys. with pockets containing
what better pcrtaincd 10 masculine pockets than
.hers-cyen to the conccament Of pistol which
she was seldom without. and which she used
with considerable skill. She wore boyish hat.
and her dresses seldom reached below her
ankles. She was seldom in tho COM
pany OF men or boys but was fond
OF paying to her Rlrlish companions the
gallant attentions OF suitor. Shc was fond OF
saying that women should wed with each other
and declared when she was married II would be
10 woman. She was rs often feared IA ad-
mirod among the young women Of her ac-
uuaintance. and II is said OF her that she once
challenged a young woman who offended her
10 fight a duel for honors sake. Both the Duers
and the Hearns live In Newtown and the heads
OF the families are mechanics. They were not
ut all restricted socially. and Miss Hearn was
general favorito and in great demand wherever
young people gathered in the town. The young
women became acquainted at the village high
school. and Lille Duer at once d" fell in love 4"
with her new friend. They were together every
day. and Miss Duers behavior was always that
OF a passionate lover toward the companion.
whose mind and movements she seemed TO have
mastered.
Miss Duer's behavior annoyed Miss Hearn
who seems to have been always anxious to
break up the companionship and always half
afraid OF her strange companion. Miss Hearn
left Miss Duer once last summer after they had
been walking In the woods together and. re-
tracing h?r steps. was about to, return home
alone. Miss Duer commanded her to re-
turn. but Miss Hearn continued 70 move
to and. after. second command and a
warning. fired three times, tho bullets passing
30 close 10 tho girls head that she heard them
as they cut through the air. Aiterward Miss
Duer declared she was only Ia fun, but would
SsyS SSSS rsd more aSsgby hq1 S SbS sU b
summer Miss Duer retained her power over
her companion. who is said to have attempted
Miss HeOrn was shot on tho 9th OF Nov. while
she was bidding Miss Dner good-by at, her
visit was paid in the presence Of Mrs Hearn.
Mhen Mss pusr rose to go, Miss
The girls had bcen sulen toward each other,
md Miss Duer had, with great rudeness.
upon %heR sRe her Sas engaged MRS HsSrn
heard them laughing al the door, however. and
supposed they were on good terms again a
OF pistol and her daughter staggered back TO
the doorway q, the sitting room; threw, up her
hands. and fell back upon the ,hQor. She had
bathed in blood Mrs. Hcarn ran from the
Ms bGer ha Gone SE rfe Hean rnS was
20 her bed, and became delirious. remaining 50
Tor more more, than week. She died four weeks
Mise Duer was arrested. and the Coroners
Jury found a, verdict OF murder against her.
She expressed sorrow for what she had done,
but declared tina. the shooting was accidental.
She says she invited Miss Hearn to take walk
with her. and was met with refusal. She adds
that she begged her friend 10 20, but was
again and again refused. tInnlly she ATTEMPTED
TO kias her companion. but Miss Hearn would
not allow her TO- Then, and thus far there has
been no better explanation. she was eNamn-
accepted explanation Of the act is that Miss
Hearn, upon being asked the POI blank qucs-
lion whether she loved any one better than she
nnd was shot in consequence Of the passion
this aroused in her companion. This is. how
ever. only tho talk Of the village.
1t is stated on no particular authority. that
shortly after the incident with the pistol in the
and. IN passionate tones. asked her u marry
her Miss Hearn was irlRhieped. and fleeing
from the parlOr, locked herself IN hor bedroom
Sho was afterward indicted by the Grand Jury
Prosecuting Attorney Townsend. In opening
tho trial. chAracterzed the killing as cold
bloodel and deliberate. Miss Duer listened %
his address with apparent composnre. She riy-
eted her gaze on tho attorney, and occasionally
she feared 10 did not follow in the attorneys
Ella liearns mother was the nrst witness
Her testimony occupied the r9malnder OF
InufsdNf session. Nlo teSlHcu 10 Llle INcis
of Miss Duers visit on the day Of the shooting
After the girls went out Of tho sitting room she
heard the fail Of a heavy body on tho hallway
hOor and arose to see what Occasioned IT, Then
she heard the laughter Of the visitor and her
daughter and sat down again. In a short time
She heHrd the report or pistol, she testified
and again started for the passage. but before
She got there the door WAS opened. Her
daughter opened il and met her with her
mouth bleeding md holding hcr false teeth
In her hand. she tried TO get mold OF
witness, and, followed her, several times
around a tQDle CRYING. - Oh don't ~
Witness ran out Of the sitting room and cried
for help. After tho shooting. her daughter
became very nervous and prOstrated. and
during the lrst week OF her sickness was most
OF her time not rational, but after the first week
she was rational all the time. She died fouI
weeks and three days after being shot. During
the first week she spoke about going 70 Phila-
delphia. II she could got well enough. as she
thought she could get cured there but during
tho latter part Of her sickness she talked about
dying; said sho was going 10 die, wanted 70 die
md must die. She asked tho witness not 10 DC
anything moro for her She did not want 70
tako any more medicine. and wanted 70 die
rational-she wanted to know whom she died.
The witness then testified 10 the medicines
that were administered. and TO tho agony and
delirium tho wound caused II was then pro-
posed tD submit tho dying declarations OF the
Girl Tho inevg,ara for the dnfeuen DrOmi6gd Ia