Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-05-10
Murder. suicide, = ccident-whIch ?

/ Murder, Suicide, Accident-WhIch ?
Last Wednesday night about o'clock the
usual quietude of our orderly and unsensa-
4 tional city was disturbed by the startling
rumOr that a most shocking and blood
curdling murder had just been perpetrated
at the Southern Hotel. Excitement ran rife
and various and conflicting rumors were
rapidly circulated as to who the parties in
the deadly drama were and the cause and
circumstances that led to the untimely
death of young and handsome woman.
We joined the horde of morbid sensation
seekers who rushed to the hotel, and amid
the noise and babel of many questiOners
and the conflicting statements of the know
ing ones, gained the following brief facts,
which we think are substantially correct.
On Friday morning, the I'd inst, man
and woman arrived here on the morning
train and registered at the Southern Hotel
as John II. Nerkel and Emma Draudt, Lou
isyille, KY. They were assigned to separate
rooms and nothing strange or unusual was
noticed in their department towards each
other. They seemed to be acquaintance
and were seen to converse together at table
and in the parlOrs. They left for Nashville
Saturday morning by rail, but returned
Tuesday evening on the steamer Cooke and
registered again at the Southern, this time
as man and wife, at the same time stating
that they had been married in Nashville.
They remained at the hotel until the night
of the fatal tragedy. Shortly before it oc-
CURED they went out, apparently for a short
walk and after having been absent a few
minutes returned to the hotel and went i'm
mediately to their room. y few moments
afterwards Mrs. Northington, who happened
to be in an adjoining room 20 the couple,
was startled by the loud report of what she
supposed was the discharge of pistol or the
bursting of a lamp. She FASTENED down
stairs and spoke to her husband, who i'm
mediately rushed up the steps to room No.
80, which is situated just at the head of the
stairs. The door was locked. He turned
the knob violently and beat for admittance,
but met with no response, except what
seemed to be hysterical means and crys.
He turned to go down for assistance, but
met Mr.. Wood, of the hotel, and another
gentleman. They all returned to the door,
which they now found open. They entered
and beheId to their horror the woman lying
stretched upon the floor with "A CHASTITY
wound in her forehead, situated about one
inch above her left eye. She was dead but
still warm; the warm life-biood was still
trickling from the wound, which was evil
IDENTIFY pistol shot Her face around her
left eye was badly powder-burnt, showing
how close the pistol must have been. The
man was down on his knees beside her,
with his arms thrown about her, calling pit
eousiy TO her and engaging in loud demon
STATIONS of grief A Smith Il WcSson patent
revolver was lying upon small table in the
room, with one chamber empty. DR.. Shap-
L.
minutes after. He probed the wound and
gave 1t rs his opinion that the ball went di-
rectly through the brain. She is supposed
never to have spoken after the fatal shot.
Capt. Phillips arrested Merkel and took
him TO Jail. He protests his innocence; says
that 1t was an accident; that he and his wife
had Just returned from q walk and were
about to retire; that he took his pistol from
his pants pocket ard handed it to her and
that just as she laid or rather pitched it upon
the table it was discharged. We will make
no comments, tleave everyone TO his own
inference.
The young woman was apparently about
eighteen years of age, blonde, and when
in the bloom and glow of life said TO be
rather pretty. She had no acquaintance or
friends here, was an entire stranger. She
had a step-father in Louisville, who was tel
egraphed to- but replied that he could not
bear the expense of her burial. She was
buried by the county Inst Thursday after
noon at o'clock at the old City Cemetery.
Merkel was slightly known here, having
worked here some years ago at his trade.
carpentering.
The verdict of the COroner's Jury was that
she came to her death by pistol shot at the
hands of John II. Merkel.