Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-02-03
A KISS OF DFATH.

Wtfe Fatally Embraces Her i,end
HusbaIad-Sars. Emma n Careless,
Devotion-She Attempts Her Life
With "a Pistol bui Dies of The SMaII-
pOx.
Philadelphia Evening News OF Saturday
Coroner Jauney this morning invesl-
gated the cause of the doath OF Mrs
Emma L Careless who wGs reported to
have taken her own life from 0ri, at The
death of her husband. The evidence
showed that Mrs Careless wes % years Of
age and of prepossessing apoe.rauco
She was married in 1876 In the cnrly
part of last we X har husba1i. Georga
Careless, Jr, was stricken down with
sickness. Il WAS mol a, tiyst known from
what he WIS suffering. At length,
however, it was discovered ho bud q
severe case of smallpox He waH
tenderly nursed at his fathers house by
his wife. IL ,pi of ali the efforts made
to restore him to health he rapidly saLk
lower and louar uatil hq died on lAst
Friday afternoon.
A wIFE's DEv lTI5N
During her hus' and's sickness Nrs
Careless would scarcely leave the room
Every whim Of the patient was humored
by tho tender wife who fingered Mt his
bedside. When all was over, George
Careless, the father of tho decesend, wen,
into the room, aud attempted to lead the
grief watcher away. Mrs Care
less then for the first time seemed to
realize that her husband and the father If
her two little children was really dead
She sprang from her fsther-in-isws arms
aud embraced the body lying rigid on the
bed, passionstely kissing the lips eyes and
face. No amount Of entreaty could get
her away. He father-in-iaw at length
attempted TO force her from the bedside
She resisted, and when he persisted drew
small pistol from her pocket dquickiy
placing the mu2ae close to her left breast
fired. The ball entered the breast about
an inch below the nipple, glanced off on
the tifth rib, passed downward ard lodged
near her spinal column. This was between
8 and O'clock on Friday afternoon at The
house of George Careless, Sr., No 1880
Daren street.
DETERMINED TO DIE.
For moment after the shooting Dir.
Careless was too huIritied to do anything
when he picked the woman up and carried
ber down stairs. A doctor wos immpdi-
ately sent for, but otter the first excite
mont was over the woman seemed to suffer
very little from her wound Sba was
even abba 10 get M aud walk around.
She several times exclaimed, however.
that If that did not kill her she would
shoot herself again. The physician advised
her not to go TO the funeral OF ber hus-
baud on Sunday, but she would not listen
to him. and when her father-in law
seemed to hesitate about taking her, she
told him that II he did not take bcr
to her husbands funeral she would never
forgive him as long ~ she lived. Mr.
Careless was at length prevailed upon, aud
obtaining o carriago. took her to the
funeral Ou Monday Mrs. Careless seemed
sick aud abe was put 10 bed, and on Tues
day she was much worse. 1t vas believed
by those watching her that this sickness
was caused by the wound she had inflicted
on herself. She would not allow any one
to do anything for her, and repeat dly
stated that she was determined to join her
husband She continued to grow worse
until sha died yesterday afternoon
DIR. ATLEE's TESTIMONY.
DIR. William L. Alice testified that be
had attended Mrs. Careless for some years,
and that he had been called in with DR..
Shapleigh to attend her ia ner last sick
ness DR.. Shapieish and himself, be
stated, had both come to the conclusion
that the pistol shot wound had nothing
whatever to do with the death of the
woman; that the bail had lodged where il
could easily be extracted and not in Q
dangerous position; that the woman had
bed by hlood poisoning from smallpox.
How do you think this blood poison
irg was dane, dactor?' asked the coroner.
1T was undoubtedly done when the
woman threw htrsslf uDou the corpse OF
her husband and kissed him. In this way
germs of the disease was impaired te
her"
The jury rendered their verdict il
accordance with the testimony.