River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-05-18
4 Tragic ROMANCE.

For some months past Albert Drake
of St. Paul a well. connected youth of
16. has been in the agonies of first
love with Miss Jennie Faulkner, aged |
Is. daughter of highly respected fans-
ily. The affair having assumed more |
dangerous form thana schoolmate at |
tachment, the mother of the girl for |
babe the lad the house and further |
association with her child. She had no
further objection than the youth of the
parties. Drake asked the girl to eiope
with him, but she declared her intention
to obey her mothers mandate, having
broken the news to her lover in person
gently but firmly. The lad accused her
of having deserted him for another
rival and they separated in anger.
The next day the girl was returning
| from school, when she met Drake and
spoke pleasantly to him. He was white
with passion, and made no further
response to her salutation than to draw
murderous A calibre bulldog pistol and
fire it point blank at her face. Although
they were but few feet apart, his aim
failed him, and the girl turned on her
heel and ran down the street. The boy
followed her, firing as they ran, until
gentleman caught the girl in his arms
and ran into a house with her. Drake
came quickly upon the scene and de-
manded admittance, but was refused.
In the meantime party was In pursuit
of him, and he fled from them. In his
fight he fired a shot at himself without
effect. As the pursuers were gaining on
him, he SUDDENLY stopped, grasped the
pistol in both hands, and, laying the
muzzle against his forehead, fired and
fell dead upon the street. The girl
Jennie Faulkner was found at her cosy
home this evening and interviewed by
The Times reporter. ''He is dead, then"
she said breathlessly, and continuing:
"Poor fellow, am so sorry. You see
Albert and / have been keeping COM
pany occasionally for the last eight
months, and lately he has been COM
ing to the house. Mamma objected to
this not because it was be but because
of my age. She thought was too young
to be keeping company, ana had 70
toll .%lee-. 90. That was some days ago
Several times since / have met him
and he accused me of throwing him
over for some other boy, which was
only the result of his jealousy. He
| R6S SuCl1 d l1lCG3 QulCb wy, anu
ma aud the rest of us liked him so
much, did not want TO hurt his feelings,
but bad to tell him that he must not
come to see me. This morning, while on
my way to school, met him near the
school-house and he spoke to me very
pleasantly, walking quite a distance
with me, but before We separated he
again spoke of my treating him badly,
and laughed at him, calling him
foolish fellow did not see him again
until school was out in the afternoon,
when l met him on Pine street, near
Eighth. Ispoke to him, but he did no
answer | then noticed that he was very
pale, his face wearing an expression
that never saw before. was even
then frightened, for was for some
reason afraid of him, but before | had
chance to pass he raised revolver to
nv face. | was so startled that before
he fred had drawn back. He missed
me and / ran down Eighth street, he
closely behind, firing, | think. two
more shots. Near Waconta some gen
tleman ran out and took me in store.
What happened after that cannot tell,
as | tainted, and was soon after on my
way home. heard that Bert had shot
himself, but could not believe it. Poor
fellow and he was such nice boy,
too"
Mrs Faulkner, Jennie's mother, reit
Grated her daughters statement that
she always liked Albert, as he was
quiet, gentlemanly little fellow, and
her only objection to his going with
|, Jennie was that she thought her daugh-
} ter of too tender years to be the recip-
: lent of the attentions of anyone.
Young Drake was well known and
liked by large number of youthful
associates, all of whom are unanimous
in expressing the greatest surprise that
) such quiet lad could perform SO hor-
rible deed. He was an attendant at
the Curtis business college, and was
noted for his good behavior and studi-
GUS habits. How or where he obtained
the weapon is unknown. His father
stated that he must have secured it
within the past few days. He had
never known his son to use or carry
firearms before The remains after be-
ing removed to the morgue were viewed
by hundreds of idle curiosity seekers
who found strange delight in gazing
on the CHASTITY figure lying still in death,
with garments all blood stained and
soiled.