The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-09-26
Whites Early History, and His
Life Since Coming to
Missouri.
ae Was, for Several Months, an
Inmate Of the Fulton In
sane Asylum.
Whisky and Jealousy Are the
Probable Causes of the La
mentable Affair.
A Little Son and Daughter Left
Orphans by the Fathers
Bloody Work.

One of the most horrible tragedies ever
enacted in Sedalia Was that which occur
red about FIVE minutes before six o'clock,
last evening, in the yard of the residence of
Mrs DIR. Watson, at the southeast corner
of Main and Massachusetts, streets, when
Mrs Ophelia White gave up her life at
the hands of her husband, Porter White,
who, an instant later, sent q ball crashing
through his own brains, and fell mortally
wounded, death ensuing one hour and three
quarters afterwards.
There were several witnesses to the shoot
ing, all of them being ladies. and a. soon
As
THE FIRST SHOT WAS FIRED
they sent up series of screams that at.
tracsed large crowd, and instantly the ut
most excitement prevailed, and it was
almost impossible to get anything like an
authentic account of the truly lamentable
affair.
Miss Sallie hewitt, q young lady Who
lives with her mother in the house occu.
pied by Mrs. Watson, was an eyewitness
to the tragedy, and although she was Ia
boring under considerable mental excite.
ment, she consented to relste all she knew
She first noticed Mr. White and his wife
coming north on Massachusetts street, he
seemingly desiring her to
STOP AND TALK WITH HIM,
which she was not inclined to do When
they reached the side gate on Massachu-
sets street, viii, h leads 20 Mrs. Wstson's
residence, White took hold of his wife's
shoulder with his left hand and pulled her
around, causing her TO face him, and an
instant later Miss hewitt saw that he had
h revolver in his hand. Mrs. White must
have also made the discovery about the
same time, for she at once sank on her
knees and exclaimed, in a loud voice,
"Don't shoot, Porter" but the
words fell unheeded on the hus-
bsnds ear, and ere they
had fallen from her lips he placed the pis-
tol to her left breast and fired, the ball
taking effect in the upper apez Of the
heart,
DEATH ENSUING INSTANTLY.
Not satisfied that he had accomplished
his bloody work, he fired . second time,
but the ball went wide of its mark, and an
instant later he put the pistol to bis tenn
pie and sent . ball through the head, it
entering on the right side, . little back OF
the temple, in6icting the wound which all
knew would SION prove fatal.
For . few minutes both the murderer
and his victim were permitted to lie in the
yard, where the bodies were viewed BY hun.
dreds. Finally the lifeless form of Mrs.
White was carried into the house, while
White, who was still breathing. was placed
in an express wagon and taken to the
family residence on Pettis street, followed
by q large number of men and boys, where
he breathed his .ast al 7:40 o'clock.
THE CAUSE.
What led to the tragedy seems to be .
mystery. Porter White was born in Logan
county, Kentucky, and was about forty
yearS of age. His wife, nee Miss Watson,
was raised in the same county, and il was
there their courtship began and ended.
There were objections to their marrying,
and an elopemeat was the result, they go
ing to Tennessee, where they were welded,
NO license being required. They then re-
turned to Kentucky, where they resided
until about four years ago, when they re-
moved to Missouri, locating in Cas- coun-
y, where they lived happily until some
thing over . year ago, when White began
showing unmistaksble
SIGNS OF INSANITY.
which is said to be hereditary in his fam.
lily. Mn. White at last feared for her life
and White was taken before the
county court and adjudged insane, and for
several months was an inmate of the
asylum at Fulton. He Was at last dis