The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-09
SAD FATE OF MIR. l.. l.. CONRAD.
Of the Shocking Tragedy
shot While Asleep, and Dying snstanta-
neousiy-ttis Wife's statement-A verdict
Returned of Accidental Causes.

Baltimore. IN WHICH Mi' i' h' N""i"u' q
prominent lawyer, was killed by his wife.
who. il is supposed. was temporarily insane
from suffering. From the San we take the
following details Of The affair:
Lawrence Lewis Conrad. a great-grcat-
nephew of George Washington and gem
tlenan widely known in legal and social
circles In Baltimore, was shot and instantly
Killed bv his wife Tuesday morning about
hall-past | o'clock while peacefully sleep
inc in bed 40 her side. The affair occurred
AT MOnimorenci. the Worthington family
mansion, which is in Worthington Valley,
about two miles from Glyndon, on the
Western MARYLAND railroad, and sixteen
miles from Baltimore. Mrs. Conrad was a
confirmed invalid. No one was in the
room when the shot was fred except
her husband and herself. and although
there were four members OF the house
hold on the same floor the pistol-shot was
not heard. and the first alarm was given by
Mrs. Conrad. who rushed TO her mothers
room and cried out that she had hurt Mr..
Conrad" The members OF the household
found him breathing his last, with his face
on a blOol-stained pillow and a 32-calibre
bullet through his head an inch and half
above the left ear. His brother-in-law,
John FOLEY WorthingtOn, was the first TO
arrive at hi. bedside. This was about forty
seconds after the shot was fired. His pulse
was fecbly beating, but he never stirred or
spoke. M, wife has been either i'm conyul-
sionS or in scmi-unconScious condition
since. and her life is desparcd OF.
The tragedy created the livelicst excite
mcnt ana concern in Baltimore and the
ncghborhoOd Of Reistcr>town. which is
Only three miles distant. MIR. Conrad was
aS well known in Philadelphia. Baltimore,
and the South aS a man could well he, and
his wife. who was Miss Minnie Worthng-
ton, comes Of a family that dates its life
in Maryland back 10 1870. It's not known,
and perhaps never will be. exactly how
the shocking affair occurred. Mrs. Conrad
does not appear to know herself. Her eX-
PLANTATION l. that She was trying 10 commit
suicide. 4 more loving couple could
scarcely be found. They had been married
for fourteen years, and were most assduous
in their attentions to each other. Mr.. Con-
rad had lucrative civil practice at the
Baltimore bar. hut had given it up six
months ago. so as TO be able 10 take care OF
his invalid wife Three weeks ago Mrs.
WOrthin"ton John FOLEY WorthingtOn,
her son: Mr.. Conrad her daughter; and
Mr.. l.. /. Conrad were at Atlantic City ut
the Brighton. They enjoyed themselves
there. and l. was thought that Mrs.
Conrad'S health had improved. When
they LEFT there they came 10 the
Allegheny SpriRgs, in Montgomery
county, and on Thursday last they re-
turned to MOntmOrenci. In November
last Mrs. Conrad was away from home,
and. IL Was supposed, was in delicate
condition. Upon her return she COM
planned OF violent pains, and has never
had any rest since. She has been attended
AT different times by Or. Albert Smith. OF
Philadelphia; DR.. Howard and DIR. Buck
Ter. of Baltimore, and DR.. Dickson, OF
ReisterStown. She required careful nurS-
ing and close attention, and Mr.. Conrad
was with her continually and administered
TO her every want. She could not bear TO
be alone without him, and would call to
him from MI parts OF the house. Neural
gia Of the stomach was the general diagnO-
sis 81 her disease.
The city residence, which is No. "A west
Madison street, near Charles, was altered
bv Mr.. Conrad to suit her convenience.
The doorway was changed from the south
10 the north side of the front. and rs she
could not walk up stairs without pain, an
elevator was constructed for her from cell
cupicd by them in winter.
On Monday night the entire family was
at home i'm the country residence. FOLEY
WOrthngton brought the mail over from
Glvndon and distributed il among the
members OF the fqmiy. Mrs. Conrad was
lying on a sofa IN the SItting-rOOm, and
Mr.. Conrad was in the diningrOom adj
Joining reading his letters by the light OF
the lamp. She called 10 him several times,
and walked into where he was. with the
request that he would come out and sit with
her. lie said he W0Uld q soon rs he had
finished reading over his mail. Her bro
Their Tollcy and her nephew, LeOnetto Clip
riani, who was also in the house, asked her
if she WAS worse Her reply was that the
pain travelled about and was agonizing.
mo two men in the world" said she,
"could suffer what / have and will suffer
without committing suicide" Her huS-
band came 10 her. and the usual dose of
oxygen was administered through tube
She appeared comparatively cheerful after
the gas had been administered and said she
thought she would 20 to bed. Her brother
FOLEY took her in his arms and carried her
up 10 her bedroom on the second floor.
Mr.. Conrad collected the implements
with which her medicine was prepared
and also went upstairs. This was
about 10 o'clock. The house is a large,
Old-iashioned one. The windows are
broad and the rooms are ample The
family slept altogether on the second floor.
At f. O'Clock everybody on the place was
sound asleep apparently. 1t was shortly
after hali-Dast O'Clock when Mrs. Worth
ineton was awakened by a shrek at her
door, and her daughter cried out to her to
come quickly. as she had hurt MIR. Con-
rad. "My God, ! am afraid | have hurt
him badly" she said. Mrs. WOrthingtOn
called 10 her son TOlley and went 10 hr.
Conrad's chamber at once. They found
him living on his right side with his right
hand under the pillow and his left lying
against his side. The position was natu-
raj. and it was only TOO plain that he had
passed from sleep into death with hardly
n tremOr. His face was turned slight
Nv upward n If he was about to
turn toward the side OF the bed on
which his wife lay. Blood streamed from
small hole above his left ear and red
dencd the pillow and sheets. As Tolley
WortbingtOn felt ms pulse the wife asked
in an agOnlzed whisper: - Is he much
hurt Ny God. oh tell me, is he! 7" " lie |
is not dead" was the reply. \ second |
after this the pulse ceased TO futter Mr.. |
Cipriani picked up from the foot OF the |
bed Remington 32-calibre pistol. One |
shot ont Of i've which IL carried had been |
discharged. IL was recognized as a weapon
which Mrs. Conrad had carried TO 4 sum- |
mer resort with her a year ago as pro- !
lection against tramps. she said at the time. |
The scene in the bedroom at this time |
was heart-reuding. The aged mother sank
down almost dead from the shock. and
Mrs. Conrad, shrieking, tried TO throw