The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-08-11
Shot by His Wife.

Mrs. MINNIE Howard COnrilu, Wnllc Vciii
porarily insane, shot and killed her HUSBAND,
Mr.. Lawrence Lewis Conrad, leading mem
her of the Baltimore bar, at the Worthlngton
homestead, in Baltimore county, ON Tuesday
morning last The homestead is named Mont
morenci, and is about two miles from Glyndon
Station. on the Western Maryland Railroad.
Mrs. Conrad has always been delicate, and IN
the early part of last January had several op,.
erations performed by eminent physicians OF
PHILADELPHIA and New York for neuralgia OF
the stomach, but without any permanent re-
lief The disease produced nervous prostra-
tion and insomnia. Mr.. and Mrs. Conrad,
Mrs. Worthington, John Tolly Worthington
and Leonetta Cipriani, nephew OF Mrs.
Conrad, had returned to Montmorencl on
Sunday last from Allegheny Springs, Mont
gomery county, Va, where they had been tor iG,
a few weeks. Mr. Conrad, owing to the ILL
ness of his wife, did not 60 to Baltimore on
Monday, and in the evening Mr.. folly Worth
ington took his mail out to him, arriving home
about o'clock in the evening. While Mr..
Conrad was reading his letters, Mrs Conrad
was lying upon a settee in an adjoining room
suffering the most intense pain. MIR. Worth
ington. her brother, who was also in the
room, asked his sister how she felt. She re-
piled that no other person in the world could
suffer the pain and anguish she was undergo
ing without committing suicide. She repeat
edly ran her fingers over her stomach, as one
playing the piano, at the same time saying,
''That's the way the pain shoots through me.
Mrs. Conrad several times called upon Mr..
Conrad, while he was looking over his mail,
to come to her, as she could not bear to have
him out of her sight. Mr.. Conrad then joined
her, and asked her how she felt. She re
piled, "My nerves are setting me wild.
Some milk and cream were given her and an
inhalation of oxygen, which had been recon-
mended by prominent Philadelphia physi-
clan. Mr.. WOrthington then carried her up
stairs, preceded by Mr. Conrad, to her room,
the second story front. Mrs. Mary Worth
ington, her aged mother, and Mr.. Worthing-
ton occupied rooms adjoining that in which
the tragedy occurred. Mr.. Worthington went
down stairs and sat on the front porch of the
house. In the meantime Mrs. Conrad was
rubbed with olive oil, and mustard plasters
were applied by her mother. Complaining of
thirst, Mr. Conrad went to get her some wa
ter, which Mr.. Worthington drew from the
pump. Mr. Conrad then retired for the
night This was about 9:15 clock. Mr..
Worthington, feeling tired and worn out, hav-
ing been in the city all day, retired shortly
after. and at quarter to one was awakened
by screams and groans.
Il Jumped out of bed said Mr.. Worthing-
ton, "and little Charlie, my sister only child,
who was sleeping with me, attempted to fol
low me, but, compelling him to remain in the
room, | went to see what was the matter.
The first one | met was my sister. She was
terribly excited and was screaming and tear
ing her hair. She said: ''My God, folly, is
my husband dead?' | tried to quiet her, and
carried her to my room, where | made her lie
down upon the bed. | then went into Mr..
Conrad's room, where most appalling sight
met my eyes. Stretched upon the bed with
his left arm hanging listlessly down the side,
lay the dead body of Mr.. Conrad, who but
few hours before, except for loss of sleep and
anxiety, was in perfect health. None of us
heard the shot. After my sister fired the
shot, she ran to my mother room, awakened
her and said: ooh, my God, ma, have hurt
Mr.. Conrad !" 1t was my mothers screams
upon hearing this that awakened Mr.. Cipriani
and myself picked up one of Mr.. Conrad s
hands and could feel no pulse. All this while
my sister kept crying, 81 shot him acciden
tally; | had the pistol in my hand and it went
off by accident" The pistol was a Reming-
ton revolver of 80 calibre and the ball entered
the head about two inches above the left ear.
| Death was instantaneous. My impression is
that my sister was holding the revolver in her
hand trying to summon up courage enough
to shoot herself, and that in waving it in the
air it accidentally went off, killing Mr.. Con-
rad. She has often expressed desire to kill
herself, as life to her, she said, was worse
than death. The relations existing between
Mr.. and Mrs. Conrad were of the most loving
and tender nature. She could not bear to have
him out of her sight She fairly idolized him,
and he gave up most of his business a short
time ago so as to be able to attend to her.
No one knows how the pistol got into the
house or to whom it belongs, and the impress
sion prevails that Mrs. Conrad secreted the
pistol in her room, with the intention of kill
ing her husband and then taking her own
life. Mr. and Mrs. Conrad had been married
fourteen years, and had one child, boy ten
years of age. Mrs. Conrad is forty-nine years
old, and was born at Montmorenci farm
She is the daughter of John folly and Mary
Worthington. John T. Johns, who committed
suicide a few years ago, was a cousin of Mrs.
Conrad. Richard Johns, cousin of Mrs
Conrad and brother of John folly Johns,
Charles Hanson, the father of Ned Hanson,
who killed Charles Ridgely White few
months ago, married a sister Of the father of
Mrs. Conrad.
Mr.. Conrad was the son of the Hon. Charles
NJ. Conrad, who lived for some time in Vir-
gnia, at Winchester, and then went to Louis
lana. Here he became distinguished at the
bar, and was elected to the United States
Senate. Subsequently he was made secretary
of war by President Fillmore. In 1861 his
adopted state sent him to the Montgomery
Provisional Congress, and elected him to the
Confederate Congress afterwards. He died
in New Orleans in July, 1878. His wife was
the granddaughter of Lawrence Lewis tnephew
of George Washington, who married Miss
Nellie Gusts. Mr.. L. l.. Conrad was native
of Mississippi, and was born at Pass Christian
in 1887. He was, after full term at the
University of Virginia, graduated in 1858.
Returning to New Orleans, he entered upon
the practice of the law, but the war broke
out, and he entered the Southern army as
private, but was rapidly promoted, reaching
the rank of captain, and finally being given
an appointment as adjutant general on the
staff of General Buckner. After the surren-
der he went back to the practice of the law in
New Orleans, and in 1868 he removed to
Baltimore. Here he soon obtained promi-
nence for forensic eloquence and keen bust
ness ability. He was a speaker of unusual
force, and was also vigorous writer and a
man of high literary culture and taste.