Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-03-06
5flisfellaneuns &eading.
THE HISTORY OF A TRAGEDY.

THE HISTORY OF A TRAGEDY.
, On the morning of February 9th, 1883, in
[ the quiet village of De Ruyter, situated
, about thirty miles South of Canasto, in the
State of New York, pistol shot rang out
| and George w. Haight, sick man, lay in
his bed Weltering in his blood. The story
of the crime is strange one. Fourteen
, years ago Haight married Angennette B.
+, Wood. He was her third husband. Up
/ to the time of the tragedy there is no posi-"
. tive proof of any domestic infelicities-
Haight was a commercial traveller, and had
returned from trip but few days before
the shooting. His wife had long been sui:
ferer from intiammatory rheumatism, spi-
nal difficulties and hernia. 1t has been said
on the trial that at the time OF the shooting
she was unable to use her hands. She was,
however, arrested on the ante-mortem state"
ment of her husband and has been on trial
for the last two weeks.
Mrs. Furman, who was employed as do"
+ mestic in the family, said during the trial
that she heard pistol shot, and afterwards
Mrs. Haight called to her. She went to the
room, and Mrs. Haight said her husband had
hurt himself, and told her to go for DOCTOR
Both the prisoner and deceased were IN bed
at that time. She went to her room to dress
and, returning on her way to the doctors
house, saw Haight sitting on the floor with
his back against the wall, wringing his
hands and groaning. She brought DIR. A
w. Truman, who asked Mrs. Haight what
the trouble was, and she said 81 don'T
know" ......
An examination was made and twas dis.
covered that he had been shot in the head
The ball entered the right frontal bone,
passed obliquely through both hemispheres
of the brain, lodging about an inch and 81
half from the skull on the other side. I'm
til about 10 o'clock on the following morn
ing he insisted that he did not know who
shot him. At that time he told friend
that his "wife set it up for him last night"
Shortly afterwards he made to Justice Ma
son, of De Ruyter, statement in writing in
which he said: ....
"About A. NJ, was awakened. I saw
my wife place a revolver to my head and
pull the trigger. When became conscious
T found myself on the floor with wound III
my head from the discharge of the pistol by
her. got in bed myself and then sent for
a physician" ..-
Between the pillows of the bed was found
q Smith & Wesson revolver carrying 81
calibre ball. 1t was covered with piece CT
white cloth, such as the prisoner had been
in the habit of using in bed to wipe the per-
spiration from her brow. The handle was
toward the prisoner and the muzzle pointed
to the head of the bed. One shell had been
exploded. Several witnesses during the
trial, which has just closed, swore that they
had seen revolver in the hands of the pris-
oner at different times before the shooting:
BY one of them it was proven that she had
a cloth around it, and when asked to explain
why she had it wrapped up so, she replied
that if she should desire to shoot any one
they could not see her.
The story told by the prisoner on the w.t.
ness stand is that she was lying with her
back to her husband, when she heard loud
report. She did not at first know what the
trouble was, but saw her husband, after she
had called Mrs. Furman, leap from the bed
and fix his eyes on the stove, crying out !:
"Whats all this about?" He then fell, and
she told him to get up and come to bed. He
did so, she continued, and whenhe got back
he patted her on the cheek and said: "1t's
all right, nanny; it's all right"
Mrs Haight, who isa clairvoyant and be-
lever in spiritualism, testified also that just
after her husband jumped out of bed she
saw a spirit, resembling a man in form,
standing between the folding doors that
she saw Haight look at it and that it disap-
peared through the pantry door. She did
not recognize the alleged spirit and did not
think it shot her husband. On this subject
a Syracuse newspaper man testified Mrs.
Haight had told him, in Jail, that she re-
cognized the man as a resident of De Ruyter,
whose name she would reveal at the proper
time. She has not revealed it.
i The only motive for the murder Is found
in the fact that the deceased carried insu-
rance policies of his life to the amount of
$l4, 1000 Two were in the New York Mutl-
al Accidental Association, one OF $1,000 in
the New York Mutual Life, one of $4,000 in
the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and
one ofS2OOin the Masonic Relief Association.
This is the theory of the prosecution, and it
has been proven thatone Of the 81, ,OOOpolicies
was taken out at the instigation Of the pris-
oner, who paid the premium, as, by the way,
the Mutual Life the deceased spoke of either
cancelling or taking out paid-up policy.
This did not, it was charged, please the
prisoner, and as the policy would lapse
March is, 1883, she fired the fatal shot On
February q, which terminated fatally on
March 90. The evidence of the people was
very conclusive.
The defense was suicide, caused by de-
spondency consequent upon failure in busi-
ness and poor health. Two hundred letters,
said to have been written to the prisoner
by the deceased, were introduced in evil
dence to prove, by his own words, his de-
preston of spirits and his intense love for
his wife. These were followed by a state
ment said to have been written by and
found in the will of the dead man, in which
he declared that he was tired of life ard
asked his wife to forgive him. The people
prOnOudced this paper forgery and at
tempted to prove it by half dozen wit
neSSeS.
The case was closed on the 9th ultimO.
In charging the jury the Judge reviewed
the evidence at great length, the charge
occupying more than three hours in its
delivery. Mrs. Haight was convicted Of
numbering her husband and sentenced to he
hanged on the 18th of April next. She
showed great courage or Indifference during
the trial and heard the verdict and sentence
without emotion.
A TOUCHING INCIDENT.
A physician writes in the Marion IS. c.
Merchant and Farmer: The most touching
incident in connection with my professional
experience occurred several years ago, some
three or four miles from Laurens G. H. |
was called to see an old lady, who had been
sick for some time, and who had grown sud-
denly worse in the absence Of her regular
physician. There were present her son and
his family, and single daughter, who was
a young lady of more than ordinary intelli-
gence, of genuine refinement, and of highly
susceptible nervous temperament There
were also present several neighbors, who had
been hastily summoned when the untavOra-
BILE change in the condition of the sick wo-
man was discovered.
1t required but a glance to assure me that
the good old lady was rapidly nearing her
end The daughter came to me and asked
me what thought Of her mothers condi-