The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-18
THROUGH The HEART
SPEEDS THEMESSRNGER OF MISS
NORMAN'S VENGEANCE.
n. F. Arnold Meets With Instant
Death at the Hands OF the WOm-
an He had Betrayed.

The store Of ]. j. Arnold, No. 100
Beale street, was the scene of TRACE
dy last night that will bring ruin and
disgrace TO more than one name. 1t
is the old story of a woman wronged,
who, mad with the sense of her
shame, seeks with the blood OF her
betIayer to wipe out her disgrace and
his. The details of the crime as de-
veloped by the testimony of eye wit
nesses and the statement OF the
wronged woman disclose a deliberate,
we'll planned and mercilessly executed
plot to rid the world OF the man who
had wrecked her life and honor. From
her own lips CONT $ the sad story that
follows, as told TO an APPEAL reporter
at the Station-House last night:
81 have kRown Henry Arnold for
many years. We were children to-
gether. and playmates from childhood
up. He has been keeping company
with me for years. l am twenty-one
now, and never had any other lover.
| had all the confidence in the world
IN him. trusted him blindly. About
eighteen months age, under promise
of marriage, he accomplished my ruin.
A girl baby nine months old is the
living evidence Of our sin. / begged
him repeatedly to make the ouly repa-
ration he could, but he would put me
of under one pretext or another.
Now he would plead poverty as an ex-
cuse for deferriog our marriage, then
some other pTetext would occur to
him, and ! waited and waited until
my heart grew sick with deferred
hope, but still / despsiringly hoped
that he would in the end be true 10
me. One day about six weeks ago he
was married in the Catholic church to
Miss Nellie Kelley. did not hear Of it
till two days afterward. The news
struck me like thunderbolt. 1t was
so sudden, 30 unexpected, 80 horrible
that l tainted dead away when | heard
OF it. From that time 10 this ! have
no longer been mistress of myself. l
determined to kill him, aud only
awaited his return from his wedding
tour to carry my design into effect. l
bought me Smith & Wesson pistol a
day or two after / heard CT his mar
risge, and l used it tonight. /
am not sorry did it. would do it
again tomorrow, under the same cir
cumstanCes."
had intended to kill Arnold about
two weeks ago, but was prevented by
the interference of Mr.. Virgins, a
clerk in Arnold's store.
The unfortunate woman who made
this statement is about twenty-one
years OF age, tall, elegantly propo;-
toned and handsome. Her rich auburn
hair was combed back from her fore
head ia simple fashion, and no bangs
disfgured her pale brow or over
Swallowed her frank and fearless
eyes. While telling her story she was
cool, calm and collected, not betray-
ing by q culver Of her muscles the
strong agitation under which she
must doubtless have labored when
she committed the fatal deed. Her
stalwart father, who stood near by,
was much more deeply moved, and
tears moistened his eyes and his voice
shook with emotion as he repeated the
story of his daughters wrongs. She,
GA the other hand, sat quietly and
with apparent unconcern on the bed
in her cell, leisurely chewing gum,
and impassively observing what was
passing around her. Only once did
she betray animation. A policeman
came in from the scene of the
killing aud repoitsd the death
Of Arnold. "How did the ball range ?"
asked some one. ut pierced his
heart" was the reply. "All right"
said she; 81 haven't been practicing
all this time for nothing. All | want
TO know is that he is dead" She ut
tered these words with as little appar-
ent emotion as most women betray
when ordering their dinners. She is
an only daughter, and has two broth
era, a mother and father, all Of whom
seemed to have cherished plans oil
vengeance against the de3poiler oil
their honor. The family live
about eight miles from the
city, and the giil drove to
town this afternoon in a buggy, &C.
companied by her father, on horse.
back, who, as will appear from the
testimony of eye-witnesses TO the
killing, was near Arnold's store when
the fatal shot was fred.
Miss Norman, when interviewed al
the Jail, was neatly dressed in a
black merino dress with a black vel
vet Jacket that fitted her closely.
Around her neck she wore a scarf OF
white crepe folded croaswise aud fas-
tened by q plain gold brooch. She
wore no other jewelry. Before the
interview was concluded another
prisoner was brought in and locked
in the same cell with Miss
Norman. She was a email, black
eyed woman, neatly dressed in gray,
who gave her name as Matte. Yates,
and was charged as being an Access
sorry before the fact. She denied the
charge stoully, eflirmed her ignorance
o; all knowledge Of the affair, and
begged to be allowed to go home
to her two-year-old baby. She
appealed to Miss Norman to
establish her innocence, and
Miss Norman attempted to do so by
affirming that che had not seen Mrs.
Yates before in fifteen years. The
stern guardians of the law would not
release Mrs. Yates, however, and sub
\ sequent developments proved the wis
/ dom Of their course.