The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-23
THE HORRIBLE MURDER |
CONNECTED BY MRS. ROXALANA
DRUSE
Brought Before the Public Again by
Gov. Hill Granting a Stay
OF Execution.

Albany, N. Y, December % - Gov.
Hill today issued an executive order
noftponiDg the execution OF Mrs.
Roxslana Druse, under sentence Of
Geatn for the murder of her hus oand,
from December 29h the date fixed IN
the sentence, till February 25ih. The
Governor says he does this in order to
give the State Legislature an opportu-
nifty to modify the law of capital
puniehment in / s application, and
adds that as far as hs is concerned the
case is closed, and the woman must
suffer ,hs penalty of her crime on the
day fixed, uolsss in the meaotime the
law ehall have been changed. TIE
Governor says thot it WIGS
clear case of murder and that
he can find no reseon for
Interference with tne penalty, except
the sex of the crndem1sd, whic the
law does not take into account. Hs
SAYS: "The evidence shows that the
killing was most bru'al and atrucious
in its Character. Bc'thy stated, the
facts Satisfactorily estsb ishcd are a.
follows: The family consisted Of the
deceased snd Mrs. Druse, the dsugh-
ter Mary, Eged 10 years; the 500
George, sged 10 wears, and nephew
named Flank Gates, aged IA years
a quarrel hsd occurred on the
morning Of The Homicide be-
tween the deceased aud the defendant
at the breakfast table. The deceased
was still at the table, and during the
quarrel Of words theN defendant went
into another room aud took a load
ed revolver which vas there,
and putting it under Ter apron
returned and whispered tor the
boys b. go out OF dooIe, which they
did, leaving herself, the daughter
Mary and the deceased in the room.
Mary then placed a ropo around aer
fathers neck, while he was st The table,
and the defendant fred the revolver
once CT twice at him, wounding him,
and he fell over sideways n.his chair,
while the defendant, being unable t.
make the revolver go of sgain, called
to the nephew, Frank, who came into
the house, to2eth-r with tina boy
George, and gays the revolver to
he nephew, and, under a threat OF
killing him, compelled hin to Gre it
of two or thrfe tim g. I'D the de-
cessed, being hit by thA shots. rolled
Oh the chair upon The tlo)r, and then
she seized an AK and hit her husband
on the head with il, and continued hit
ting him on the neck until she chopped
his head of. She then caused the
head as well as the body to be taken
into the perlor, and during that day
and evening the body WAS cut up with
al OK and was burned in the stove.
She threatened to kill the boys il they
told what had occurred. During the
evening Mre. DruSe and Mary
amused themselves by playing
checkers in the adjoining Dom, where
toe murder had been committed, thus
showing the uDconCern and utter lack
of feeling OF the whole fam ly.
MR.. Druse had previously made
tbreafs against the deceased aud
boaeted that she would be
rid OF him come day. These aud other
facts, almost too horrible for desCrip.
ticn, mark the case as plain one OF
deliberate and premeditsted murder.
There seems to re scarcely mitigat.
ing circumstanGe. The daugh -er,
Mary, aided aud assisted her mother
in the murder, and after the conviction
Of her mother che pleaded guilty Of
murder in the second degree, which
plea, on account of her youth, the fact
that che was probably act ng under the
influence OF her mother, and Other
circumstances, vas accepted by the
District Attorney, aud she was sen-
fenced to the State prieou for life"