The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-18
COLD FLOODED.
A Negro Man Shoots His Sleep
ing Wife Three Times.
THE STORY OF THE HORRIBLE CRIME

and the excitement yesterday and all last
night amongst the colored people in the neigh
borhood was intense.
The circumstances all go to show that tho
murder WAS peculiarly outrageous one done
While tho victim was asleep and done in cool
blood. The victim was moreover a woman
and wife, and the sentiment amongst the
colored Meighbors of the dead woman amounts
to frenzy. If the man is caught by them, or
allowed to fall into their hands afterward, he
will undoubtedly be hung to the nearest tree.
Putting together the evidence of the neigh
bors yesterday morning, tho following may To
given rs tho true
STORY or THE CRIME
Inc dead woman's name is Mary Campbell.
Her husbands name is 81 Campbell. They
Lived together i'll one room of a little tWo-room
cottage next to the corner of Wheat and But
Ter and numbered 1853 Butler street, not moro
than one hundred feet from Big Bethel church.
The other room of the house is occupid by o
family named Jones.
Saturday afternoon late there was o quarrel
between Campbell and his wife in regard To n
letter that the latter had received from Biz.
mmgham. Campbell swore that he would
kill his wife, and bat for the interference of a
neighbor he would have attacked her that af-
tetnoon
Soon after this the woman went away
and was gone for about an hour. Campbell
went oil soon AFTER returning in q short while
to find his wife still gone. He waited awhile
and went off again.
hen he returned half an hour later his wife
was at home. Within fifteen minutes after
ward Campbell was heard speaking in an an
CRY voice, and then all was still. The woman
had gone TO bed, and Campbell was left alone
with his jealousy and.anger.
Presently she went to sleep. The low bed
upon which she was Toying was only a;few feet
from the small. dim lamp. she was lying al
most upon her back, with her left side next to
him.
The fiend watches until he is satisfied that
she is asleep, listens to the sounds of heavy,
regular breathing in the next room, looks up
and down the street once more to see that no
one is near, and then stealthily, noselessly,
makes his way to the bedside, pistol In hand.
The woman is sleeping quietly. He points
the pistol and steadies it, the muzzle within
TWO inches OF the face, and fires, and fires
again. The shots were almost together and
the intention was to shoot both shots without
moving the pistol.
In dazed, helpless way the woman raises
herself upon her left elbow her right hand
thrown across to the left side of her face. AL
most instantly she falls back, or is pushed
hand at her throat keeps the head
down, and She is too weak to struggle.
lie aims the pistol again, this time at the
stomach, and fires again. The woman's left
hand is drawn by her side as if she would have
raised it to the wound in the stomach, the
right hand is extended across the bed and is
covered with blood the woman is lying almost
HAT upon her back, slightly upon her loft side,
and the blood IS squirting in perfect streams
from the three wounds The wounds in the
face are on the left side and about an inch
apart, and just below the cheek bone They
went through the head, ranging slightly up-
ward, and lodging just under the skin on the
other side of the head.
The murderer listens, still holding his pis-
toll. Nobody comes OF is disturbed, and taking
the lamp from the mantel he bends over the
dead woman and examines closely. He feels
for pulse-beat, motion of the heart, but
there is none: The hands grow chilly and
the fingers stiffen as he holds them. Then he
puts up the lamp, throws the cover over the
face to hide the wounds and the blood, and
walks out.
AT the corner, only few feet from the door,
ne meets negro woman going up the street
Don't you go to my house" he ysroughly
as she passes him.
The woman is frightened and hurries by
without reply. lie follows her few steps
until she goes into a neighbours house, and
then turns back again. lie turns the corner
OF Wheat and goes down Wheat. That is the
last time that any one in Atlanta is known to
have seen 81 Campbell
THE INQUEST.
Yesterday morning an inquest was held over
the woman's body. Besides the colored wit
nesses there was large crowd of excited
negroes, drawn together by curiosity, and
ueeply Interested III the proceedings.
The first witness was Todd Walker, living
at liz Foster street. He knew that on Satur-
day afternoon the mail carrier had brought the
dead woman, Mary Campbell, letter from
birmingham, Ala. ST Campbell got mad
about it, threatening to raise hell. and swore
that he would kill his wife. Witness advised
Campbell not TO do this, and asked what was
in the letter. Campbell replied that it was
from a fellow i'll Birmingham ard one part of
1t was, The money received and put in the
/ Npn ocIo f,an ! 30
ton with witness occurred between and
o'clock Saturday afternoon, and soon after
Campbell went up town. Saturday night wit
ness dreamed that Campbell had shot and
killed his wife, and early Sunday morning he
sent his little girl over to Campbell's house.
The Child was told by the people living in the
next room that neither Campbell nor his wife
was at home. Witness then went himself
After knocking at Campbell's door and receiv-
ing no reply, he went to the next door and
asked for Campbell and his wife. He was
told that Campbell had left last night. lie
asked whore Campbell went, but nobody
knew lie then tried to force the door, but
abandoned this and went to the window 1t
had been raining and the window was swollen
so that IL could be raised only few inches
He looked in and saw that some one was in
the bed, covered over entirely. He then went
back and forced open the door.
Then the corpse was uncovered for the first
time.
Witness further stated that Campbell car
ried pistol, either 80 or 50 calibre.
The body was turned over at this point, and
q 81 calibre ball WAS found lying on the bed
Witness further stated that Campbell was
street hand, about 80 years old, and had lived
with deceased for six or seven years. Camp
bell has children by another woman, but none
by deceased.
The next witness was Louisa Jones
wing at 1913 Butler street, in tho next room
to that in which the murder was done. Last
night just after dark she heard angry words
between Campbell and his wife. Witness her
self went to sleep soon after this and was aWalS-
ened within half hour afterward by a pistol
shot She remembered hearing the shot but
did not know where 1t came from and did not
think about its being next door. Soon after
the witness heard noise in Campbel's room
as if some one was knocking on the floor. She
heard three or four strokes. She heard Camp
bell come in and heard him leave about fifteen
minutes after she was walked up.
John Jordan, also living at 1853 Butler, testi-
flies that he usually slept in the room with
Campbell and his wife, but Saturday after
noon, he was told sby Henry Colt that 81
Campbell said not TO 60 TO his (Campbell's)
room that Saturday night, as he (CampbelD
would not be back until late that night and
maybe not before day. Witness know that
Campbell carried pistol. lilo (witness) went