Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-02
SHOT IN THE COURT ROOM.
Millionaire RawsOn's Wife Fires Five Times at Attorney Whitney in the Dl- vorce Court-He May Die.

Millionaire RawsOn's Wife Fires Five
 Times at Attorney Whitney in the Di-
 vorce Court-He May Die.
 CHICAGO, June 2.-During the proceedings in the celebrated Rawson divorce case here Mrs Meckie L. Rawson, the bankers wife, drew 3S-caliber revolver and fired at the head of Col H. W. Whitney, one of her hus- bands counsel. The ball entered Mir. Whit ney's left leg and may prove fatal. The woman was terribly excited, and fired four or five times more, agaln hitting MT. Whit ney. All the lawyers and attaches of the court had sought refuge behind desks and chairs, except Bailif Sunderland, who seized her around the waist from behind, over- towering her and securing the pistol, after a fearful struggle MT. Whitney was lying on his side behind the clerks desk, the blood trickling from his two wounds, and forming a pool on the carpet. On examination the wounds were found to be one just above the left knee and the other in the left groin.
 Judge Jameson came from behind desk, and reascending the rostrum, ordered the woman to be at once taken to the county jail.
 Gen. Stiles, Mrs. Rawson's attorney, is of the opinion that Mrs. Rawson is insane. He had a premonition that all was not right with his client, and that she would do something desperate. She had been at his office several times during the last two or three days, and she looked sorely troubled when the decision of the appellate court went against her. She gave no intimation of her desperate resolve except in vague sort of way, which the experienced eye of the attorney detected. Knowing her hatred of MT. Whitney, Gen. Stiles went to Deputy Gleason, in the sheriff's office, and informed that official of his sus- picions. Mir. Gleason instructed deputy to go to Judge Jamieson's court, end take A seat beside Mrs. Rawson, and be ready for any emergency. The deputy started, and had just left the elevator when he heard the first shot fired. He took in the situation at a glance and darted for the room, where he saw Mrs. Rawson emptying the revolver The last chamber had been fired before he reached her, however.
 He immediately placed her under arrest by order of Judge Jamieson, who sternly re- garded the millionaire's wife for moment, and then, as she stood there in the court, he passed the severest sentence of the law that he could then impose upon her.
 "It IS now ordered that the complainant in the case of Rawson vs Rawson, having com mitted contempt of court, in the presence of the court, that the said Mecl1ie L. Rawson be adjudged guilty of contempt of this court, and that she be removed at once to the Cook county jail where she will be detained for a term of sixty days"
 The deputy sheriff led the handsome bank CTS wife out of court, and, in company with Chief Deputy Gleason, drove her rapidly over to the jail in close carriage.
 When the once dashing society woman found herself on the way to the common jail, between two law officers, her spirit broke completely down. She burst into tears, and sobs shook her bosom. Deputy Morgan asked her if she knew what she had done. She made no answer to the question. but shudder- ing, said:
 ''Is it cold to-daya am so cold. have had no sleep for so long,"
 Over and over again during the brief jour- ney she bewailed her loss of sleep, but said n, thing about the tragedy in the court room. When the jail was reached she had to be SUD- ported as she walked into the prison. She was left there reclining on lounge, and attended by the matron of the female department, and Jailor Folz ordered that no person be allowed to see her.