The Iola register., 1889-11-29
A DESPERATE WOMAN.


Brutal Be.rayei-Shot Down in tho
Crowded Streets OF New YOrk-Story of
Her Wrongs.
NEW YORK, Nov. 23.-Stephen Pet
tus, secretary and treasurer of the
Brooklyn elevated railroad, cOmrnis-
sion merchant and member of the Cot
ton Exchange, was shot down in Full
ton street yesterday morning about
ten O'Clock by Hannah Southworth,
who emptied five chambers of 3S-cal-
iber Smith & Wesson revolver into
Pettus' head and body.
Fulton street was full of persons
whose number. was swelled by the
crowd just coming in from the Fulton
ferryboats. A man who saw the shoot
ing said that he had noticed the woman
acting strangely on the boat as though
laboring under great excitement. As
Pettus was walking up Fulton street
the woman suddenly sprang forward
until close behind him, so near that
she might have struck him with her
hand. Then she fired five shots from
a new silver-plated revolver, each shot
taking effect.
Pettus staggered and tried to run in
the nearest doorway. But the self
cooking pistol of the infuriated woman
was too quick for him. Covered with
blood he fell against the door, which
swung open with his weight, and the
dying man ran inside, rushed behind
the counter, out again, and fell dead in
bloody heap at the foot of the stair
way leading to the next floor.
Mr.. Pettus was forty-twO yeass of
age and lived at 40 Eighth avenue, cor
ner of Union street, Brooklyn. His
wife is an invalid and there are nc
children. His business associates are
shocked beyond measure by his death.
The cause of the tragedy as stated by
an acquaintance of Mrs. SOuthwOrth,
who has known the particulars of the
troubles between them for some years,
dates back to an outrage committed by
Pettus upon the lady, and which had
been concealed from any one except a
very few of her most intimate friends
for a long time. 1t appears, as
alleged, that the acquaintance with
Mr.. Pettus was developed into friend.
ship on account of the intimacy of Mrs.
Southworth's woman friend with him.
The story goes that this lady was in
the habit of attending theaters ard
taking lunches with Mr.. Pettus and
upon these expeditions was in the habit
of taking Mrs. SOuthwOrth with heI
from time to time.
The natural result of this kind of as
sOciatiOn led to an invitation at the
close of matinee one afternoon in New
York City, on the part of Mr.. Pettus
to Mrs. SOuthwOrth to call at a certain
residence near by, upon the pretext of
seeing friend of his. AS the house
was in the neighborhood and in re-
srectable part of the city, after some
explanation on the part of Mr.. Pettus,
calculated to quiet the lady's appre-
tensions as to the strict propriety of
the proceedings, Mrs. Southworth con-
sented.
They were ushered into a parlor,
where, to Mrs. SouthwOrth's consterna.
tion, they were met by cOlOred man,
with the air of a waiter, from whom
Mr.. Pettus ordered a bottle of wine.
Mrs. SouthwOrth, being frightened at
her surroundings, demanded an ex-
planation, and was reassured by Mr.
Pettus that every thing was all right.
In the meantime she was urged to take
a glass of champagne, which she did,
having been accustomed from child
hood to the use of wine upon proper
occasions. In a few moments she lost
consciousness and knew nothing more
of her surroundings until the follow
ing morning, when she walked up, find
ing herself in bed in this strange house,
with no one about her, with no one
within call whom she had ever known.
She soon discovered that she had
been wronged while unconscious, and
she had been abandoned to make her
way upon recovering consciousness as
best she could. Overwhelmed with
shame she returned home. and giving |
some excuse as best she could to her |
family for her absence, she attempted |
to conceal her disgrace by keeping it a
secret.
In the course of few weeks, how
ever, to her CONSERVATION, she discOv-
cred that some one must be taken into |
her confidence and that absolute secrecy |
would soon become an impOssibility.
In her extremity she appealed to |
Pettus to assist her and still save her
good name. In time she decided at the
instance of PettuS, in order to protect |
the name of her widowhoOd, to consent |
to malpractice. She was sent to an in
terror city in this State, where at a
hotel, among utter strangers, she was
attended by physician under whose
care she lay for weeks, lowering be-
tween life and death. She was at length
restored to a shadow of her former self,
covered with shame, her life wrecked |
and her physical health irretrievably
broken. In order to avoid exposure at
the time of the outrage Pettus, it is al
legged, made the most profuse promises
Of substantial provision for her.
Upon her recovery, after about a
year, she reminded her betrayer Of his
promises. but was only met with de-
rision. Pettus then attempted to rid
himself of her by circulating stories
that she was his discarded mistress.
She then employed attorneys to prose-
cute him, but found to her dismay that
the statute of limitations prevented a
prosecution. In her despe-
ration she determined to ayenge her
OWN wrongs, with the terrible result
above given.
Reward for Murderers.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Nov. GA
offering a reward of $3.50
For tho annrabension Of Wilson Howard