The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-23
SHOT DEAD BY A WOMAN.
FIVE BULLETS FIRED INTO HER
VICTIM ONFULTON STREET.

- -
the Woman's Excuse for the Shoot
ing-The Dead Man One of the
Trustees of the Brooklyn Bridge.
His Slayer Under Arrest.
New YORK, Nov. 22.-Shortly after 10
o'clock this morning, Stephen L. Pettus,
secretary and treasurer of the Brooklyn
Union Elevated railroad, ard a member of
the firm of Pollard, Pettus & Co., of No. "a
Broad street, in this city, was shot dead IN
front Of No. 10 Fulton street by Mrs.
Hannah Southworth, who refused to give
her address to the police when arrested.
Just before 10 o'clock, while Fulton street
was crowded with people who had just
landed from a Brooklyn ferrvboat, a
young woman, wearing a sealskin sacque
trimmed with long black fur. was seen
hurrving along behind a well-dressed man,
wearing derby hat. When in front of
No. 10 she pulled large Smith & Wesson
3S-caliber revolver from beneath her dress
and fired five shots in quick succession at
the man in front of her, although he fell at
the first shot; in fact the woman continued
firing until every chamber Of the revolver
was emptied.
DEATHS MURDERoUS SMILE.
AS her victim writhed and tossed in agony
on the sidewalk, the woman, looking calm
and self-possessed, actually smiled with ap-
parent satisfaction. In a short time great
crowd had been attracted to the spot by the
shots. An officer also made rush for the
place His first impulse was to take the
smoking pistol from the woman's hand.
When she saw the officer coming, raising
herself to her full hight, and assuming a
somewhat dramatic position, she hissed
out between her teeth, pointing at the now
cold, lfeless body on the sidewalk, the
while: THAT man betrayed me and l have
shot him. He has ruined me and my
family" Officer Goodwin did not stop to
parley. The crowd was becoming greater
and greater every moment.
UNDER ARREST.
Taking the woman by the arm the officer
led her to side street. This was accom-
plished with some difficulty, as the throng
kept closing in on the officer. Finally they
reached the old slip station house, where
the woman gave her name as Hannah
Southworth, 80 years of age, but she per-
sisted in refusing to give her residence. To
the sergeant at the desk Mrs. Southworth
repeated her statement that the dead man
had betrayed her and ruined her
and her family. Then she was
locked up. During this trying ordeal
contrary appeared to become more calm |
and dignified. While this was going on the |
dead body of the murdered man still lay |
where it fell. Willing hands, however, as |
soon as they recovered from the first shock, |
carried the body into the tea store, No. 10, |
and an ambulance from the Chambers |
Street hospital was summoned. Before it |
arrived Mr. Pettus had breathed his last |
A few minutes later officers from the Old |
slip arrived and the remains were placed
on a stretcher and brought to the station
house. When searched, several letters were
found on his person addressed Stephen L. |
PettuS.
EVERY BULLET EFFECTIVE.
An examination of the body shows that
all five of the bullets had taken effect.
Three bullets had lodged in his back, one in
his neck and one in his right side. Either
one of the bullets would have caused
death.
Hannah Southworth, who committed the
murder, is the woman who attacked Mr..
Pettus in front of the elevated Office, at No.
20 Clinton street, about year ago. She
was arrested at the time and taken before
the late Judge Walsh, who placed her
under b md to keep the peace.
The coroner committed Mrs. Southworth
to the city prison until Tuesday at 10
o'clock, when she will be given hearing
by the officer who arrested her.
STORY OF FRIEND.
According to the story told by one of her
friends, Mrs. Southworth is a native of |
Louisville, KY. Her fathers name was
Martin. At the time the family left Louis |
villa Mrs. Southworth was a little girl, and |
Is now about 35 years old. She is
descended on her mothers side from
race of women long remarkable
Tor or extreme beauty. Her mother,
Mrs. Martin, and her aunt, the late Mrs,.S. |
d. Tarrey, were ladies especially noted in |
THIS particular in their youth. Mrs. South |
worth herself grew up conspicuous likewise
ior her personal beauty. She was married
IN 1877 at Geneva, N. Y, to Frederick K. |
SouthwOrth, banker, who died two years
later. A few years after she came to Brook |
iiyn to live with her mother aud two |
Drothers. 1t was soon after this that she |
was introduced by mutual friend to Mr.. |
Pettus She was at this time living at the |
Plerrepont house.
CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY.
The cause of the tragedy, as stated by an |
acquaintance of Mrs. Southworth, dates |
t, oack TO an outrage committed by Mr.. Pet |
Jus upon the lady, and which had been |
concealed from any except very few of |
Ir ner most intimate friends for a long time. |
IL appears, as is alleged, that her acquain- |
lance with Mr.. Pettus was developed into |
friendship on account of the intimacy of |
n, Mrs Southworth's woman friend with him. |
me me story goes that this lady was in the |
iLaoit OF attending theaters and taking |
lunches with Mr. Pettus, and upon these |
expeditions was in the habit of taking Mrs. |
TToIutnworth TI with her from time to time. |
- tne natural result of this kind of associa-
@ s.on led to an invitation at the close of |
natlnee u one afternoon in New York city on |
w .le part of Mr.. Pettus to Mrs. Southworth |
W ~ cal at a certain residence near by upon |
'ne pretext of seeing friend of his.
ALDEN OF INIQUITY.
as the house was in neighborhood In a |
rr1gspectable r1 part of the city, after some ex-
pianations on the part of Mr.. Pettus, cacu-
ta'ed "a <. to quiet the lady's apprehensions as
NJ NJ the strict propriety of the proceeding,
Mar. mIs. Southworth consented. They were
,ra'sr Uanered IN parlor, where. to Mrs. South
%orCns CONSERVATION, they were met |
sy a colored man with the air of
a., waiter, from whom Mr.. Pettus
SS.uered bottle of wine. Mrs. Southworth, |
nu.ug Irlghtened at her surroundings, de- |
h,a,qed ~. NC an explanation, and was treasured |
Mt: .ur: Pettus that everything was all right.
cbome @%beantme she was urged to take glass of |
o'iaa oo'niaaaInpagne, which she did, having been ac-
vusCo1ned ,,-sI from childhood to the use of wine
upon proper occasions