The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-11-27

SOutnWOrth died within year or so after
the wedding, and his widow returned to
Louisville. where her father and mother
were again living. A few years after, her
father having died in the meantime, Mrs.
Southworth and her mother removed 10
Brooklyn, where she has two brothers liv-
ing now and doing business. 1t was soon
after this that Mrs. Southworth was intro
, duced by mutual friend to Mr.. Pettus.
She was at this time living at the Pierre
pont house.
The cause of the tragedy, as stated by an
acquaintance of Mrs Southworth who has
known the particulars of the trouble be-
tween them for some years, dates back to
an outrage committed by Pettus upon the
lady, which had been concealed from all
except a very few Of her most intimate
friends for long time. 1t appears, as Is
alleged, that the acquaintance with Mr..
Pettus developed into friendship on ac-
count of the intimacy of Mrs. Southworth's
woman friend with him. The story goes
that this lady was in the habit OF attend
ing theaters and taking lunches with Mr..
Pettus, and upon these expeditions was in
the habit OF taking Mrs. SOuthworth with
her from time to time. The natural re-
suit OF this kind of association 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 certain residence near by, upon
the pretext of seeing friend OF his. As
the house was in the neighborhood and in
respectable part of the city, after some
explanations on the part OF Mr.. Pettus cal
culated to quiet the lady's apprehensions
as to the strict propriety OF the proceed
ings, Mrs. SouthwOrth consented
They were ushered into a parlor, where,
to Mrs. SOuthwOrth's CONSERVATION, 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 explanation, and was treasured by Mr..
Pettus that everything was all right. In
the meantime she was urged tOtakea glass
OF champagne, which she did, having
been accustomed from childhood to
the use of wine upon proper
occasions. In a few moments she lost
consciousness, and knew nothing more of
her surroundings until the following morn
ing, when she woke up, finding 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 uncon-
scious, and she had been abandoned to
make her way home upon recovering con-
seriousness as best she could. Over
whelmed with shame, she returned home,
and, giving some excuse as best she could
to her family for her absence she at
tempted to conceal her disgrace by keep
ing it secret. In the course of few
weeks however, to her CONSERVATION, she
discovered that some one must be taken
into her confidence, and that absolute
secrecy would soon become an impossi-
bility. In her extremity she appealed
-.
save her good name from being sullied in
public estimation, In time she decided,
at the instance of Pettus in order to pro-
tect the name of her widowed mother, to
consent to malpractice. She was sent to
an interior city in this state where, at a
hotel, among utter strangers, she was at
tended by physician under whose care
for weeks she lay lowering between
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 an exposure at the
time OF the outrage, Pettus, it is alleged,
made the most profuse promises of sub
stantial provision for her. Knowing that
he was amply able to do what he said he
would, being a very wealthy man, Mrs.
SOuthworth fully believed that he would
a way that she could live in retirement
and avoid at least further trouble and
| disgrace. Upon her recovery, after the
| lapse OF nearly a year, he met her
reminders of his obligation with nothing
except derision. The effect upon the
| temper of high-strung kentucky woman
| NAV be imagined. She was driven to des-
peration. Pettus, at length. being wearied
| by her opportunities to fulfill his promises,
| adopted a novel method OF Kidding himself
of what he considered an incubus He is
said to have circulated reports among their
mutual friends to the effect that Mrs.
| Southworth was a discarded mistress of
| his, OF whom he had tired, and who was
| pursuing him for the purpose of black
mailing him. Mrs. SouthwOTth's years of
| suffering and self-immolation in order to
| protect her family name appeared now to
| have gone for naught. In frame of
mind which was the climax OF her
/ wrongs,she attacked Mr.. Pettus in horse
whipping scene. On Friday, March %,
| this year, the crowd about the BROOKLYN
| elevated road near Thirty-frst-st and S-st
| saw a tall, willow blonde woman in a
| green tailor-made suit, attack two gentle
men with an umbrella. The men were
Stephen Pettus and his brother-in-law,
Joseph Elliott Afterward Mr.. Elliott said
/ lDdL the attack was maze upon MIN alone.
But the woman. who was Mrs. Hannah
| Southworth. declared she had no acquaint-
ance with Elliott. "Nir. Pettus struck me
when called on him recently and l in
tended to give him an opportunity to
repeat his assault. AS for CARRYING a
| pistol, )" said Mrs. Southworth afterward
"rest assured, if had had one 1t would
have been used more effectively than
an umbrella. The troubled combination
of personal and business matters. They are
trying to persecute and destroy a woman's
character" she added at the time Mrs.
| SOuthworth and her troubles were again
before the public on May l6. On that day
she was arrested on identically the spot Of
the first assault. Detective Kearney, who
| made the arrest, had noted for several days
prepossessing blonde person waiting
about the vicinity. Arraigned before JUS
| tice Walsh, she was bound over in the sum
OF $50 to keep the peace. stephen Pettus
has treated me grossly, and will spend
$4,000 to hound me down."
she said. Again on Sunday the neighbor-
hood about Mr. Pettus' house was startled
| by womans cries: ave got you
now; I've got you noww The timely in
PREVENTION OF the mounted police is said
to have saved Pettus' life on this occasion.
Many times since Mrs. Southworth has
been seen in the vicinity of Pettus' house
and office. Inasmuch as secrecy was no
/ lOnopr 10 he maintained she anDealed IN