The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-11-28
SHOT AND KILLED.
A TRAGEDY IN NEW YORK cITy-AN
OUTRAGED WOMAN STAYS
HER BETRAYER.
History Of the Woman and Her Victim
The Old story of Mans Duplicity
and wOman's Trust.

New YORK, November 22.-Stephen L.
Pettus, secretary and treasurer ofBrooklyn
Union Elevated railroad and a member of
the firm of Pollard, Pettus & Co., of No. 81
Broad street, was shot dead this morning
in front ofNo. 10 Fulton street By a 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 the Brooklyn ferry
boat "a woman wearing seal
skin sacque, trimmed with black
fur, was seen hurrying along behind
well dressed man wearing derby hat.
When in front of No. 10 she pulled large
Smith & Wesson revolver, So calibre, 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
chamber of her revolver was emptied. AS
the victim writhed and tossed in agony on
the sidewalk, the woman, looking calm
and possessed, actually smiled with appar-
ent satisfaction. In short time great
crowd had gathered, attracted to the spot
by the repeated pistol firing.
The cause of the tragedy, as stated by
has given heiparticulars of the troubles
between them Tor some years, dates back
to an outrage committed by Pettus upon
the lady, and which had been concealed
from any except q very few OF her most IN
innate friends for long time. 1t
appears, as is alleged that an
acquaintance with Mr.. Pettps
was developed into friendship on account
of the intimacy OF Mrs. Southworth s wom-
an friend with him. The story goes that
this lady was in the habit of attending the
alter 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 result 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 a
certain residence near by upon pretense of
seeing a friend of his. AS the house was in
the neighborhood and in,a respectable part
part of the city, after some explanations on
the part of Mr.. Pettus calculated to quiet
the lady's apprehensions as to the strict
propriety of the proceedings, Mrs.
Southworth consented. They were
to Mrs. Southworth's CONSERVATION
they were met by colored man with the
air of waiter, from whom Mr.. Pettus or
dered bottle of wine. Mrs. Southworth
being frightened at her surroundings, de-
manded an explanation, and was treasured
by Mr.. Pettus that everything was alright
In the meantime she was argued to take
glassof champagne, which she did, having
been accustomed from childhood In a few
moments she lost consciousness and knew
nothing more of her surroundings
until the following morning, when
she walked up, finding herself in bed
in this strange house, 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 home.
Upon recovering consciousness as best she
could, overwhelmed with shame, she re-
turned home, and, giving some excuse
as best she could to her family,
for her absence. She attempted to conceal
her disgrace by keeping it secret. In the
course of few weeks, however, to her con-
sternation, she discovered that some one
must be taken into her confidence and that
absolute secrecy would soon become an inn
possibility. In her extremity she appealed
to Pettus to assist her and stiff save
her good name from being sullied in
public estimation. In time she decided, at
the instance of Pettus, in order to protect
the rame of her widowed mother, TO con-
sent to malpractice. She was semitic an in
terror city in this state, where, at hotel,
among utter strangers, she was attended by
a physician, under whose care for weeks
she lay towering between life and death.
She was at length restored to the shadow
of her former self, covered with shame, her
life wrecked and she a physical wreck and
health iretrievably broken.
In orderto avoid an exposure at the time
of the outrage Pettus, it is alleged, made
the most profuse promises of substantial
provision for her, knowing he was amply
able to do what he said he would, being a
very wealth man, Mrs. Southworth fully
believed he would keep his word and pro-
vide for her III such q way that she could
live in retirement and avoid at least further
trouble and disgrace. Upon her recovery
of the lapse of nearly year he met her re-
minders of his obligation with nothing but
derision. The effect upon the temper of a
hlgh-strung Kentucky woman may be i'm
agined.
She was driven to desperation. Pettus,
at length becoming weary of her imp0rtu-
mites to fulfill his promises, adopted a
novel method of Kidding himselfof what he
considered nuisance. He Is
SAID to have circulated reports
among their mutual friends to the effect
that Mrs. Southworth was discarded mis-
tress of his of whom he had tired and who
was pursuing him for the purpose of black
mailing him. Mrs. Southworth's years OF
protect her family name appeared now to
have gone for naught. In a frame OF
mind which was the climax OF
her wrongs, she attacked Mr..
Pettus and horsewhipped him
Inasmuch as secrecy was no longer to be
maintained, she appealed to Messrs. Howe
& Hummell, criminal lawyers, not TO obtain
money damages but that the truth might
be explained and the infamy of her perse-
cutor exposed.
Pettus was a southerner. and his brother
Edward, who is here now, does business in
GAINESVILLE. Tenn.
When placed in prison Mrs. Southworth
was very nervous and worked herself into q
high state of excitement. She was given an
anodyne for relief
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 comingy raising herself TO
her full height and assuming somewhat
dramatic position, she Kissed out between
her teeth, pointing at the lifeless body on
the sidewalk all the while:
That man has betrayed me and have
shot him. He has ruined me and my
family"
An examination of the body of the dead
man showed that all five of the bullets had
taken effect. Three bullets lodged in his
back, one in his neck and one ia his nghi
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 railway Office