Wichita eagle., 1890-01-08
MRS. SOUTHWORTH DEAD.
The Slayer of Pettus Dies in the Tombs
Prison, New York

NEW YORK, Jan. Mrs. Hannah IS.
Southworth, who has been buried in the
Tombs since November %, the day she
killed PeJtus, died this morning at 6l5.
This ends, and ends well. some think, rs
dramatic and unusual murder story as
has ever been told in New York for several
years. 1t passed all the points of strong
sensational novel. The man who was
murdered was well known even in as
great ana big city as New York and the
woman who murdered him was beautiful,
young and some said, terribly wronged.
1t would have been a celebrated case, a
case that would have divided the city or
two cities, but now, since this morning,
The Indictment against Hannah South
worth has been quashed by higher court.
Ever since she entered the IombS.
nearly tw o months ago. sMrs. Southworth
has been steadily failing, From time to
time the papers told of her failing health
aud the busy outside public, to whom she
had been mere nine days wonder, guessed
what the end would be. Since the first of
the new year her death has been expected
III any hUur. Acute bronchitis, pneu-
1nouia and Il chronic trouble, which latter
She attributes to stephen l.. Pettus, have
dragged her down, the mental trouble has
helped the physical ailments and the sur
rounding presence of the prison walls has
not tended TO give her strength or Will TO
bear up aga nSJ il.
At 9o'clock last night Dr. Chetwood, the
{ ty physician, told her mother. Mrs Mar
lin, that her daughter could live but "a short
tine. Mrs. Martin telegraphed for her two
son. William Is. Martin and George Mar
tin. They reached the tombs at 1880 and
remained with their mother until the
death. Mrs. Southworth's cell was in Il
corridor of The female ward, in which at
he present time there are twenty-five
other inmates They have all shown an
interest in the young woman, though she
had held no intercourse with her frail sis
Iers and they hung over the ratings and
peered through the cell bars TO catch a
glimpse of what was going on. The two
brothers entered the cell and sat down,
one at her head and the other at her foot.
There was no talk between them and
save for the Kissing of a single
gas let turned on at full
head, there was absolute silence in the cell
Of the dying woman. The only other ocCu-
pant of the cell was one of the prisoners, 4
girl called Blanche Cunningham. who has
nursed Mrs. SouthwOrth with great affec-
tion and patience during the last days Of
her life with the fidelity of an old friend
This girl came and went. as did the doc
Tor but the family sat still and waited.
About 10 o'clock Mrs. Southworth raj
lied. and with the assistance of Blanche
Cunningham was raised upon the couch
Turning 10 her mother, she said. Il know
lam going to die. and I'm willing to.
am perfectly resigned TO Ii, and would
not exchange it now for health" p"
Then she asked her mother to come
closer and the mother bent over the bed
side. Mrs SouUhworth threw her arms
around her mothers neck and resting her
head on her shoulder, whispered that she
would like To pray. Her spoken prayer,
as well as her last spoken words, had no
reference TO her suffering, her crime or
past life. She repeated simply these
words:
Now ! Law me down 10 sleep,
| pray the Lord my soul TO keep,
And If die before / wake,
| pray the Lord my soul 10 take"
After she bad repeated these lines she
became unconscious and lay in a stupcr
until she died. Her death was painless.
As soon AS the permit was procured,
Undertaker Henderson removed the body
TO the residence of Mr.. William b. Martin
IN Brooklyn. The funeral services which
will be strictly private. will be held on
Thursday and the remains placed temper
arily in a vault at Greenwood. AS soon as
relatives Can be communicated with and
arrangements made the body will be taken
TO Louisville, ky., Mrs. Southworth's 5
birthplace, where the Martins have fam
ily lot.