The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-26
PAUNrA GoaDA's ROMANCE.
Why Miss T. Lee Ritchie shot Howard
R. BiY6nS.


Why Miss T Lee Ritchie shot Howard
| R. Bivens.
The MORNING News published day or
/ two ago the fact of the shooting Of Howard
/ R. Biyens, by Miss Richie at Punta
Gorda, Fla. The shooting took place at the
home Of the young lady about O'Clock last
Sunday morning Miss Ri@hie is from
| Tennessee. She arrived at Punta Gorda
with her father and mother five years since,
Her father died about six months ago, and
| she is living With her widowed mother. She
is a handsome brunette. Mr.. Blvels is a
handsome blonde Of % years, and is cashier
of the bank at Punta Gorda.
The case has not yet been called for a
preliminary hearing, Mr.. Biven5 not yet
being out Of danger from his wound. Pend
ing the hearing Of the case before the justice
OF the peace writ Of habeAs corpus was
sued out before Court Commissioner Elan
b. Charlton. special to the Times Union
says: The state maintained that on the
writ of habeas corpus, returnable before
the court commissioner, the commits
sioner has no authority or jurisdlc-
ton in the preliminary examination, and
for that reason refused 10 introduce testi-
mOnY before the commissioner made july
81 under oath before Justice Hardee in sub
stance as follows: Bivens received a note
! from Miss Richie on the morning of July
| IS: please come down tonight, if only for
a few moments,n and the reply: "Wnl prob
ably be down in the evening" In the eve
ming Bivens received a second note.
Howard, please come now-just few
minutes; have some lovely flowers for you
and some nice cream. Do COME; want to
| see you SO badn He went and she ap-
peared glad to see him. About IL o'clock
he proposed going home. She said: You
shau't GO"
Soon after her mother knocked at the
door saying: at is time Mr.. Bivens was
leaving" He wished to leave. Miss Richie
objected, saying: I'VE went our talk out !;
| he sHan't bother US again.
HOW SIX SHOT HIM.
| He Continued to insist on leaving she OBJ
| jecting and pleading with him to stay few
minutes longer. He tried to force himself
away. she saying: ~ will shoot you if you
| go, and if you 60 | will shoot myself" He
thought nothing OF this as she acts strangely
| sometimes.
She picked up pistol lying on the table,
saying: "Ain't Harry Campbell kind to
pay S35 for this revolver to shoot alligators
| withs" He tried to take it away. She said:
mo, sir; not much" aad wrenched it out
| Of his hands. For more than half an hour
she acted queerly, clinging to him with her
| arms around him.
| Her mother again came in, ordering him
| to leave, telling her she was making fool
of herself She said 81 don't care; love
him." She ordered her mother to leave,
| telling her that BivenS should not leave
until she was ready.
Her mother left her, and Blvens kept beg
ging to leave, she begged him to stay a little
| whlle-five minutes by the clock. After
several eRorts.to leave he gaveit up.
| While both were 'anding in the center
Of the room in twinkling she threw the
revolver against or near his breast, within
! five or six inches of It, having her arm
around him at the time. and fired. He
dropped, saying, you have killed me-"
| "All right, [ will die with you" she replied,
and fired again. He arose, trying to wrench
the revolver from her. This lasted about
ten minutes, until he was completely ex~
| hausted.
| Her mother came in after the first shot
and began screaming. After a few mo-
ments she screamed to her mother. "Why
don't you help me got it; be is about to take
it away. and II don't shoot myself they
will hang me-" With the aid Of her mother
he secured the pistol, but dropped it in his
weakness,
He staggered out, going home, crawling
and welking.
ENGAGED TO ANOTHER.
For some months he had been constantly
associated with her. aud sesing her falling
ia love he told her not to expect anything,
he being engaged. She had told him that
her mother objected TO his coming to her
house, and for the past month he had not
visited her or seen her. He believes she got
him there purposely to murder him. She
had in her hand the revolver over half an
hour, and kept begging him TO stay one
minute longer. When she shot him she
said. "There," shooting him as quick as
flash. She several times had asked him to
marry her. He told her he did not love her.
She would say: II would not marry you If
you did not love me-"
She said that Harry Campbell said that
he would give her $500 if he could sell his
boat. Bivens was never engaged to her
and told her he did not love her.
BIvENs' LETTERS.
The defense submitted twenty one letters
and claimed to have fourteen others, call
ing her ''my dear little wife, sweetheart, ="
darling" dear sweetheart" sending Der
fruits and wine. MY darling Lee, l did
not know how dearly loved you; think of
me often, darling" Yours devotedly, and
one who loves you dearly" He signed him
self variously-"With all my heart and
soul, love-" "sweetheart, your Howard"
A SENSATIONAL SCENE.
The defense insinuated unexpected devel-
opments and stated that more than one
woman is concerned; that a mantle of
shame would be thrown around the head
of certain well-known lady, giving her
name.
Her husband arose to close with the at
| torney, but they were separated. The
| lights went out and the ladies left the court
uncegemoniously. Soon order was restored
and TIE court adjourned until this morning
| On reconvening the gentleman demanded
from the attorney what was meant. The
answer did not reflect on his wife, and was
! accepted es satisfactory.
| Miss Richie was afterward remauded to
custody on 81 900 bail The defense is well
and ably represented by Messrs. Fletcher,
| Clark aud Trabue, and the state equally so
| by Stanford. The defense claims now that
they have never shown their hand, and will
not until forced. The real Cause of her
shooting Bivens is as yet unknown. She
| has never testified. Bivens' love letters to
her do not agree with his statement that be
told her he did not love her. Tue defense
claims that the case lies in the fourteen un-
read letters.