The record-union., 1891-06-09
ANOTHER TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
John Perry Tries to Murder Mamie
Frates, and Then Suicides.
he Became Enraged Because She Re-
fused to Become His Wife
"A CHASTITY Sight.
Unrequited love!

IL mas Deen the cause OF thousands upon
thousands of dire deeds, and another was
added to the list in this city yesterday
afternoon.
John Enos Perry, good-looking young
Portuguese, loved his pretty cousin,
Mamie Frates. But Mamie did not re-
turn his affections. The girls mother
advocated young Perry's cause, while the
father opposed the match and bade his
daughter be firm.
This love dated back for over year.
HoPELEssLY HE LEFT.
Perry was persistent in his suit for his
Cousins hand, and she was equally per-
sistent in her determination not to wed
him.
Finally Perry began to lose hope, and
decided to leave Sacramento and his en-
ployment of teaming. He went to West
port, Mendocino County, and secured
employment in a sawmilI there. He was
accompanied by Manuel Frates, Mamies
l6-year-old brother, who also obtained
employment in the mill. This was sew
eral months ago.
On Sunday evening Perry and young
Manuel returned to this city and repaired
to the Frates residence, on L street, be
tween Second and Third.
Perry was given accommodations at
the house, and to all appearances had re-
covered from his longing for Mamie's
hand. He greeted her courteously, but
took pains to address himself more to the
other members of the household.
But it was but the cunning Of a mad
man.
In reality the young mans passion was
burning within him more fiercely than
ever, and when a favorable opportunity
arrived he beset the girl again with his
tales Of love and affection. The other
members of the family happened to be
out of the room, and for fear of exciting
their suspicious Perry spoke to the girl
IN whisper.
PERRY'S THREAT.
''Have you made up your mind yet to
take me?' he asked, and his countenance
assumed a fiendish look.
''I have decided not to-" she replied.
VERY well, them" he Kissed. 81 have
stood this too long. You shall never be
anOther'S. Tomorrow will tell the tale"
Mamie covered under the terrible ges-
ticulations of her would-be spouse, and,
stopping her ears with her hands, ran
from the room. She related the incident
to her mother, but the latter said John
was all right, and meant well. Mamie
herself was not particularly alarmed at
his threats, because he had often given
vent to them before.
The girl kept out of the young mans
sight during the rest of the evening.
Yesterday morning Perry arose from
his bed early, and left the house. No one
knew at the time where he had gone to,
but ii is believed that he slipped out into
the barn back of the house, and secreted
himself there in the hay-his purpose be-
ing TO catch the girl there when she came
out to milk the COW, and murder her. He
was seen in the vicinity of the barn by q
neighbor, and prior to that Mr.. Frates,
the girls father, saw him there and
spoke to him-asking him what he was
acting so mysteriously for. Perry made
no reply, and pretended to go away,
toward town.
CAUGHT HER ALONE.
Whether or not Perry remained near
the house after that is not known pos
itively, but the circumstances surround
ing the affair indicate that he did not go
away-or, if he did, he returned in a short
time and secreted himself in the barn
again.
1t was about l o'clock in the afternoon
when the tragedy occurred. At that time
there was no one in the house but Mamie
and her infant brother. The father was
at work in the railroad shops, and young
Manuel and his mother were visiting in
the neighborhood.
Perry had been waiting for just such
an opportunity, and emerged from his
place of concealment.
He went into the house and found the
object Of his love engaged in household
work on the second floor of the cottage
in a rear bedroom.
He renewed his avowals of love.
She rejected his offers again.
Then he drew a revolver and COM
menced his bloody work. According to
the girls statement, he fired at her imme-
diately, but the bullet missed its mark.
Mamie screamed and tried to escape from
the room. Just as she reached the thresh-
old of the door, however, the infllriated
hal fNKyiG "a
around until she stood facing him, and
then he deliberately placed the revolver
close to the right side of her head and
fired again.
TERRIBLE STRUGGLE.
This time the murderous bullet was
more effective. Blood spurted from the
wound and spattered the walls and floor,
The poor girl fell to the floor, and a great
pool of blood marks the spot where she
lay. The girl arose after moment or
two, and again tried to escape from her
brutal lover. But he was determined TO
finish his terrible work. Just as she
reached the door leading to the rear
porch Perry fired again, this time lodg-
ing bullet in the girls head, near the
right ear.
Mamie ran down the rear stairs into the
back yard and then into the lower por-
ton Of the house, where she fell eX-
hausted from loss of blood Perry had
followed her as far as the down stairs
door, and believing that she was dead
when she fell, hurried upstairs again
and began shooting at himself. He must
have emptied the revolver without ac-
complishing his own destruction, and,
going into the front bedroom (which he
had occupied the night before, reloaded
the weapon. Five empty cartridge
shells were afterward found upon the
floor, and an open valise, from which the
fresh cartridges had been taken.
After re-loading, Perry resumed firing
at himself and this time was more sue
cessflIl. He fired two bullets into his
head near the right ear, and third under
He fell to the floor, fatally wounded
and bleeding frightfully.
EXCITED NEIGHBoRs.
The neighborhood was thrown into a
state of intense excitement by the reports
of the pistol, and people came running to
the house from all directions.
Nobody would enter the house, how
ever, for fear that whoever had been
doing the shooting might resume the
fusilade. Word was sent by telephone to
the police station of what had happened,
and Captain Lee, officer Gibson and a
RECORD UNION reporter hurried TO the
scene OF the tragedy. officers Arlington,
Campbell and Mclaughlin followed soon
afterward, and rendered valuable assist
ance in keeping the crowd out of the
house.
Captain Lee and officer Gibson were
warned by the neighbors to look out for
Perry, they not knowing that he had
rendered himself harmless. The officers
entered the house cautiously, but soon dis
covered the situation, and asked some of
the people to come inside and assist them
in caring for the wounded. Officer Glib
sontook charge of Perry, while the Cap