Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-01-30
TERRIBLE CRIME.
Miss Mitchell Kills Miss Freda
Ward at Memphis.
A Razor Glistens In the Air and the Hur.
dered Girl Falls TO the Pavement
Miss Mitchell Loved Freda-This
Seems to lie the Cause.

MEMPHIS, Jan. 26.-The most sensa-
tional murder in the history of Mem.
phis occurred d little after o'clock
Monday afternoon on the paved walk
extending from Front street to the
levee. The victim was Miss Freda
Ward, a pretty girl of seventeen, and
her slayer Miss Alice Mitchell, aged
eighteen.
The weapon used was razor, and it
did its bloody work with sickening
thoroughness. At the time mentioned
the custom house grounds bordering on
the paved walk were filled with people
out for look at the sunset on the river.
Some half-dozen of these noticed three
well-dressed girls going down the
walk toward the river and chatting
gayly together. The trio were Miss
Freda Ward and her eldest sister 10 and
Mrs. Christine Parnell. They were on
their way down to the landing to take
passage by steamboat fos Gold Dust,
Ark.
Then the idlers saw buggy with
two girls in it driven rapidly down the
roadway toward the river. II stopped
when nearly opposite the Ward sisters
and one of the girls sprang out of the
vehicle and started toward them. This
was Miss Alice Mitchell, The girl who
remained in the buggy was her friend,
Miss Lille johnson. Miss Mitchell ran
after the two sisters and overlook
them. No words passed between them
so far as known, but the lookers-on saw
Miss Mitchell catch hold of Miss Freda
Ward and thought she was going to
kiss her
Then the bright blade of razor
flashed out in the departing sunlight,
as Miss Mitchell's shapely white hand
swung it around, gripping the shoulder
of Freda with the other hand the while.
Before the terrified victim could cry
out the keen blade laid open her left
cheek from the eye to the mouth A
second stroke, following with quick
ness OF lightning, split the unfortunate
girls chin in twain, and she fell to the
pavement. At this moment Miss 10
Ward, who had been almost paralyzed
by the suddenness and savagery
of the assault, rushed to her sisters
aid, and knocked her assailaut down
with an umbrella Miss Mitchell, now
transformed into fury, sprang up, and,
running to Freda Ward, who was strug.
Cling to rise, caught her by the hair.
Again the razor did its work, and this
time thoroughly. The girls throat was
cut from ear to ear and back to the
spinal column, almost severing the
head from the body. Il want to die
anyhow" exclaimed the murdercss
and she slashed at Miss 10 Ward, in
tlicting slight wound on her cheek.
Then she ran back to the buggy, jump
ed in and drove away with hor friend
The father of the Ward girls is a
merchant and planter at Gold Dust,
AEE Nasss EtFIsaA end R&alaR IL fBho9 Bh J
late they had given her the cold shoul-
der, and the reason, as Miss Mitchell
was told by others, was that she was
too fast.
1t was learned that it was the frenzy
Of slight affections rather than resent
nent that impelled Miss Mitchell to
the bloody deed 1t is said she loved
Miss Frcda Ward devotedly. and after
they were separated she brooded over
the loss of her friend until she came to
the resolution to kill her rather than
have her alive estranged.