St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-26
A FEMALE BUTCHER.
Fearful and Premeditated
Crime of a Memphis So
ciety Belle.
Selling a Beautiful Enemy,
She Draws a Keen Razor
Across Her Throat,
Cutting the Jugular With
Deadly Precision, With
out a Tpehor.
Hate Filled Her Heart and
Nerved Her Arm to the
Awful Deed.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Jan. 25.-The most
sensational tragedy which has occurred
in Memphis for years was committed
this afternoon. The victim was young
lady, and her slayer was of the same
sex. Both were familiar figures in So
ciety. and the awful affair is tonight the
talk OF the town. \ few minutes before
4 O'Clock a buggy containing Misses
Alice Mitchell and Lizzie johnson drove
up to the broad sidewalk around the
custom house block leading to the levee.
The lines were in the hands of Miss
johnson, and beside her, calm and self
possessed. sat Miss Mitchell. Coming
Slowly up the steep incline from the
river were Miss Freda Ward, of Gold
dust, Ark, aid her sister 30, who had
just put another sister aboard the
steamer Rosa Lee for Golddust. The
young ladies were soon opposite the
carriage, chatting pleasantly and pay
ING no attention to their surroundings.
Suddenly from the carriage. at a
bound, came Miss Mitchell. Grasping
Miss Ward by the back of the neck. she
drew bright razor from out the folds
of her dress, and, without word,
drew it.
Across the Throat
OF her victim. Miss Ward sank to the
pavement in an instant. the blood pour
ing in torrents from the severed jugu-
lar. The murdered girls sister, who
had by this time recovered from her as
toniShment, grappled with the woman
and tried to hold her, bnt in twinkling
!ShS, too, received 4 cut, but luckily
n frit
Miss Mitchell being freed from Miss
Ward, jumped into the buggy in an in-
slant. and with the exclamation, ''Drive
on, Eve done it!'' seized the whip, and
with Miss Johnston still holding the
lines, the pair were soon around the
corner and away from the scene of the
tragedy.
Miss Ward was tenderly picked up by
the gathering crowd, and passing car
rage which was pressed into service
conveyed her to an infirmary. She was.
however, beyond human aid, and ex-
pired just as the infirmary was reached.
sIhe body was then taken to an under
taking establishment. At 6 o'clock this
evening CHIEF of Police Davis had ar
rested Miss Mitchell, who was found at
ssE home on Union street, and conveyed
% the Jail Ill carriage. The
Cause Of the Killing
is tonight not positively apparent, as
Miss Mitchell refuses to say word to
anybody. 1t is said, however, that Miss
Ward, W no is visiting in this city, had
on former trips to Memphis been the
guest of Miss Mitchell. Lately, how
ever, she refused to partake of the hos
pitality of the Mitchell household, and
refused also to recognize Miss Mitchell
OH the street.
1t is alleged further by several per-
sons that Miss Ward has made remarks
of a decidedly uncomplimentary nature
regarding Miss Mitchell, and this latter
allegation is supposed to have been the
cause of the tragedy. Miss Mitchell is
the nineteen-year- daughter of
George Mitchell, retired furniture
dealer, and she and Miss Johnston, in
the latter;s stylish turnout" were a
familiar sight on the different drives
about the city.
Miss Ward is the daughter of John
Ward, planter and worthy merchant
of Golddust, Ark. AT the inquest this
evening the jury rendered verdict
charging Miss Mitchell with the killing,
and that it was premeditated.