The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-20
a MEMPHIS SENSATION.
Alice Mitchell on Trial for the
Murder of Freda Ward.

insanity was begun in the crimina
court yesterday morning ia the pres
ense OF large number Of people. This
trial grows out of the murder of Miss
Freda Ward by Miss Mitchell, who cut
her throat from ear to ear with razor
and wounded her sister, 10 Ward.
Inc case now stands on the trial of
this issue: fMiss Mitchell is now de-
clared to be insane, she will 90 to the
asylum and remain until cured. Ifshe
DC oeciared cured, then she will be put
on trial, charged with murder, at which
trial she will plead insanity at the time
of the killing.
Inc theory under which her lawyers
WILL make their defense was an unnat
ural affection existing between Alice
Mitchell and Freda Ward, and that Miss
Mitchells whole life was that of an in
sane person.
The State proposes in this investiga-
ton to show that Alice Mitchell did not
have an aversion to the society of men.
but she had numerous love affairs with
the masculine sex and carried on quite
an extensive correspondence with Young
men.
The prisoner was brought into the
courtroom heavily yelled in company
with the deputy sheriff and her two
brothers. She manifested no excite.
ment, but quietly conversed with her
brothers until the Judge came in, when
she was required to remove her veil.
Inc work of selecting the jury occu-
pied two hours and half 1t is COM
posed of the leading business men of
Memphis. The only question asked
them was whether they had an opinion
as to Miss Mitchell's present insanity.
The only witness who testified TODAY
was MIR. George Mitchell, father of the
accused.
Mr.. Mitchell said he was tho father
OF the defendant, and said she was nine
teen years old. He then testified as 70
tho insanity OF the mother OF Alice years
ago. He said that Alice had manifested
some very noticeable peculiarities re-
Gently. She would want to stay by her
self all the time. She would go to her
room and remain there for hours.
When there were young men around
the house Alice would not stay with
them She did not have any use for
men. and would not stay with them.
She had always been more like a bow
than girl and often played marbles.
She would shoot a target rifle and
adopted other boyish habits. He knew
there was an affectionate feeling be-
tween Miss Alice and Freda Ward, too.
She signed the name Of Freda Ward to
receipts for coal last September, and
when he asked her about 1t she said she
was thinking about Freda Ward so much
that she just signed her name to 1t. He
had noticed q particular brightness
about her eyes about this time that he
had never noticed before.
he said he missed his razor in Noyem-
Der, and after the killing OF Freda
Ward, Alice told him that abe had
taken 1t. He said Alice told him she
mad thrown the. razor away after the
killing. He did not know Alice had
killed Freda Ward until an hour and a
half after the occurrence. She told him
that she had killed Freda Ward because
she loved her. Freda, she said, had
gone back on her. They were engaged
to be married. She was very fond of
talking about killing Freda Ward. She
has Freda Wards picture in the case of
the watch she wears. She never talked
as If Freda Ward were dead. She uses
the present tense in speaking of Freda,
and does not seem to know she Is
dead.
The next day after the killing she
was told that Freda wonld he buried,
when she said she wanted to see her,
and when told that she could not, she
cried. 1t was the first time he had
seen her cry. She had pasted all of the
newspaper pictures on the wall of her
room. She had never taken any inter.
est in her own trial or her fate.
Here tho witness was turned over to
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Peters. In answer to
a question the witness said there had
never been any perceptible disturbance
or the minds of any of his children but
Alice and tho eldest child. The wit
ness said in answer to questions that
Alice was not exceptionally bright at
school. She would play almost any
sort OF musical instrument Sho did
not read much. She did not care much
about books. lie had heard since the
tragedy that She had correspondent with
men who were perfect strangers to her.
She frequently went out riding with
Miss Lille johnson. He never knew
OF any arrangements between Freda
Ward and Alice or between Alice and
other members of the Ward family.
IL was o'clock when Mr.. Mitchell
concluded, and the court ad journed until
$50 o'clock tomorrow morning.
DIR. Calender, anexpert on insanity
cases, who was called upon to testify in
the Charles j. Guiteau case after he Slew
President Garfield, is expected to be the
mainstay of the defense, he having dur
ing the past few months made q most
searching examination o. Miss
Mitchell's case.
Alleged Mediums for Procuring Girls.
MONTREAL, Quebec, July ls.-Attor-
ney General Casgrain, OF Quebec, has
decided to investigate the workings OF
Montreal and Quebec employment
bureaus, some Of which are alleged