The morning call., 1892-03-08
THE YOKOHAMA TRAGEDY,
Was HetheringtOn Justified in
Killing RObinsOn2
The Heroine of the Affair Is Said to Be as
Vain and Silly as She Is Pretty-The
Outcome of Her Irdiscretion.

! ''She does not possess an ounce of COM
mons in her whole composition"
The speaker was a San Franciscan who
has resided in Yokoha ma for almost year,
and who returned home on the City of
! Picking on Saturday. His quoted remark
was made in reference to Mrs. Hetherng-
ton, the central figure in the social tragedy
| eliminating in the killing of George Cove
Robinson bv Lieutenant j. H. lettering
ton of the United States ship Marion.
The prominence OF the persons involved
! in the affair, their standing in the best
| circles of the foreign Japanese residents
and the acquaintance enjoyed by Lieuten-
ant and Mrs. Hetherington in this city,
| have all served TO create unusual interest
| in the occurrence AMI curiosity regarding
The outcome.
"The Marion, Of which Hetherington was
! junior lieutenant. arrived in Yokohoma
! early last October" continued the gentle
! man who had commented upon the lady's
| lack of practical wsdom. Ibis wife ar
| rived soon after, sailing from San Francisco
| on the China. She was q remarkably pretty
woman. but very silly and vain 10 de-
! gree.
! UNPLEASANTLY TALKED ABOUT.
"She got herself unpleasantly talked
about during the voyage to Japan by her
reckless fllrtations with several young men.
! She seemed to have an Unsuitable craving
! for admiration, and made eyes at every
man who would look at her. She was not
guilty of any overt criminality, but the
! dowagers shock their heads and remarked
that the husband would do well to keep
sharp watch over his pretty but indiScreet
| wife after she landed.
The advent of such a charming bit of
feminine loneliness created quite a stir in
! the best circles Of the English and Ameri-
can colony at Yukoh anna. She lived in a
| luxurious style, received q great deal OF at
tenlion and speedily became the belle OF
her set So much admiration seemed to
turn her head. and she acted in a very reck-
| less manner.
Several gay y0ung men were not slow to
! make ayowals to her, but the most serious
| filtration was that with George Cover Rob-
inson, an English broker who had been an
| old resident Of the city. He was hand
! some fellow, highly accomplished and was
| very popular. Lieutenant Hetherlngt0n Is
| young man of attractive person and man
ners, but his wife frequently neglected her
| usband for her English admlrer. The Off
| GERS duties on board the Marion gave her
| considerable freedom. of which she was not
| slow to avail herself. and luncheons aud
dinners with Mr.. Robinson. follow by
drives IN his drag, were OF almost daily oc-
! currence.
MADLY INFATUATED.
THE broker seemed to be madly infatu-
ated with the officers wife, and although
the growing Intimacy between the two was
the subject of general comment in 1CkO-
hama, the naval husband seemed uncon-
sciOus of the filtration. At ball on New
Years eve, however, the lieutenant dscOv-
cred his wife and Robinson in Enthusiastically
loyerlike attitude in a corner of the con-
| ServatOry. There was a stormy interview.
and the broker left tue city the next morn
ing.
During his absence he wrote a number
of tender misSives 10 the lady. who was
| careless enough to let them fall into her hUs-
bands possession. The latter related his
double discovery 10 the captain and his
brother officers on the Marion, and they
persuaded him that his honor had been vio-
lated, and that the slight putupon him by
Robinson could only be wiped out by blood.
when Robinson returned to Yokohama
in February the husband followed him
about with a loaded revolver. About
o'clock on the evening of Saturday, the 18Th
ult., the broker was driving along the sea-
wall IN his drag with another Englishman.
Hetherington met them and without warn
ing fred. the bullet passing through the
coat of RObinson's friend but infiictng. III
harm. His second shot caught the suS-
pected lover n the hip, passing into tile
bowels, and he died the next morning.
HErHERINGToN ARRESTED.
"Hetherington was placed under arrest
and taken on board the Marion to avoid
the possible violence of the residents. Opin-
ions were divided as to the extent of the
relations between Mrs. Hetherrugton and
Robinson, many believing that she was
simply vain and silly woman, innocent OF
in6delity. There was q universal feeling
that even if the naval officers honor had
been violated he should not have shot down
his wife's lover like dog but should have
given him some chance TO defend himself,
especially in view of the uncertainty re-
garding tie extent of his guilt
Before his death, Robinson declared that,
so far as lie was concerned. Mrs. Hethering-
ton was an innocent woman. she naturally
confirmed this statement, and Iletherngt0n,
when the steamer sailed, had cited no in
stance of his violated honor to justify the
shooting. The general opinion was ex-
pressed that il was a cold blooded murder
"The woman's Stiffness was plainly ex-
emplfed by her conduct after the tragedy.
She not only expressed no concern for the
occurrence but she actually desired to at
tend dinner party given that same Satur-
day evening by the Russian Consul She
was restrained from keeping her engage
ment, but about 9 o'clock she appeared al
the consulate, walked into the dining room
and uncoDcernedly remarked, Judge has
shot George! Judge was the name she
always applied 10 her husband.
THE INQUEST.
The inquest upon the body of the dead
Englishman was postponed until his com.
panion on the drive. r Dir. Pore, was able
to testify. Tne civil authorities of Yoko-
hama VIII probably take no cogniZance OF
the shooting, the Consular representative OF
each nation in the city having jurisdiction
over his countrymen. Under these forms
of procedure Lieutenant Hetherington will
be taken for examination before the Ameri-
can Consul. and if the evidence iustifes, by
him held TO answer. Ii will then be brought
TO this country for trial, and should be be
acquitted will be courtmartiaied foI viola
ton of the naval regulations.
| The Hetheriugtons. who are each about sc
| years OF age, We're married in 1889 at Will
1 miDgton, Del. The lady belongs 10 good
family in that town and her husband is
| equally well connected in Dubuque, Iowa.