The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-02-11
FRHDA's LOVER.
The Memphis Sensation.

| property, nlghly respected, and OF gOO(
mental attalnments, lawyer by profes
sion and a. planter by occupation, wa.
| tried for beating his wife's brains out
He was sentenced to serve term of five
years insthe penltentiary by the lower
courts, but the case was reversed by the
higher tribunal, and to-day W. H. Per
son, aged sixty-fye, with a young arc
new wife, aged seventeen, walks the
streets of Memphis oblivious of the opin.
ion of the public.
In March of last year Colonel Fl. CLAY
King, a scion of a proud Kentucky fam
lily, a man who served the Confederacy
with such dashing bravery that his regi-
ment was dubbed Kings Tigers shot
and killed D. H. Poston, general at
torney for the Memphis and Charleston
railroad. in broad daylight on the streets
of Memphis. Colonel King is an emf
nent lawyer and author OF a book on
criminal law, which was referred to by
counsel for the prosecution more than
once during the progress of the trial,
which ended by Colonel King being SEN
fenced to hang by the neck until he
should be dead.
The remote cause of this tragedy was
Mrs. General Gideon Pillow, wife of the
Confederate soldier after whom Fort
Pillow was named.
But the last of all is the greatest.
Nothing in the annals of Memphis crime
equals the deed committed here on Mon
day afternoon by Alice Mitchell, daugh-
ter of George Mitchell, once prominent
furniture dealer.
George Mitchell is gentleman of the
highest standing, both socially and
financially, in Memphis. He is a men,
Der of the Tennessee Club, an organiza-
tion the most exclusive in the South.
His sons are young men of sterling in
tegrity, and are familiar figures at all
exclusive social gatherings.
Alice Mitchell is one of three daugh-
ters, and the most beautiful of the three.
She is strikingly beautiful, has large
lustrous blue eyes, wealth of golden
hair, and her features are faultless She
has not as yet gone into society, heing
only eighteen years old. Freda Ward,
her victim, was the opposite to Alice
Mitchell in all things
Alice's hair was light, while Freda's
was brown. Freda had large brown
eyes. her figure was slender, and there
was about her a certain air of timidity.
One was bright, joyous, impulsive and
full of life; the othe other was timid,
apathetic, and shrank from anything
that one might designate as fast.
The two girls first met each other at
school. They became close friends
Alice was the older by two years, and
Freda always looked to her as a superior.
The teachers saw the passionate re-
gard Alice had for Freda and tried to
separate them, but Alice was obdurate
and declared that unless Freda was her
companion she would have nothing to
do with any one else. All this happened
when the two girls were in short skirts.
two years ago Freda left Memphis and
dwelt on her fathers plantation near
Gold Dust, Ark. Alice could scarcely
bear the separation and protested in
daily letters to Freda that she could not
live without her. She implored her to
return to Memphis and become a mem
Der of her fathers family.
Alice insisted that rather than be away
from Freda
SHE WOULD MARRY HER,
and be her slave during her life. Last
summer Alice secured permission to visit
Freda andshe hailed it with wild de-
light. On the plantation the two girls
were inseparable. They were as lovers,
and had their daily lovers quarrel, which
always ended by asrenewal of love. If
any young man made remark to Freda
Alice became furiously jealous. As for
herself, she said all OF her love was for
Freda, and the attentions of young men
were nothing to her.
Mrs. Valma, Freda's sister, protested
at last against this undue intimacy.
Alice, she thought, was too wild to be
Freda's companion, and her tempera-
ment was too irascible for the timid,
shrinking Freda. Alice did have terri
BILE temper and could brook no opposi>
ton.
Once a pet Spaniel jumped into her
lap and soiled her dress, and the girl
seized club and dashed out the dogs
brains. She also had weakness for
firearms shooting and riding horses
without saddle or bride.
Alice returned after a lengthy visit,
and then Mrs. Valma informed her
mother that the intimacy between the
two girls must cease. Freda acquiseced
with mur1ner, but Alice was furious.
Life, she said, would not be worth living
without Freda.
She wrote to her, but the letter was
returned with the seal unbroken This
was heart breaking blow. Alice grew
morose, and would have little to say to
anyone. She was no longer the bright
and joyous girl of yore.
A few weeks ago Freda and her sister
10 came to Memphis to visit their friends,
uAlc. AAIihOI OuS ttlld LA 1912 Olll III :
nell, but Freda was warned by Mrs.
Valma to have nothing to do with Alice
Mitchell, to receive no visits or letters
from her, and to cut her on the street
should they meet.
The day following the arrival of the
two sisters Alice called to see them, but
was informed that they not at home to
her..
This was stunning blow to Alice and
she became almost delirious with grief,
but did not desist from her attempts to
make it up with Freda. She wrote her
several letters, but all save one was re-
turned to her. This one was opened by
Freda, and in it she was informed by
Alice she would rather see her dead than
an enemy
Freda was obdurate, and Alice then
tried to meet her on the streets, but the
timid girl avoided her.
Monday morning Freda and her sister
10 started to the boat to return to Gold
Dust. They were accompanied by Miss
Christine Purnell