The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-03-09
KILLED HER TWO SISTERS
THE DESPERATE DEEDS OF AYOUNG
LADY IN ATLANTA.

LHOr lN ~ LAIN a.
| She Says She Was Sighted All Her Life
by the Other NJ Members of tho Family
Details of tho Horrible TraRedy.-Cer-
tainly Insans.
ATLANTA, GA, Feb. 25.-Another
chapter has developed in Atlanta's week
of crime. This afternoon, few minutes
before two o'clock. Miss Julia Force,
thirty-eight years of age, shot and killed
her two sisters-Florence. thirty years
old, ond Minnie twenty five years old :.
She then walked to the police station
and gave herself up, saying she had
committed the crime and desired protec-
ton. This was the first knowledge of
the murder, for the killing was done
when she was alone at home with her
two sisters. The family is one of prom
inence. The brothers of the family are
j. H. and A. w. Force, shoe mer-
chants. They have been prominent
citizens here for years, coming here
from Charleston.
1t is believed the woman is insana.
She had been considered irresponsible
at times, and had frequently threatened
to kill members of her family. She
says that she has for year been writ.
ing out q statement Of the family troub.
les, and just completed it.
Today when her mother was absent
from the house, she sent the servants
out on errands. Then, going to the
room where her sister Florence was sick
in bed, she placed pistol to her right
temple and shot her dead. Theu, going
to the kitchen where her other sister
wac, she shot her in the same manner.
None OF the neighbors heard the shots.
Miss Force calmly locked the door and
sent to the police station, as described.
The bodies of the two women were
found by brother, to whom she had
sent message to the effect that her sis
ter Florence was worse. In response,
he went home, TO find the bodies of his
dead sisters.
ATLANTA, Ga, Feb. 27.-To-d,y's
sensation is the publication of the full
statement of Julia Force, who mur-
dered her two sisters. 1t is a state
ment probably ten thousand words In
length, and was found by the police in
possession of a friend of Miss Force, to
whom it had been entrusted, but who
knew nothing of It's contents.
1t Is the story of the life of high
strung, sensitive child, who grew to
wOmanhoOd and to mature maldenly
years in the belief that her mother, sis
ters and brothers at all times slghted
her. She goes into minute details of
many happenings in the family, which
she takes as corroborating all she has
| claimed.
"They all loved my sisters better than
they did me-" the story goes. "Of
course, they were younger while | was
growing older. Everything in the
house was for Sister Minnie or for
| Sister Florence A new dress or new
ornament would always look 80 we'll
on them, without ever once referring to
how it would look on me. 1 had the
trouble of helping to raise them, be-
cause l was the oldest, and it made my
blood boil to see them preferred before
me in the love of brothers and mother.
l could not stand it; no, and nobody
else would.
After summing up great many in
| stances OF imaginary wrong she goes
on: 81 was willing to bear my private
griefs in private. | did not wish to har-
row the public with the story of my
| personal grlefs. But when public dis
grace Is piled upon me by notifying
merchants not to credit me, the limit
of endurance has been reached. When
the clerks along the streets can thus
point at me, for what ] We / to livep
Just think of It'll 1 am thus marked
out, while my sisters are favored and
tOndled and petted. Public disgrace is
too much, and can't, will not, stand
it,"
at is enough" she writes. 81 have
borne all can bear. May God avenge,
and, for every insult that has been
given me, heap the CRUSHING weight of
insult, modification and suffering,
moral and physical. upon the heads Of
these scoundrel els and traitors (meaning
her brothers) Oh, my Father! help
your child"
Thus was the climax reached on Fri
day. Miss Julia, according to the story
as told by herself, resolved to immedi-
ately execute the vengeance she had
been plotting so long. She gave no sign
of her intention. Her mother left home
early In the morning to be gone until
afternoon. Miss Julia seized upon the
| opportunity to do the terrible deed.
She went up town and purchased
good pistol and box of cartridges.
She loaded the pistol and laid 1t aside
| for use.
She then took from her trunk the
statement which she had been prepar.
u
final entry upon Its pages, and drawing
heavy line across the bottom Of the
pa3e, signifying that the end had been
| re ached, she hurriedly left home and
went to friC IDS house and left The
statement. She len returned home.
The time for her deadly revenge had
come. She sent Lula Jenkins, the
| house girl, off on an errand. The cook
was first sent to the grocery store, and
then after her brothers.
With the cook and house girl away,
Miss Julia was alone in the house with
her victims. No one knew of her fatal
purpose. Without the quiver of mus.
Gle she made ffr last preparations for
the slaughter. Across the hall was her
sister Minnie. The young lady was en-
gagged in doing some fancy needleWork,
and as she worked she sang. Scarce ten
| feet away her murderous maniacal Sis
ter was lop ling a revolve;. Outside
the sunlight cleaned and the street was
full of the noiso of the noon Of day.
Miss Julia crept across the hall into
| In al