The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-29
MURDER AND SUICIDE AT PAoLA.
A Wife Shoots Her Husband Through
the Head and Herself Through the
Heart.
From the Orlando Fls.) Reporter.

From the Orlando (Fla.) Reporter.
Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock the
dead bodies of J. H. Balsley and
Anna NJ Balsley, his wife, Were
found in their house in Paola
this county, by Mr.. Edgar Harrison, who
wired at once for H. S. Adams, justice of
the peace, to hold inquest.
The bodies were in the same position
when viewed by coroner and jury as when
first discovered, and were as follows:
The body of j. H. Balsley lay in a small
bedroom opening out of the parlor, lying
in his night clothes covered by sheet on
the bed on his left side with back toward
door. His left hand was under his head
and right arm lying naturally. He was
shot through the right temple, and evil
IDENTIFY had not moved a muscle.
About eigh teen inches from him on the
side toward the door there was another
bullet hole through the sheet and mat
tress. A chair was lying face down
across the door, upon which had been
pillow and Balsley's pants. In the parlor,
between the doors, there was an organ
stool turned over
He had evidently been dead since Sat
urday night or early Sunday morning, as
decomposition was well advanced.
In another bedroom opening out of the
dining room lay the body of Mrs. Balsley;
the body lay on its back, in the center of
the floor, with pillow under her head,
dressed in her night clothes. She was
shot through the heart. Her left hand
rested on her bosom, near the wound;
the right hand drawn up at right side,
and Immediately under the hand on the
floor lay a revolver, identified by several
I witnesses as her weapon. 1t was plain to
be seen that she had committed suicide,
aud that the deed was committed from
twelve to twenty-four hours after the
demise of her husband, as her body was
in fair condition.
On table in the dining room was found
/ a sheet of note paper, on which was
serawled with pen and ink 81 can't stand
anything more" This was identified as
being her handwriting.
The pistol "a five shooter) when found
had in the cylinder two loaded shells, two
| empty chambers and one empty shell
| upon which latter the hammer rested.
There were two bullets found, one
which went through her body and the
other had gone through the mattress; both
! bullets were the same size, and the same
as those in the pistol
! Last Friday Mrs. BalSley gave sealed
note to one of her friends in Paola with
| positive instructions not to open it unless
something happened to her, When the
|. party heard of her death he opened the
note, and found S. bill and a note re
! questing if anything happened to her that
| her sister be notified by wire.
1t seems that Balsley and his wife have
been living very unhappily for some
! years, having had considerable contro-
| versy over claim of Mrs. BalsIey's sis
! ter to the Balsey grove, Mrs. Balsley
| having taken SUES with her sister against
! her husband.
| The coroner's jury, having taken all the
q q 1ova facts n fiOp found u or
on Sept. "A, }. h. Balsley came to his
! death from pistol shot by the hand of
/ Anna w. Balsley and that on the 25th of
| Sept, 1898, the said Anna W. Balls
/ ley came to her death from pistol shot
I by her own hand