The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-28
DORA wAsSAM'S DEATH.
Love was the Cause Of the Bloody Tragedy
That DESTROYED n Young and Hopeful Life.

| H
The many young friends OF Miss Dora
! Wassam in this city Were shocked at the
news of her tragic end as briefly related in
| these columns Sunday morning. Miss
| Dora was a pupil at the Lewis academy
when the family lived here and by her
winsome ways made many warm friends
among the young people. The following
! details as taken from the Galveston
Tribune will be of interest to the local
readers:
To the reporter Mr. Wassam gave the
as he knew about it.
This is my daughter, Dora May Was
sam. The man who killed her is Frank
Gilbough. He came TO this city about
two years ago and became acquainted
with my daughter. They have kept COM
paRy for some time, but he Was never IN
my house until today.
He was employed for some time in the
Santa Fe general offices, but left here
few months ago aud went to
Dallas. Dora has been cor
responding with him since be left here.
He wanted her TO marry him, but both my
wife and myself objected to it on ac-
count Of her age. She is but II years old.
"Gilbough returned to this city about
week ago and has been pressing his suit,
but my daughter refused him and was
trying to get rid of him.
Some time this forenoon he came up to
my house and my wife answered his call.
Dora and my younger daughter Dot were
down town.
Mrs. Wassam asked him what be
wanted and he said he had come 10 marry
Dora. My wife told him she did not want
Dora to marry now, that she was too
young. He did not make any reply, but
walked awav
This is all know about it, except that
when | went home to dinner my wife told
ne he had bren thsTe and acted very
strangely. We thought no more of the
matter until we were notified of the terri
bic tragedy"
Little Dot, the 12-year-old sister OF Dora,
who was with her at the time Of
the shooting was almost Frustrated with
fright and grief, and does not remember
just how the affair happened. She said:
Dora and were coming home from the
city. Mr.. Glibough walked on the oppo-
site side of the street for some distance.
He came across and met US on the corner |
of Sixteenth street and Avenue ! heard |
him say something TO Dora about loving |
him and hating hun, but / could not I'M
derstand what it was. Before l could /
realize that any trouble was between them /
be pulled out revolver and shot my sister /
twice. He then turned around aud fired /
again, aud both fell to the sidewalk. l /
ran into Mrs. Kempner's, and do not
remember anything more"
A man named Hart, who was on the
opposite side of the street, heard the first
shot fired and ran across the street, but
both had fallen after the first shot and
before he got to them. The shots were
fired in quick succession. He did not hear
a word pass between them, and neither
of them spoke after the shots were fired.
'hDr raf II linz
the affair. Several persons who claimed
TO be near by say that Miss Wassam' and
Mr.. Gilbough were walking together and
had came up Eighteenth street from
Broadway and that the little girl was in
front of them fully ten feet when the
shooting occurred. No one heard a word
spoken, and the last words of the victims
Of this fearful tragedy will always remain
After the third shot was fired
both parties fell together, Miss Wassam
clasped in the arms of her murderer.
Their bodies lay across the pavement.
Miss Wassam's pOcketbook WAS found
under the body of GiIbough; her gloves
and handkerchief a short distance from
the bodies. The revolver, a 3S-callber
bulldog was found about three feet from
where the victims lay and had four cham
bers empty. Some of those who claim to
have Leen eye witnesses say there were =
our SQObS Hfcu, Wult0 OLDeTS utdFu DuJ !
Jbrec reports. The coroner WAS Notified
and took charge OF the bodies at 100
o'clock. The body of Miss Wassam was
'emoyed TO the home of her parents,
ia Avenue /, where her distracted ,
mother was praying for glimpse of her
larling daughter, who but few short
ago had left her home full of I
happiness and life, and who was now cold {
n death, the victim of jealous lover, who ,
with no thoughts of any loved ones, and
With no fear Of hell, had taken her young
life.
The body of Gilbough was removed to
an undertaking establishment.
An inquest will be held this afternoon.
No cause for the sad ending of the two
young lives can he assigned except the
mad jealousy of the man who had been re-
used the hand OF handsome young lady.
Dora May Wassam was the daughter OF
DR.. and Mrs. A. VI. Wassam and was Il
years of age. She was a handsome young
ady and beloved 10y many friends, who
will be shocked to learn OF her sad fate,