Evening star., 1895-06-03
KILLED HER HUSBAND
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Mrs John Harman First Warned Him and
Then Fired Shot Gun.
She Gave Herself Up-Story of Their
Domestic Unhappiness-No
Inquest Held.


mouse, Va, was shocked to degree yester
day by most sensational murder. Mary
Harmon. middle-aged white woman, who
has always borne an excellent reputation,
shot and killed her husband John Harmon
The weapon she used was a shot gun, and
the full charge of buckshot entered her
husbands face near the eye. He fell back
and died without uttering a word or a
groan.
Outside of its shocking termination the
story of the married life of John and Mary
Harmon has little in 1T that is so very un-
usual. She is now forty-two years of age,
and her husband was about eight years
her senior In her cell at the Fairfax Jail
last evening her appearance was not the
most attractive in the world. Her face
showed evidences of once having been pret-
ty, and before her.marriage. years ago. she
was known as one of the most attractive
young girls in the neighborhood A hard
and wretched married life, and the care of
eaght children have been enough to give
her tired and discouraged look And her
NE was anything but pleasant. Now that
her husband is dead and she Is in q GRIM
mails cell the neighbors who have known
her for years, have nothing but good to say
of her, and little but i'll to say of the dead
man.
An Idle, ShiftIess Fellow.
John Harmon has long been known in the
ne.ghborhood as an idle and shiftess fe-
low. From the earliest days of their mar
ried life he has done little or nothing toward
the support of his wife and children. He
has compelled them to work in the fields
when there was occasion, and they have
done more than he toward the support of
the household, even the little ones being
forced to make their mite by picking ber-
,ies in the brolling sun. Time and again
he has left her. Blows were more frequent
tnan kind words in that wretched farm
house Little by little the womans pa
tience became exhausted, and what love
she had In her heart for the man of her
girlhood's choice gradually turned to hate.
The Harmon home was not far from the
farm on which Mrs. Harmon's mother lived.
1t has been over year now since Harmon
went away, and his wife told him then
that she hoped she would never see him
again. She took her young ones with her
and went to live with her mother in the
hope that she might not soon be troubled
made her life burden and a torment.
Her hopes were not to be realized, how
ever. Yesterday afternoon the husband
came back. He saw Mrs. Harmon sitting
by the window on the lower floor of her
mothers house. On account of the, heat
the woman was barefooted. and her hair
Ing up to the window, the husband began
pleading with the woman to come back
and live with him again. This she refused
to do. and then he threatened to come in
that If he came any nearer she would
shoot him, as she wanted nothing more to
do with him.
She Fired Single Shot.
Harmon would not be convinced, how
ever, and began to climb in through the
window. AS he did so the woman again
ordered him to keep back. but he would
not leave off. Then the nervous and hys-
terical woman grabbed up double-barreled
shotgun. and. without pulling it to her
shoulder, fired single shot at the man.
He fell back from, the sill with a ragged
wound In his face. and presumably death
followed Immediately. Mary Harmon then
called out that she had shot her husband,
and her cries brought her mother down
from above stairs. The frightened children
gathered around in group, and the scene
that ensued was most pitiable one.
During the confusion. the woman who
had done the shooting started off on a run
down the path. Size hurried directly to the
house of the nearest justice of the peace a
Mr.. Trumbull, and gave herself into custo-
matter, although he sympathized heartily
with the unfortunate woman, and deputized
John Beach neighbor, to take her to the
county Jail. She was held for examination
on the charge of murder.
In the jail last evening Mrs. Harmon was
reasonably calm and collected She insisted
that she had not intended to kill her hus-
band, but had only raised the gun for the
purpose of frightening him away. Either
as result Of her nervousness or of an ac-
cident of some sort the weapon was dis
charged. However, she said in her opin-
ion the man deserved nothing better, for
he had been cruel and worthless husband
At late hour last evening brother of
the dead man drove up to the scene of he
killing and took the body away for the
purpose of having it prepared for burial.
Buried Today.
Harmon was buried this morning at 10
o'clock. No inquest was held over the re-
mains.