The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-23
LIFE had been BLICHTED
Terrible Revenge Of an rnfortunate
Girl.
FATE or HENRY THOMPSON
Fatally Wounded BY Miss Bert!c MaeCon'
nell Who Also Attempts Suicide.
their Lives in the Balance.
Tragedy ut Lancaster.

Lancaster, Pa. March 22.-lIenry
Thompson, who was shot early yester-
day morning at the Keystone house
here 10y Miss BERTHE MacConnell. with
whom he was living as husband and
wife urder the name of j. &. MacCon-
pell and wife, is still alive, though
there are no hopes Of his recovery. The
physicians have located the ball sent
into his forehead over the left eye, in
the brain, part of which las exuded
from the wound His right eve Is
terribly swollen. but i. is believed the
second shot the woman says she fired,
passed into the brain through the eye.
Up to noon Thompson displayed re-
markable vitality, but he then began
sinking rapidly. He declared this
morning that he did not know who shot
him nor when he was shot. and says
he wished he did. for he would then
tell When told that he could not re-
cover he said he knew IL and only asked
to be allowed to die in peace. He now
lies at the house Of his brother. George
Thompson, In his ci:y.
Thompson was an agent and colec-
tor of the Singer Sewing Machine COM
pany for several years, and since last
summer has been connected with the
Office here. Miss MacConnell came to
the Keystone house on Jan. IL. and two
days later was Joined by her supposed
husband. Since then they have been
boarding Oft and on at the hotel and
We're an apparently happy couple.
They We're seen together in their room
by the clerk on Friday night and APP
peared to he on friendly terms.
Thompson himself declares they had no
quarrel.
THE SUICIDE ATTEMPT. .
After the shooting Miss MacConncll
calmly walked out of the room and took
Il train for Coatesville. the home of her
parents. Arriving there she quietly
entered the house, and. going upstairs,
placed the revolver to her breast and
fired. the ball passing through her lungs
and lodging in her back. She then in
formed her parents, who Immediately
called In a physician He located the
ball, bur. expressed the opinion that
the case was hopeless Miss Macon
nell passed a restless night her mind
apparently wandering at times. AT
one time she expressed the hope that
Thompson was dead. She fired two
shots, she said, for fear one might
not kill him. She declared Thompson
! had deceived her and blighted her life,
and. having nothing 10 live for. she
made up her mind to kill herself. She
wanted Thompson to die so he could not
blight the lives of otheff
Today Chief OF Police hartlcy brought
suit before Alderman Cummings
against Miss MacConnell. charging her
with felonious assault and battery with
| intent to kill. and an officer was sent
to Coatesville and served Il warrant
on the woman at her fathers house.
! This afternoon she was still alive, but
/ beyond hopes of recovery.
! The feeling i'm Coatesville against
Thompson is intense. while much SYM
pathy is expressed for Miss Macon
! nell and her family.
! Harrisburg. Pa. March 22.-Alrs.
| Henry Thompson. wife of the man who
was shot by Bertie MacConnell. of
| Coatesville. at Lancaster. lives with
their two children on Race street. this
| city. She says the girl bounded her
| husband. who tried repeatedly to get
/ rid of her She called at their house
! here and also at their home when they
! lived in Lancaster, and wrote several
| letters to Mrs. THOMPSON, stating in
! one of them that she had offered
! Thompson $500 to get divorce from
/ his wife so that he might marry her.
/ 1t is said Thompson lived happily with
| his family.