Evening star., 1896-03-23
SHOT HER LOVER TWICE.
A Beautiful Woman Uses q Pistol I'm
Lancaster.


BERTHE Mcconnell shot Henry Thompson
| a travelling salesman, Saturday, in a hotel
| at Lancaster, Pa, and boarding an express
| went to her home in Coatesville, and plac-
ing the same revolver that had ended her
lovers life at her own breast. she pulled
| the trigger and inflicted a wound from
| which she will probably die.
The story of the Irritation, love, elope-
ment and this final blotting out of prob
ably two lives is a pathetic one. Miss Nc
Connell is the daughter of John Mcconnell
well-knOwn citizen at Coatesville. She,
too, was we'll known, her bright disposition
and attractive personality winning for her
many friends. She was a saleswoman in
a dry goods establishment, and it was
there that she first met the man whom she
murdered.
The acquaintance began two years ago.
Thompson was a sewing machine agent,
and his smooth tongue soon won favor
with the fair young woman. Friendship
ripened into love. and Thompson became
a frequent visitor at the Mcconnell home
stead.
He said he lived at Harrisburg with his
mother, but it soon became whispered
around that he was a married man. All
such allegations, however, he announced as
false. A few months ago Miss Mcconnell
left, and 1t was stated that she and Thomp-
son were married and living happily in
Lancaster. They caused a good deal of
young girl. Apparently they were on the
best of terms and devoted to each other
No one was prepared for the terrible
tragedy that came.
the hotel where her lover was, and what
passed between them is known only to
themselves. They Quarreled. the girl said.
and she drew the revolver from her pocket
and shot Thompson. Then, fearing that
this might not prove fatal. she fired again.
and Thompson fell at her feet. Then she
walked out Of the room and took the ex-
press train for Coatcsville.
The noise of the shooting did not attract
the attention Of any one at the hotel 1t
was not until next morning that the mur-
der was discovered. When called for break
fast they made no reply, and later the
chambermaid found the door open. She
saw blood scattered on everything. Thomp-
son was found in bed with bullet wound
in his head. He was conscious and asked
not to be disturbed. When asked where
gone for a doctor. A physician found the
bullet back of his eye. When questioned
he refused to tell who shot him.
In the meantime the woman had reached
her fathers roof. She went upstairs, and
placing the revolver on her left breast,
fired. The ball missed her breast, but
passed through her lung and lodged in the
back. After firing the shot she went down.
stairs and told her family what she had
done. Physicians were summoned, and the
ball located. but there is no hope of saving
the WomanS LIE. In her rational moments
she expressed the hope that Thompson was
dead. She said she fired two shots at him
for fear one might not kill. He had deceiv-
ed her, she said, and blighted her life. and
having nothing to live for, she wanted him
| to die. too, before he could blight the lives
of others.
The feeling against Thompson here is in
tense, and much sympathy is expressed for
Miss Mcconnell and her family.
Thompson, some time after the shooting,
was removed to his brothers home i'm Lam
caster, where he stubbornly refuses to per-
| nit the physicians to probe for the ball.
| and declines to talk about the case or make
an ante-mortem statement