Evening journal., 1896-03-23
SHOOTS Her BETRAYER
A Pennsylvania Girl Avenges a
Wrong With a Bullet.
THEN SHE TRIED ToXILL HERSELF.

Bertha Mcconnell Says She Was Betrayed
by Commercial Traveller. Whom She
Attempted TO XIII In HotcI-B Both
WIN Probably Die.
CoATEsvrILE, Pa. March 23.-One Of
tho most shocking tragedies that has ever
stirred the people of this place occurred
when pretty Bertha Mcconnell of this
city. and barely 20 years of age, shot Har-
ry Thompson, a sravellng salesman for
the Singer Sewing Machine company,
while in hotel IN Lancaster. She board
cd an express train after the shooting and
returned 20 this place where she attempt
ed to end her life i'm the same manner.
The double crime is alleged TO have been
the result Of Thompson having deceived
and betrayed the young woman. Both
Miss Mcconnell and her victim will prob.
ably die
Tho tragedy was enacted in the Key.
stone House, where the two had register
ed as j. c. Mcdonnell and wife. The
young woman is the daughter of John
Mcconnell, a we'll known citizen Of this
place and was possessed Of a disposition
and personality that made for her many
friends Ii was two years ago that she met
Thompson. She was then employed in %
dry goods establishment Thompson seem
ed to find favor In the young woman's
eyes at once, and this soon lod to a friend
ship that quickly ripened into love.
Thompson visited the young Yoman fre.
quently. He told her his home was In
Harrisburg, where he lived with his moth
or. In time however, it was Rossiped
about that he was a married man. This
charge he denied. The young woman evil
al In hon FUts nftf
two months ago she left town with him,
and it was current report that they had
married and were living quietly and hap
PLY In Lancaster.
That this was not true became known
only last Monday, when Miss Mcdonnell
returned to Coatesville and to some of her
closest friends made known TO them that
she had been deceived and ruined by
Thompson While here she purchased
revolver and returned to Lancaster with
what now appears TO be a determined re-
solvo TO avenge herself upon him who had
so dishonored her.
Found Dying In His Room.
She went to their room In the hotel,
and none but she and Thompson knows
what took place there. They evidently
quarreled, but none of the hotel attaches
heard any shots fired. II was not until
morning that the discovery was made.
The couple were called for breakfast, and
not responding, a chambermaid was sent
to the room. She found Thompson in bed
with bullet wound in his head and the
bed clothing saturated. He was conscious
and refused to tell who fired the shot.
When questioned as to his wife's where
abouts, he replied that she had gone for a
doctor 1t became known soon afterward
that Miss Mcdonnell had left the hotel
and came Immediately to her home in this
city.
She went up stairs and placing the re-
volyer against her breast fired. The bull
lot missed her heart, passing through her
lung and lodged IN the back. She then
told OF her attack on Thompson. She said
he had ruined her life and rs she had
nothing TO live for, she wanted him TO die
before he could bring ruin and disgrace
on others.
Thompson some time after the shooting
was removed TO his brothers home in
Lancaster, where he stubbornly refuses TO
permit the physicians to probe for the ball
and declines TO talk about the case or
make an ante mortem statement.
Lancaster police are in town TO serve a
warrant on Miss Mcdonnell. Her condi-
tion is such, however that they have thus
far refrained.