The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-12
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
CAUSED BY DRINK
CONTINUED from first page.)

! fcCtly still, gazing at MN, lllen at tus
weapon in his hand, then at the figures
on the carpet.
"Where are you going?" he kept re-
peating.
well, l can't stand this any longer
I'm going-somewher e-anywhere." She
spoke very calmly now
But hardly had the words escaped her
lips, when, with his left arm he threw
her backwards upon the bed on which
they had been sitting. In n moment there
was a pistol shot, a scream for help, an
other shot, heavy fall, an agonizing
groan.
For a minute Ada lay, stunned and
bleeding, upon the bed. Then she heard
the death rattle in the throat of the
man upon the floor-the man she loved.
Accusing herself, she dropped upon the
floor, crawled to his side, put her arms
around him, and there they found them
side by side, with the pistol between
them.
Two hours later, at ten minutes past
9 o'clock, Albert Watson breathed his
last. He never regained consciousness.
He had been removed to another room,
and it was not until late yesterday af-
ternoon, just before she was taken TO
the hospital, that his wife was told Of
his death.
81 knew it some time ago, she said;
they were trying to keep it from me, but
knew he couldn't live. Pm so sorry
for him, and / can't imagine
why he did it. | never believed he meant
what he said" And the tears stole their
way down her white face to the whittier
pillow.
The only person in the house when the
|
little sister Katie. She is a very bright
child, II years of age, and willingly told
all she knew of the trouble.
After relating the incidents of Satur-
day night and Sunday, she said:
when / woke up this morning
heard Al. quarreling and sister crying.
| was sleeping in the parlor-room, and
went into sisters room to see what was
the matter Sister was begging him to
quit drinking. He wouldn't promise and
she said if he was going to be a drunk
ard she would take the razor lying on
the bureau and cut her throat; that
she'd rather be dead than suffer the
disgrace. | took the razor and carried
it in the other room and hid it,
"Then they dressed and went to break
fast and kept quarreling there, Sister
wouldn't eat anything and left the table
crying. Al. followed her, She was
lying on the bed and he sat down by
her side. The next time l saw them they
were on the other side of the bed and
he was trying to get her to tell him
where she was going. When she did not
tell he slapped her in the face, threw her
back on the bed, shot her in the side and
then got up and shot himself. When he
shot sister, | screamed for help"
Mr.. Harry Cole, a man who is en-
ployed at the Lobdell Car Wheel Works
with Watson. was the first to reach the
scene. He was coming to get the key
to the factory when he heard the pistol
shots.
Mr. John Price, and uncle of the young
woman, was the next person to get to
the house. They found Watson and his
wife lying side by side on the blood
covered floor. She was praying and ask
ing if they thought she could live.
Other neighbors arrived and she was
carefully lifted from the floor and placed
back on the bed. Watson was taken
into the next room where he died two
hours later.
When Watson's mother arrived, the
wounded woman said:
II hope you are not mad with me.
couldn't help it. Al. was crazy. else
he would never have hurt me. There
was a dangerous glare in his eyes. He
was that way once before. Won't you
kiss me and forbive meP'
Immediately after the shooting DR..
Goodwin, the family physician, was sum-
moned, and did what he could TO re-
leve the suffering of the poor woman.
He found that the ball had entered
about the centre of the left side, between
the eighth and ninth ribs and from its
effect the whole body from the waist
line down had become paralyzed. There
was also internal bleeding from which
it was at first feared that death would
result in a few hours. But this was
soon checked, opiates were administer
ed and the patient did as well through
out the day as could have been expected
under the circumstances.
AS for Watson, he was beyond all
earthly help. He had placed the pistol
behind his right ear and sent the ball
crashing into his brain. The pistol used
was Of the american Bull Dog" make,
with FIVE chambers. 1t contained four
shells-two empty and two loaded-when
taken after the tragedy. The balls were
32-calibre.
Last night when Mrs. Watson was
taken W tIte HOSpItdi Ut. GOODWIN SAD:
1.-The chances for her entire recovery
are very grave; the chances for her liv-
ing are quite favorable. The ball went
in at the waist; from that point down
she is paralyzed. This is probably due
to one of two causes. If it is a clot of
blood in the canal of the spinal column,
| it will be absorbed and she will recover
completely, if something like ock-jaw
doesn't arise. If the bullet struck the
spinal cord, she will never recover; she
may live for yeans, but she will always
be paralytic."
Young Watson is son of Clip L. Wat
son, the Seaboard engineer who was kill
ed in a collision at Rockingham, Deem
Der 9th, 1893. Mrs. Watsons father
was also killed-struck by lightning May
9th, 1884, while working in saw mill
at Keyser, Moore county. Watson has