The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-03
The Coronsr's Jury Returns a Verdict Of
Murder and Suicide.
Belief That the Murderess Was
Madly infatuated With Her
Companion, and Preferring
Death to Separation, Shot the
Latter While She Slept, and
Then Ended Her Own Life.

STOCKTON, May 2.-Mrs. William
Hickman and Nus. H. A. Hassall of
this city We're found dead in bed this
morning. claSped in loving embrace,
with a pistol between them, it having
evidently Just fallen from the right
hand of Mrs Hassall, who had beyond
a doubt shot Mrs Hickman and then
herself.
Mrs. Hassall had been morbidly in
fatuated with Mrs Hickman for sew
eral months, and though relatives had
done what they could to keep the Has
sail woman from her, they passed last
night together at private rooming
house on South Suffer street Mrs.
Hassall told her companion the night
before that she intended departing for
London to-day, and begged Mrs. Hick-
man to spend the night with her for
the last time.
The two went to Mrs. HasSalPs apart
ments about 10 o'clock last night, and
that was the last seen of them alive.
When Mrs. Hickman did not return
home this morning her father became
alarmed, as Mrs. Hassall had said once
before that she would rather die than
be separated from Mrs. Hickman. He
see if there was any trouble. She found
the door locked, and so informed her
husband He ran over to the place,
a block distant, broke open the door.
and found them both dead with a bull
let hole in the head of each
Mrs Hickman was a young woman
of good reputation and was living
with her husband at the residence of
l., nv ay1t
Mrs Hassall was the wife of H. A.
Hassall, an Englishman, but had been
separated from her husband since last
August on account of her infatuation
for Mrs Hickman, so he declares. She
called herself the Duchess, claiming
that her husband was an English Duke
Her folks in London were cabled in re-
gard to the tragedy this morning.
Hassall is the Chief Ranger of the
English order of Foresters in this city.
The indications are that the crime
was premeditated. The following note
was found written on an envelope lying
on a trunk this morning. in the room
where the tragedy occurred:
This machine and trunk, with con-
tents, is the property of Miss Edith
Cox, 1923 Valdey street, Oakland.
Please forward
Miss Cox was formerly a servant of
the Hassalls.
Hassall Isl now working as a waiter at
q local restaurant. though he states
that he had been ranching in this
county for some time, and declares
that he expected to sail for England
as soon as he could effect a reconcile
alton with his wife
The tragedy was the talk of the town
to-day, and there are many stories
afioat as to the probable cause of the
shooting. The story that has most
credence, however, is that Mrs Has
sail had a morbid love for Mrs. Hick-
man; that the latter refused to requite
that love or avoided Mrs. Hassall on
occasions. Medical men who have dis
cussed the tragedy are of the opinion
that Mrs. HassalF was a being who had
an uncomfortable love for other wo-
men-a love amounting to fascination,
a love in which her whole body and
soul We're wrapped. 1t is much like
the Freda Ward case of Memphis,
Tenn
Mrs. Hassall was somewhat inclined
to be masculine and was an accomplish
ed athlete and sure shot. Her husband
declares that with a rife or a pistol she
could kill running rat twice out of
three times at a distance of twenty
or thirty PAGES.
The indications are that Mrs. Hick-
man was asleep when she was shot,
as her eyes We're tightly closed and her
position composed when found, while
Mrs. HassalPs mouth and eyes were
wide open.
1t was suggested that the tragedy
might have been committed by a
third party. but as the room was lock-
en- on the inside the officers scout this
idea
The inquest over the remains Of the
two women tonight brought out very
little to add to the story of the tragedy
save in the testimony of Mr.. Hassall.
the estraged husband Of the murderess.
He testified that in London. when his
wife was Miss Virginie Rieke. she
formed the same sort of an attachment
for a young woman as she die here for
Mrs. Hickman. Then it required all
of their influence to break off the mad
infatuaton the woman had for one of
her own sex. Here. when she first met
Mrs. Hickman, she showed the infatu-