The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-25
NO WITNESS TO TRAGEDY
The Bullet Passed Entirely Through Mans Head.
The Man Was B. s. Armistead, a Prominent Montgomery County Planter, and the Woman
 Was Mary Hanson, Half Indian.

Following three pistol shots in rapid succession, the dead bodies of Elliott S. Armstead, well-known planter of Mont, gomery County. and Mary Hanson, young negro woman. were found lying in pools of blood in the front room of the egro house at Columbus Street at lO:3O o'clock yesterday morning. The story that was unfolded by the tragedy is one which shocked the people of Montgomery with its startling developments
 Every indication pointed to the fact that Armistead had shot the woman to death and had then deliberately placed the barrel of 3S-calibre pistol to his right temple and sent his own soul into eternity. Friends of the dead man say that the terrible tragedy Is the result of Armisteads wild infatuation for the Wo- man, coupled with heavy financial losses
 The Hanson woman is said to have been half Indian. She was about 9 years old She has dark-brown skin and straight black hair. She lived on place at Car ter's Hill, eighteen miles from Montgom- cry.
 Annie Pugh the woman in whose house the tragedy occurred, says she and Mary Hanson intended to go to Selma last night and remain there some time. An
  negress, and that Mary Hanson came to Montgomery Sunday night from Carter's s Hill for the purpose of going with her to Selma.
 Scene of Tragedy.
 The house which was the scene of the tragedy is located at the point of the tri- angular block formed by the junctionsof North Court and Tallapoosa Streets, ana at the beginning of Columbus Street. It
 sNf ffs1fp rooms, with hall in between. The two rooms on the Tallapoosa Street side of the building are occupied by Annie Pugh, and Armistead and the Hanson woman met their death in the front room of this side of the house. The rooms on the Court Street side of the house are occu- pied by Bessie Waller and Sue White, ne- gro women. The house IS or d Queston- able character.
 As there were no witnesses to the tragedy, it will never be known whether the shooting was the result of quarrel, or whether it was merely the result Of crazy frenzy.
 Annie Pugh says she did not know Ar mistead was in the house until she heard the shots and, rushing into the room, found the man and woman lying upon the floor dead She declares that Armis- tead could not have been in the house thirty minutes before the shooting oc- cured, as she had been in the room oc- cupied by Mary Hanson within that time. Continuing her story Annie Pugh said that she was preparing breakfast about 1O:3O o'clock yesterday morning Mary Hanson she said. was dressing in the front room, and they did not know any one was with her. Armistead. she said, must have entered the house quietly. She heard sounds like muffled pistol shots, and called the attention of Watson, a negro boy who brought Mary Hanson to town Sunday night to the sounds, but neither made an investigation until Bes- sic Waller, her neighbor, rushed into the kitchen and told her of the terrible dis covery she had made.
 Heard Pistol Shots.
 Bessie Waller, from her room across the hall had heard the pistol shots and had rushed into the front room. where she was confronted by a ghastly sight. The body of Armistead. who was large man, weighing something over 25O pounds, was lying prone upon the back near the door with set eyes staring in their dead bIankness into the ceiling: his arms had heen flung wide upon the floor. Near his right hand lay a 3S-calibre pistol. Blood trickled from hole just above his right temple which told that his aim TOT vital spot had heen accurate The body of Mary Hanson rested with the face toward the floor on the other side of the room and at right angles from the body of Armistead Two awful-looking bullet holes were in the top and almost the center of the head. as though the pistol had been fired by person standing d. rcctly over her. The body was half dressed and lay near rocking chalT. bullet had struck a finger of the right hand which had evidently been raised to the head when the first ball struck. The indications were that the woman was put ting on her stockings when the first shot was fired as one stocking held Tn the right hand had apparently caught fire from the bleze of the pistol and was burning when Bessie Waller rushed into the room.
 The pistol ball which killed Armistead went directly through his head, entered the plastering of the wall on the Tala- poosa Street side of the room. rebounded and fell on the mating. which was wet in many places with blood. Later in the day 1t was picked up by a representative of The Advertiser and was turned over to Coroner Tice.
 Grabbed Pistol and Ran.
 While Bessie Waller and Annie Pugh .,ere contemplating the awfulness of the scane Phil Watson. the negro boy who is mnloved by Armistead and who was in ho kitchen. brushed by the women, ounded into the room. grabbed the pistol ron, the floor near the body of his dead nmnIover. and ran from the house.
 One minute later a negro stable boy o+ the Alabama Stables on North Court. was surprised when Watson rushed hreathlessly into the stable holding pistol in his hand.
 Give me my horse and buggy quick he demanded of the stable boy.
 "What's the trouble?" asked the stable boy. ,-----
 '"rbe boss has done killed Mary Hanson and then killed hmself.' shouted Phil Watson, and I must go to Mount Meigs and tell the folks
 The horse was hurriedly hitched 10 the buggy and Phil Watson aasheu the morse In1o the street and was soon on nasty drive out the Mount Meigs road. He has