The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-25
RALPH ARMSTRONG HANGS
 HIMSELF IN HIS CELL

A few drdughtS or WnlSkey, anu tno transformation was complete. His eyes became wild and menacing, his thin lips closed into, a narrow line and his anger was a smoldering, dangerous flame. There was no restraint upon him. He was reck- less. desperate. He appeared to seek some opportunity for, violent deed in these periods of recklessness. He was a menace to those about him.
 Neighbors who knew him. and who had been alarmed by his reckless bearing, ! had predicted some startling act of vio- lence from Ralph Armstrong long before the October tragedy.
 The months that passed saw the pr. Jekyl of Armstrong surely mastered by the evil of MT. Hyde. The unsuitable craving for whiskey brought the com , plete surrendered the good to the violent ] ly evil Dr. Jekyl appeared only at inter vais and then briefly. The climax, the wreck was not then long in coming. Young Armstrong's father, H. Clay Armstrong. was honored among men. | He had been Speaker of the House of | Representatives of Alabama, Consul to Brazil, Grand Master and Grand Secre- tary of the Grand Lodge of Masons of Alubaml. The mere statements of these things brings to the mind the honor and esteem in which H. Clay Armstrong was
  son might take a pride.
 Ralph Armstrong was born under an Hi fatcd star His early youth had not passed when he fell under the influence of whiskey. Before he had reached man g estate it had sapped his will and Ge- stroyed his hopes in life. He was It's slave at college. Even then 1t spurred him on to recklcssness and desperation. His college career ended in a cloud. His departure from college without gradua- | ton or an honorable withdrawal was a disappointment to his family.
 He spent some months at the family home at Auburn, but the time was spent in evil ways with evil companions and | deeds of violence were charged up to Ralph Armstrong.
 Enlisted in Army.
 His enlistment in the army followel. l.. He was sent to the Philippines and re- | mained there for three years. The life of a private soldier In the United States is not conducive to reform.
 Ralph Armstrong returned to his Lee County home with his evil habits more | firmly fixed upon him. A few months | intervened between his return and the | eliminating tragedy.
 In the family of Col. H. Clay Arm | strong was his niece. the daughter of his  who had as a child known the deepest sorrow. In her uncle's family she was | daughter and a sister. She grew into | a beautiful woman. Many pictures of her have been published since her dread ' fal death, but those who knew her say that none of them do her justice. She was falr of complexion. bright=eyed, with curling hair and a rounded form. Viva- i cious and engaging, she won the love of all with whom she was thrown. None | speaks of her but to praise her and to | ahude to the nameless attraction she possessed
 It was her misfortune to be loved by Ralph Armstrong not as a sister. There were other admirers, many of them, | There is a romance, pathetic and beauti- l full, of a young man of Atlanta, who | won her Affections in the summer before ] won her affections in the summer before conscious of the fearful drama in which she had played a part he came to Lee 1 County to see her, only to learn that she was wounded to death. Flowers | were sent to her daily in fruitless struggle with life. He never saw her after she received her death wound. It is told in 1 Lee County that tears came to her eyes l and she murmured at the pathos of il | as she heard the train pass which carried him to his Atlanta home.
 Love Her Death Warrant. l But the love of Ralph was her death l warrant He went to Atlanta while she l was there in the summer visiting reia- | tives. Returning to Auburn flushed and | wild with whskey he told his friends that he and his cousin had been married in Auburn. There was no truth in the statement. It was only the irresponsible | utterances of whskey sodden youth. Allie Armstrong after a month spent at homo on her return from Atlanta left Auburn to visit her aunt, Mrs. Ellen Delbridge, at the Armstrong home at l Notasulga. She was followed two days 1 later by Ralph Armstrong. He had been | drinking heavily in Auburn. He came | to Notasulga drunk and his spree was continued. The evening of the tragedy with the responsibility of a drunken man he became enraged and in a fit of madness attempted to drive from Nota- sulga to Auburn. His aunt and counsin not believing that he was in a condition to make the drive In safety. When the persua sions of his aunt had failed his cousin who had more influence than any one else over the unfortunate youth went to the buggy and persuaded him to get out and return to the house.
 It was a fatal mistake of charity and affection It made possible the dark | tragedy. W nen the laHlly nad eaten supper and when Allie Armstrong had assisted her aunt in clearing away the supper things, she went in the front room where Ralph was waiting This room was used by Allie Armstrong as a he'd room. Mrs. Delbridge and Miss
 Nelly Armstrong a cousin of both parties
 to the tragedy were in rear room
 Two Versions Sworn To.
 What was said in the room where Ralph and Allie Armstrong were may never be known. Miss Allie Armstrong
 made a statement to her family upon her death bed. Two versions of this statement were given at Ralph Arm strong's trial, one by Mrs. Delbridge and one by Miss Nelly Armstrong.
 The two in the rear room were startled
 by two shots. The shots brought a
 nameless horror for Ralph Armstrong
 wore a loaded pistol In a belt about hi'
 waist. Mrs. Armstrong rushed out to meet Allie Armstrong fleeing down the
 hall. She hurried on to the door oi
 the front room where she found Ralph
 Armstrong peering out with a smoking revolver in his hand.
 Miss Nelly Armstrong said that Alll' ran In the room and fell in heap uppf
 the floor. She said. so Miss Nelly teSti' fled. that t9ere had been a struggle tir
 the room and that she had tainted Aftel she had been brought to by Ralph Arm strong she had said to him, "I am going to tell Aunt Ellen" Ralph said "If vol do l will kill you" As she turned tC leave he had sent two bullets througl her form. This was the evidence O.
 Miss Nelly Armstrong. Mrs. Delbridg'