The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1904-05-07
TRAGEDY IN HANCOCK co.
Spiers cataiena, Young Man Newly
Married, Accidentally Shoots and
Kills Ills Bride = Wife Fell In Ills
Arms a Corpse Prisoner Seen by
The Echo In County Jail.

| AFu1s NOrpSe~-PfiS0ner Seen Dy
| The Echo In County Jail.
Spiers Catalena, young foreigner
who had been only five months married
accidentally shot and killed his wife Z
few days ago at Carriere, this county.
| the circumstances Of the tragedy are
sad ahd peculiar in the extremes. 1t ap-
pears, as told by an witness, that
after supper Catalena was seated with
his i7-year-old wife, to whom he had
been married five months ago. In d
spirit of idle mischief he drew revolver
unloaded il, and began swapping the
empty pistol in her face The wife, how,
ever did not tremble, but smilingly re-
marked. Nonsense; stop your fooling,
am not afraid. You would not shoe,
me for the whole world. You need NOT
try to scare me-"
"You think wouldn't, eh9" he said,
drawing cartridge from his pocket and
placing itin the weapon. He adjusted
the pistol 50 that the chamber contain,
ing the cartridge was removed from the
hammer and pointing it at his wife pull
cd the trigger. To his horror the cham
Der slipped back into position and the
bullet went true to its mark,
His bride-wife fell forward into his
arms, dead The husband was frantic
In agonizing despair no called on her by
every endearing name he could recall to
speak to him. But she was past human
aid.
W. II. Goldsmith, a resident of the
place, was an eyewitness to the heart
rending affair, and at once gave the
alarm and Messrs. j, W, Turner and J..
j. Penton took Catalena in CUSTODY.
The following morning Justice of the
Peace j. W. Loper gave him a prelimi-
nary hearing and he was remanded
without bail. The evidence against Ca
talena, the Judge deemed, was sufficient
to warrant hlm in sending the prisoner
to Bay st. Louis under guard to be lock-
ed up at this place.
II was the second pistol Catalena had
ever handled and the first he eyer ownr
ed Investigation has disclosed that tho
weapon was a tricky one and sometimes
slipped two more chambers 1T time.
A reporter Of The Echo called on tho
young man yesterday and found MIN in
the steel cage OF the county Jail, with
three condemned colored prisoners. Sit
ting on a stool. When the visit Of the
newspaper man was announced by Turn
key Maynard ne had in his hands a ma
gazine, but knowing neithtsr how to
read or write, he was apparently gazing
at the pictures 1en asked il he had
any thing to say to the public through
tue press, raising his head it was dis
covered that his face was bathed in tears.
his eyes red and his look vacant. The
stamp Of inexpressible grief was deeply
implanted upon that there count nance,
his heartwas In agony, and with heavy
sigh, his reply was that was nothing for
him to say; that he had prayed that he
might die, too, and be with his wife. He
had been nine months residing at Lacey
and was five months married and he
dwelt at length between sobs how he and
his wife had lived happily and how she
was eyer solicitous as to his personal
comfort and well being. "At night, af-
ter my hard days work at the mill when
1T seemed that lived all day just to be
home with her of evenings, she would
bathe my feet, and, drying them, she
would gently kiss them, and asked il |
felt better; If my head hurt, If I was
tired. II | said my head hurt, she would
want to send for q doctor, and it was all
ways in this way that we lived, both iiv-
ing for the happiness of one another,
You asked me IL am sorry for what
done. How can you ask me that when
loved her SO, and know that no other
woman could ever love me as much p
Breaking down, he could speak no long
er, and even the cold bars Of stesl ant
the thick brick walls seem to echo il
sympathy with the lamentations OF grief
Turning to the other prisoners within
the cage the Echo ask ed how Gataians
spent his nights, and they replied no
In slumbsr but In prayer, that he nigh
die, too, and that his grief was at times
SO pathetic 1t appealed to them.
The prisoner is only twenty-oAe year
old, Of medium statue, fair complexion
and beardless. His appearance Il. .mor
boyish than that Of q man, and his ooun
tenance bears the stamp OF innocence.
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