The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-09-18
BURGLAR KILLS
The Wife of a Naval Officer at
Her Home.
WENT There TO ROB
And Was Fired On by the Lady
The Shots Went Wild and the
Burglar Overpowered the Lady,
Took Her Pistol From Her and
Shot Her Through the Heart, Kill.
ing Her Instantly.

Shot Her Through the Heart, Kill
ing Her Instantly.
Mrs. Mary Lawless Rorschach, wifi
Of Lieut.. Frank Rorscharch, U. S. n.
and sister of Joseph T. Lawless, for
mer secretary of the commonwealth
of Virginia, was murdered in he
home, No. 832 Park avenue, Parl
View, Portsmouth, Va, by an un
known burglar about three o'clock Oh
Tuesday morning of last week.
Mrs. Rorscharch was shot through
the heart with her own pistol, taker
from her by the burglar after she hac
fred twice upon him through an ope1
door leading into the kitchen, where
he was cornered.
The murderer escaped, droppins
the pistol as he fed through the woo6
house door in the rear of the kitchen
Bloodhounds carried to the house
from the Portsmouth jail shortly af
ter the alarm was sounded, secured q
scent and ran from the house The
scent was soon lost, however, and the
hounds We're unable tt, pick up the
trail.
Mrs. Rorschach was living with ne.
two children, the elder seven and the
younger five years old. Her hus-
band recently was promoted and
from the battleship Ken
lucky to the cruiser Tennessee and is
with Admiral Evans fleet off Prov
incetown, Mass.
The two shots fred by Mrs. Rors-
chach wakened her elder boy, Frank.
Jr. She cried to him that somebody
had taken her pistol and shot her.
She told him to go for help.
The boy rushed for assistance but
when he returned with neighbors his
mother was dead. An effort was made
10 inform Lieut. Rorschach by wire
ess telegraph of the tragedy.
The Rorschach home is immediate
y in the rear of the naval hospital
woods in Portsmouth and near a
umber mill to which negroes fre-
luently pass. A newsboy who lives
nearby saw a negro shortly after the
ragedy running rapidly by his home
owards a small foot bridge. The
legro was taking off his coat.
While Mrs. Rorschach had lamp
n her hand the burglar evidently was
n the kitchen in the dark. Both
,ullets fred by the woman was
'ound in the wall of the Kitchen.
Mrs. Rorschach, with her money
led in a roll and hanging around her
leck, had run down stairs by the
pack steps. She was standing in an
,ntryway just at the foot of the steps
yhen she fired. The lamp which she
lad held was found at her feet un-
broken, though the lamp shade was
shattered.
The pistol had been placed close to
Irs. Rorschach left breast over her
light dress and discharged. 1t was
. fve-shooter and only three cham
,ers were empty. These were the
wo fred by Mrs. Rorschach and the
me fred by the burglar upon her
Ter money and jewelry were un-
ouched.
The victims youngest child, Law
ess, slept through the excitement.
Mrs. Rorschach was very hand
ome. She was about S6 years old
md one of the most accomplished
musicians in Virginia.
Lieut.. Rorschach was formerly OF
Kansas, but was appointed to the
lavy from Virginia.
Thomas Archer, a mulatto, claim
ng to be in the employ of the Mer-
.hants' and Miners Transportation
COMPANY, was arrested in Portsmouth
IS a suspect. The negro denied any
of the crime. Policeman
elliott, at o'clock Tuesday morn
ng, IS minutes after the murder, sa"
negro 0uISE llS lOOoS W 80 SAN
1923 Glasgow street. Portsmouth.
Archer when arrested vas IN bed
His hats bore spots that looked ike
,lood stains and his shoes were "et'
n condition such as might have oeeA
caused by walking in wet grass IN tne
,ear of the Rorschach residence. Ar
cher says he got wet in the severe
rain that night.
Gov. Swanson offered a reward os
5000 for the capture of the murderer
If Mrs. Rorschach, Col. La"iess'
brother of the victim, is a MEMBER
Of Gov. Swanson's staff.
Coroner Holiday found the 1atal
bullet that penetrated Mrs. Rors-
chach's heart.
WORkMEN OVERCOME