The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1907-01-19

Cecil county was shocked on Mon
day last by horrible tragedy that oc-
Cured at about quarter past three
o'clock that afternoon, at Chesapeake
Haven, Grove Point Neck, when Sarah
Catherine STARTS, beautiful I5-ycar
old girl was instantly killed by shot
gun in the hands of George E. Harris,
20 years old.
All sorts of rumors were afloat as to
the manner and nature OF the killing
which were only set at rest by the re-
port of the CoronerS jury on Tuesday,
when verdict of accidental death was
rendered. In view OF all that has been
said and surmised about the awful af-
fair it may be we'll to state in detail
all the ascertanable facts in the case.
The unfortunate girl is the daughter of
Mrs Ida Clark STARTS, widow of Ben
jamin STARTS, formerly OF Warwick,
About two months ago. Mrs. Starts.
with three of her children, James 20,
Annie 9, and Raymond j. years old,
came from Warwick to Chesapeake
Haven, the new resort 1T Grove Point
that is being built up by the Chesapeake
Improvement Company, to keep house
for Mr. John T. Warfield superntend-
ent Of the place and where James was
to work. Engaged about the place
also, were Charles J. Stearns OF War
wick, painter and George A. Savin
and George F. Harris, OF Warwick,
who were employed in cleaning up the
underbrush, etc, about the premises
About ten days ago, Katie, as she was
famiharly called. came to the place to
be with her mother, coming from
Townsend, Del, where she had been
living with Mrs Nellie A. Fretz She
walked all the way from Warwick down
to the Point in one day. a distance OF
about IA miles. passing through Cecil
ton and Earleville on the way, and was
seen making the journey by some OF
the members OF the Coroners jury.
Several OF the directors OF the com
panv had been down on Sunday and
decided to suspend work on the place
for the present and Harris and Savn
had been laid off. according to instruc-
tons given Mr.. Warheld
l The young men had planned to go to
Baltimore on Tuesday to look for work
and Monday being wet day they took
some shoes to a Mr.. EIindcs on a near
by farm to get them repaired pre-
paratory to going to the city. Think
ing they might see some game on the
relied hammerlcSS shotgun belonging
to Stearns, which they borrowed. AS
they were returning they saw some
squirrels on an old dead tree and came
up to the house to ask permission of
Mr. Warfeld to cut down the tree to
see if they could get the squirrels. Per
mission to do so was granted them and
after dinner Harris, with the gun and
n To he
shore where the tree stood Savin
climbed up the tree and poked into a
hole, but found no trace OF the Squir-
relss. They then started back to the
house and on the way Savin shot three
sparrows and two wOodpeckerS, hav-
ing one loaded shell left which was in
the gun. When they got to the house
the gun was set down in the corner OF
the living room occupied by Mrs
Startt, and the birds thrown on the
table. One OF the wOodDeckerS was
not dead, and its Screcching affected
Katie, who asked that it be killed to
put the poor thing out OF its misery, and
she went out OF the room. Shortly
afterwards. Harris picked up the gun
and started to take it upstairs to re-
turn il to its owners room When he
got out into the hallway he was met
at the foot OF the stairs by Katie. who
playfully attempted to stop him In the
friendly scuf11e that enSucd, the gun
while in the hands of Harris. was dis
charged in some unaccountablc man
ner, and the full load struck the unior-
tunate girl in the right side OF her face
tearing Our her eve and fracturing her
skull She fell back dead with her
head on the front door sill. Harris ran
back into the room, crying: "Mv God,
have shot Katie! Stearns. who was
painting in the room, was the first to
reach the spot where the girl lay, but
life was gone ere he got there.
In his great state of excitement.
Harris could not give coherent ac-
count OF how the terrible accident hap
pened, but no suspicious OF criminal in
tent on his part were entertained by
those present Cpon the advice OF Mr..
Warfeld, Harris decided to give him
self up, and he and Stcarns and Savn
Immediately drove UP to Earlevlle,
seven and one-quarter miles, where
Magistrate Henry S. Duhamell was
told of what had occurred
Mr. Duhamell at once notified Cor
oner Nelson at Elkton, who in turn
notified undertaken John F. Coppage,
of Cecilton to meet him at Earleville
on Tuesday morning and to send Con-
stable George .Iilligan of Cecilton to
take Harris into custody. The Con-
stable accompanied by Ross Hamburg
started for the scene OF the tragedy as
quickly as possible, but did not get
there until midnight, when he took
charge OF Harris, and also took
the body in charge until the Coroner
and undertaken should arrive.
On Tuesday morning Coroner Mel
son, Sheriff Kirk and States Attorney
Squier drove to Earlevlle, where they
were met by Mr.. Coppage and then
went on down to the Point When
they arrived there, Sheriff Kirk took