Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-09-19
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 md
Shot Her Through the Heart, Kill.
ing Her Instantly.
MRS. Mary Lawless Rorschach. wife
Oh Lieut.. Frank Rorscharch. II. g N
and sister of Joseph T. Lawless. for
mer secretary of the commonwealth
OF virginia, was murdered in her
nome, No. S32 Park avenue. Park
view, Portsmouth, Va, by an nm
hhown burglar about three O'Clock on
tuesday morning of last week.
MRS. Rorscharch was shot through
the heart with her own pistol. taken
from her by the burglar after she had
hred twice upon him through an omen
uoor leading into the kitchen. where
he was cornered.
Inc murderer escaped, dropping
the pistol as he fled through the wood
house door in the rear of the Kitchen
bioodhounds carried to the house
from the Portsmouth Jail shortly af-
ter the alarm was sounded, secured n
scent and ran from the house. The
scent was soon lost, however, and the
hounds were unable to pick up the
trail.
Mrs. Rorschach was living with her
two children, the elder seven and the
younger five years old. Her hus-
band recently was promoted and
transferred from the battleship Ken
lucky to the cruiser Tennessee and is
with Admiral Evans fleet off Prov
incetown, Mass.
The two shots fired 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
to inform Lieut. Rorschach by wire
less telegraph of the tragedy.
The Rorschach home is Immediate
ly in the rear of the naval hospital
woods in Portsmouth and near a
lumber mill to which negroes fire.
quently pass. A newsboy who lives
nearby saw negro shortly after the
tragedy running rapidly by his home
towards small foot bridge. The
negro was taking off his coat.
While Mrs. Rorschach had a lamp
In her hand the burglar evidently was
In the kitchen in the dark. Both
bullets fired by the woman was
found in the wall of the kitchen.
Mrs. Rorschach, with her money
tied in roll and hanging around her
neck, had run down stairs Ivy the
back steps. She was standing in an
entryway just at the foot of the steps
when she fired. The lamp which she
had held was found at her feet un-
broken, though the lamp shade was
shattered.
The pistol had been placed close to
Mrs. Rorschach left breast over her
night dress and discharged 1t was
five-shooter and only three cham
bers were empty. These were the
two fired by Mrs. Rorschach and the
one fired by the burglar upon her.
Her money and jewelry were un-
touched
The victims youngest child, Law
less, slept through the excitement.
Mrs. Rorschach was very hand
some. She was about Sc years old
and one of the most accomplished
musicians in Virginia.
Lieut.. Rorschach was formerly of
| s,,N@ o.
navy from Virginia.
Thomas Archer, mulatto, claim
ing to be in the employ of the Mer-
chants and Miners Transportation
company, was arrested in Portsmouth
as suspect. The negro denied any
knowledge of the crime. Policeman
Elliott, at 4 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing, 45 minutes after the murder. saw
a negro enter the house of Archer at
1928 Glasgow street, Portsmouth.
Archer when arrested was in bed.
His hats bore spots that looked like
blood stains and his shoes were wet,
in condition such as might have been
caused by walking in wet grass in the
rear of the Rorschach residence. Ar
cher says he got wet in the severe
rain that night.
Gov. Swanson offered reward OF
5000 Cor the capture of the murdere.
of Mrs. Rorschach, Col. Lawless
brother of the victim, is member
of Gov. Swanson's staff.
Coroner Holiday found the fatal
bullet that penetrated Mrs. Rors-
chach's heart.
WORKMEN OVERCOME