The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-09-11
ON STAGE LAST NIGHT
SHE RECALLED TRAGEDY
ACTRESS PLAYS IN TOWN OF
BROTHERS DUAL SHOOTING.

'uHo'"lC'h oI the arrival OF Miss
l"ilu Nethaway, a Norfolk actress
ana n member OF The Girl and The
Gawk' company, in Norfolk Sunday
from the coming OF Miss Nethaway TO
Norfolk last December in RESPONSE
to message telling Of the terrible
Nethaway tragedy enacted on Decem.
br s, 1907, at o'clock in the after.
noon In n Union Pacific coach.
Even this last visit to Norfolk was
not lacking in remembrances of the
tragedy for hundred things sug.
gested to the actress that home com.
ing OF nearly year ago.
Actress His Favorite Sister.
Lulu Nethaway was the favorite
sister OF V. b. Nethaway, the crack
trapshooter, who with the unerring
aim Of an expert gun man shot his
wife a coach length away from him
on Union Pacific train while panic
stricken passengers huddled under
seats or found dangerous exits
through the car windows.
Story Called to Mind.
at the Auditorium must revive the de.
tails of the year.old tragedy in the
minds OF Norfolk people just as the
sight of Norfolk forced back the pain
full memories upon Miss Nethaway.
Vallie Nethaway had murder in his
mind. He had sat in the district
court room at Madison. revolver in
hand, waiting for his wife's divorce
case to be called for trial. II went
over until the evening of December
g. On the morning of that day Meth.
away wrote three death messages, one
to his daughter, Sophia Nethaway,
and two to his youngest sister. Lulu
Nethaway, the actress. He addressed
these letters and then went to the
depot with shotgun. His appearance
with gun created no comment but
when he stepped onto the moving train.
still in the business center of the
city, his wife read in an instant her
doom. Nethaway wrote in blood and
powder as dramatic and tragic a story
as his sister can ever act. He warned
the passengers. He raised the shot.
gun. True as ever to his command
the gun poured its load of shot direct
ly into the wife's head, a car length
away. A second shot was directed at
Mrs. Fred Harder, his wife's COM
panion, but Mrs. Harder was down be-
hind a seat and though her hat was
shot away most of the shot buried it.
self into the coach seat Nethaway
then jumped from the train and went
directly to the Salter grain office. He
covered c. b. Salter and j. w. Glib
son with revolver which he also
used to keep the crowd outside at bay
Over the telephone he called up his
mother, Mrs. ENethaway, and told her
both of the murder which was passed
and of the suicide to come. He asked
for kind treatment for his daughter
Then he started to turn the gun on
himself. Don't kill yourself in my
Office" Clarence Salter demonstrated
I'm a gentleman and I'll kill my
self where ever you want me to-" said
Nethaway and he went out and ended
his own lif in TN grain elevator near
by. Mrs. Nethaway lived sixteen
hours. Husband and wife were buried
the following Sunday, which was De
cember s. 1t had been Nethaway's
intention to kill Senator Allen of
Madison, his wife's attorney, whom
he blamed for the demand for ali
mony.
Miss Nethaway at Stromsburg.
Miss Nethaway was playing at
Stromsburg when the news reached
her. AS best she could she filled the
Thursday night engagement and then
hurried to Norfolk. A twenty-five
mile drive took her to David City
where she caught train TO Columbus.
Rode in Murder Coach.
Miss Nethaway boarded the Union
Pacific accommodation train at Column
bus and was suddenly shocked to find
herself in the very coach in which
the tragedy had ben enacted. Blood
stains were still on the chairs and
bullet marks marred the far end of
the car. In the coach some of the
travellers were making half frightened.
half Joking remarks about the coach
and the tragedy but they stopped
when they grasped Miss Nethaway's
identity. On the train was a thea
trCal troupe the Lost in New York
company, and the members did what
they could to tighten the journey
made in the coach so recently the
scene of the events which were call.
ing their companion actress to Nor
folk
Miss Nethaway played in Stroms.
burg again last week and again
thoughts of last December were in her
mind
This is Miss Nethaway's first APP
pearance on a Norfolk stage. She has
visited north Nebraska towns before
l.,.. I.----.. N--...E-LI.