New-York tribune., 1909-04-30
SMITH GIRL MURDERED
SUICIDE, TOO, ON CAMPUS,
Tilted Dartmouth Graduate Shoots
Senior and Himself.

~-,--t,s ,77r,tsn Mass April Enraged and tenn
pprariy insane II IS believed. because OF her re-
frsal TO marry aim. Porter sniff who was grad
uated from Dartmouth College last June, to-day
shot and fatally wounded Miss Helen Aver Marden'
OF SoInervtIle. Mass. q member Of the senior caSS
at smith College ana then turning the reNoiNer Oh
himself committed suicide Miss Marten was taken
to the Dickinson Hospital. where she died shorty
.qfore noon She was the daughter of Frank W
Na~aen "A Boston oil merchant, who lives at No y
Boston street SoTrerville.
smith, whose home was in Chicago. had been IN
northampton for several days. Il is said that ne
had persistently followed MISS Marden and uied
to force his attentions her. but she refused 10
have ANYTHING to do with him This forenoon, Wheh
the majority OF the students Of smith were d.
chapel Miss Marden came out Of the students
building where she boarded She had aoseh'e"
herself from the chapel exercises because, IL IS
understood she feared she would be further puT-
sued ly Smith on the way there. When she came
out or the campus she had gone only a sRoI' uiS
iauce when she met Smith Therewe no students
near. and It is not known whether there was aH'
conversation between the two.
woRKMEN HEAR SHOTS.
Suddenly workmen not far distant heard n sho'
and woman's scream They saw Snlth slaio'7
beside the Young woman with a smoking FeNoi'ti
I'm HIS hand and before they could reach the COUPE
1bz- saw smith aise the revol, and fire two more
shots at the girl. Miss Marden sank 10 the ground
and Smith immediately placed the muzZje or iDe
weapon 10 his oRn head ard fred, falling dead De
side the Young woman Miss Marden was 4ulcAS
removed TO the Dickinson Hospital
Death was caused bv bullet wound in the tenn
p1e In the opinion OF the medical examiner, DT
II Grockwen of Amherst, this WAS the first bullet
fired 10y Smith the other Two lodging, one in the
left and the other in the right shoulder.
Friends Miss Nar5en said to-day that they be
fieyed no real engagement existed between Smith
and the Young woman he killed although it is prob
able that there was some kind Of matrimonial
understanding Miss Louise Marden, a sister or
the slain girl and a member Of the junior class at
smith college. said to-day that in her opinion
Smith was temporarily crazed At her sisters re-
flsal 70 marry him 20 make any definite plans
regarding proposed marriage. Miss Louise Mar
den spoke I'm the highest terms Of the young man
II IS understood that Smith had been suffering
from n nervous breakdown since his graduation
from Dartmouth College last June.
Miss Marden was popular among her college
mates She was tha soprano s2iost Of the college
glee club and was a member Of one Of the honor
organiza ons Of the college one Of her classmates
is Smiths sister. Miss Eveline p. Smith,
Chfcaeo. April 2s-Porrer Smith was a travelling
salesman for r. Z Smith * Sons, shoe manu-
ract,Irers The young mans father. J. n. Smith
up to the time Of his death years ago
member Of the firm. The latter's two brothers
Edward z and J. D. Smith, present conduct the
business
Porter returned 10 Chicago from Western trip
only three days ago, said Edward L smith, TO-
day We thought he had again gone into that
territory selling shoes That he was In the East
no less than the tragedy Of to-day. is surprise to
me I know nothing Of the romance between him
and Miss Marden.
Porter's sister. Miss Emeline, is student
Smith College, and telegraphed briefly this
morning. The telegram, however, contained moth
ing but essential details Of the shooting.
The Young suicides widowed mother lives the
Kenwood Hotel. this city News Of her sons death
was given 10 her over the telephone by Edward E.
Smith.