The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-05-05
KILLED SWEETHEART
And THEN HIMSELF
Young Dartmouth Graduate Takes
Miss Helen Marden's Life.

Northampton, Mass, April 20.--
Helen Aver Marden, of Somerville,
Mass, a senior at Smith College and
one of the most popular young
women of her class, was shot on the
college campus this morning by her
rejected suitor, Porter MacDougal
Smith, a travelling salesman, of Chi
cago, and a graduate of Dartmouth.
She died four hours later in Dicken-
son Hospital. After waiting just long
enough to be certain that he had fat
ally shot her Smith turned his smok-
ing revolver upon himself and pulled
the trigger. Death came instantly to
him.
The tragedy threw the entire col
lege into the widest excitement.
The young women poured from the
dormitories and class rooms, where
they had gathered for morning lect-
ures, and ran about in panic. The
chief of police, taking all his avail
able men with him, rushed to the
scene, and President Seelye fastened
members of his personal staff to the
campus to make hurried investiga-
tion and report.
In the midst of the turmoil work
men called physicians and several of
them appeared on the run. They
found Smith dead and Miss Marden
lying close beside him breathing
heavily. There was a bullet hole in
her temple and two more in her
Ch Thnt, "a - tlxy l,ar
was little chance for the young wo-
man, but on an improvised stretcher
she was rushed to the hospital, where
she was placed on the operating
table. A more careful examination
showed that death would ensue and
President Seelye was notified.
The shooting took place shortly af-
ter 8 o'clock directly in front of one
of the students buildings. On the
campus at the time were a score OF
more girls going to and from their
classes. Some of them, who were ac.
quainted with Miss Marden, saw the
young woman walking slowly along
in animated conversation with Smith
She was a petite blonde, and they
noted that she looked exceptionally
pretty. Possibly one reason was
that her cheeks were unusually red
The man, too, was talking animated
ly, but there was nothing in his de-
meanor to suggest under excitement
Suddenly sharp report echoed
against the walls of the massive
buildings. Miss Marden was seen tc
reel. She sank to the ground slow
ly and as she did so the man fol
flowed her convulsing form with {
revolver, from the muzzle of which
curled thin wreath of blue smoke.
Before any of the Mortified on
| lockers had a chance to move hant
or foot the revolver was discharged
again. A third shot followed the
second and then all was deathly
| still. Cool observers say that Smith
stood for a moment contemplating
the body at his feet and then delib
erately raised the weapon to his head
There was pause and then, will
the shot, the man sank until he wal
prone beside the girl.
The commotion which followed wa
started by student, who shrieket
and ran to her dormitory Other
ran toward the PROSTATE couple, ant
then, changing their minds, ran tn,
other way. Some workmen, startled
by the shooting, gave the alarm.
At the hospital it was found a bul
let had entered the girls temple ant
would cause death. Another bulle
had pierced the left shoulder and still
another the right. The two latte
wounds were not so serious. From
the position of the wound in th
head the police concluded that Smitl
had pressed the muZzle of his revol
yer against the young woman's TEN
pie as she was standing and fired
Then, wishing to make sure ther
would be no slip in his murderou
programme, he shot twice as she la
PROSTATE. His own plan of self-de
struction went through without
slip.
While the doctors were workin
over Miss Marden the police inves
tigated. They found that Smit
was employed as a travelling sales
man for R. P. Smith & Sons, sho
manufacturers, Chicago, and that tn
firm thought him in the west attend
ing to his route. Instead he ha
come east to see the girl with WHOM
he fell desperately in love while
student at Dartmouth College. He
was in class one year ahead O
Miss Marden, having graduated las
spring, but he came to Northampton
last Christmas and visited her.