Smyrna times., 1910-10-19
ANGRY DOVER WOMAN
SHOOTS MANS HEAD OFF
HATTIE REESE SLAYS JOHN CUR
RY. BOTH COLORED, ON STREET
Murder Took Place at Midnight Fol-
lowing a Circus Performance
Woman Immediately Arrested

loving q OlrCuS FerTOrmanCe.-
Woman Immediately Arrested
Dover, Oct. 13.-Dover had a mid
night murder on the streets this
morning when Hattie Reese, said to
be the common-law wife of John
Curry, Jr., both colored, lay in wait
for him with a shotgun, overlook
him and killed him at close range.
The young man was almost decapi-
tated by the discharge of the gun, an
old muzzle-loading single-barrelled
shot gun, which had evidently been
filled with a load sufficient to kill a
wild animal. The murder created
intense excitement, as all of Dover
had not gone to bed at the time.
Frank Robbins circus ended its sea-
son here and, after a breezy per-
formance, the singing and celebrat-
ing circus performers marched
down Loekerman street toward the
Pennsylvania Railroad station, head
ed by their entire band, playing
martial music. People both white
and colored joined in the romp.
Young John Curry and Hattie Reese
were seen to quarrel on Lockerman
street near John Behen's corner, the
intersection of New street. The
woman disappeared. She was gone
nearly half hour. She went to her
little delling on New Street and
there procured the heavy shotgun.
Reappearing on Lockerman street
she found the ,rowd had thinned out,
but still groups of men and some
women were passing along to or from
the circus train. The girl asked
one or two persons whom she knew
if they had seen John. Finally
young Curry passed along and the
woman confronted him at John Win
dolph's store.
Pulled the Trigger Without Warning
Several witnesses say that with
out word of warning, she elevated
the shotgun as best she could and
blew off a part of the mans head.
His left eye and portions of his left
forehead were entirely gone when, a
moment later, he WIS found to be
dead Persons thereafter coming
in from the train had CHASTITY sight
to witness on Dover's principal
street. The infuriated woman threw
the old fowling piece with which
she slew the man into the street and
fled. Detective Fred Mourphy
however, was soon on this job. He
searched two houses on New street,
the woman's and a friends, but
failed to find her. Then he tried the
waiting game, for the detective
knew Of woman's known timidity
about wandering far in the night.
After scouting quietly about that
section of town for some time, the
detective come upon the woman back
of tree on New street, and arrest
ed her. Hattie Reese, on the way
to prison, made a statement to the
detective. Just what she said could
not be learned, but it is unders food
that she admitted the killing and
gave as her reason and provocation
that Curry had beaten her and she
feared he was coming to her house,
as he had threatened, to thrash her
again. 1t was nearly o'clock be-
fore Murphy, alone on the case, had
landed the infuriated girl in prison
and had come back to get Curry s
body. The colored people were awe
stricken about the spot and some
white men in the crowd gave orders
not to touch the bleeding body but
let it lay until the coroner arrived
in the morning.
Body of Curry Taken to Morgue
Detective Murphy got a wagon,
gathered up the almost headless
corpse, loaded it into wagon anc
removed the body to the morgue OF
Parrish street. Coroner Satxon helc
an inquest there. Curry was a bright
young negro but was something oi
a "sport" and was sometime age
taken on charge of selling liquor il
this prohibition county. He was
sent to Greenbank for four months
and since his return. it is said, he
was doing better and planning t.
take up and continue in a life Of
thrift and industry. Evening Journ
al.