The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-09-07
YOUNG HUSBAND and
Wife COULDN'T agree
Letters Written by Child Wife to Her
Mother Indicate That She Was Do
ing Her Duty as She Saw It, and
Trying to Please Her Husband.

That the life of Nora Watson, the
14-year-old wife of Arthur Watson,
who was shot to death by her hus-
band in this city Sunday morning,
was anything but happy since her mar
casions been the victim of the fiery
temper and passionate outbursts of her
boy husband, is evidenced by letters
written by the child wife to her moth
er, Mrs. NJ. B. Mccullough, while the
former was living at Memphis.
While some of these letters have
been misplaced OF destroyed, there yet
remain a score or more of them which
have been preserved, all of which, it
is believed, will prove that the char
acter of the dead girl was irreproacha-
BILE, and that she had constantly en-
deavored to please her husband and
encourage him to lead a peaceable
life.
In letter dated at Memphis on
November 20 last, and addressed TO
her mother in Hattiesburg, the child
tells her mother that she has received
letter from papa" in which he had
told her to tell the truth" and for
her mot to think, nor let anyone else
think, that could not get back home,
so of course that made me feel good.
l did not tell Arthur that | had ever
heard from you, and he does not know
! it."
Further along in the same letter the
| following language is found: you
know, mamma, everything is just like
told you it would be. Addie, Leila,
Clara Belle, L. d. and Mr.. Watson,
the old lady, VIII, Charlie. are for
ever fussing -. ... Mamma, l did not
say that Mary was all time fussing,
and she is not; she says that she
thinks and don't speak ....
| .. 81 came home after work
and Leila was washing the dishes and
l was drying them and so Mr. Arthur
thought that he would act the big
man and make me hurry; so l was
not in a hurry, but told him to wait a
minute. So he said I don't have to
watt l said I guess you will, because
! have got a whole lot more to dry
yet So he said I will show you,
and up he comes to where was stand
ing and slaps me on the face as hard
as he could and pulls my hair; so Le-
la called Charlie, and by that time all
of the family was in there. So Char
lie told Arthur that if he put his
hands on me one more time he would
have him locked up.
"The next day l wrote TO Alfred to
send me money to come home on, but
I did not have any stamps and could
not mail it. But if had have had the
money l would have been in Hatties-
burg today. have not told you half
of it yet, but / will some time. l in
tend to come home If money can
bring me, and that before long. l
don't know where l would get it, but
| would get it some way. Mamma,
they all think that l am writing to
Rosa Folks"
e.. l want you to know that Ar
thur won't let me say papa or Mack.
but he says say Mccullough but I
say papa and then say l meant Nc
Cullough.
II guess I will have to close for this
time by asking you to tell Bro. opper-
man to pray for me-"
In letter dated Tuesday. Feb. Sth,
1910, the girl tells of her husband
having returned home and assures her
mother that she is going to do every
thing possible 70 make him happy, as
uw cse following extracts