Pocahontas star herald., 1915-02-19
LITTLE HOPE FOR
MRS MAT HUGHES
Former Spartanburg County Woman
Critically III Shot By Burglars
at Her Home Near Wash.
inotOn.

N
A. a result of wounds received
when two unidentified burglars at
tucked her home at Clark Station,
Va, near Washington, Mrs. Matte
"A. Hnghes, formerly of Greer and
other sections Of this country, is IN
an extremely critical condition In
the Llbley hospital At Washington,
according to dispatches received
here.
Mrs. Hughes 75.year-old father,
and Greek, Nicholas Coilinas, who
were with Mrs. Hughes at the time
were both killed, dispatches say,
and Mrs. Hughes was critically
wounded by a pistol shot through
the breast.
The following telegram was re
lved from Washington last night:
"At II o'clock tonight the con.
diuon of Mrs. Matte Hughes, who
was shot, by alleged robbers, at her
home near here yesterday morning
early, was extremely critical, and
while there is a chance for her re.
coverv, 1t Is very slight. Her son
Leo, 2a years old, stated tonigla
that be did not expect her recovery,
though the physicians say there q
hope.
"The son is married and has con.
Quoted a grocery store in northeast
Washington for sometime, in Rhich
his mother owned 4 balf- interest.
lie disposed of the busines tad'y.
Fifteen years ago she came to
Washington dressed as a man, ano
obtained employment in a cafe.
The difference was learned and she
disappeared again. According 70
tue police she drifted to the under,
world. lived there as an inmate then
as a proprietress.
Shortly before the "Red.light
Law" went into effect, she disappear
ed again aud was not heard Of un.
I'll news Of the tragedy came yester.
day.
Before her marriage to George
Hughes, the South Carolina mer.
chant, she was Matte A. Wsldrop,
aud when she came to Washington
her father came with her.
Early yesterday morning. Mrs.
Hughes, with her Greek companion,
Cofiinas, drove in cab TO her home.
Two unidentified men were discov
ed in the house. Diamond earrings
end rings were torn from her per
sou, and she was badly beaten. Her
aged father came to her rescue, the
burglars turned on him with an au-
tomato gun and four bullets pierced
his body. As the burglars shot hun
/
they turned TO the woman.aud shot
her. Running out of the house,
the Greek stood between them and
liberty. Three shots pierced his
body and he died instantly.
Mrs. Hughes, mortally wounded,
dragged herself, bleeding, over Il
muddy roadway to the home of
Congressman Phillip Campbell, of
Kansas, who has a home 200 yards
south of the scene of the tragedy.
From there Candrell Mackey, prose
cutting attorney for Alexandria
county, Va, was notified.
Mrs. Matte A. Hughes was raised
IN Spartanburg county and later
moved TO Greer, where in 1899 she
was arrested by Sheriff J. ID. Gil.
reath, charged with the murder of
her husband, George Hughes, a
prominent aud fairly well-to do
merchant Of Greer. In three of the
most sensational trials of the coun.
ty, she was tried for murder; but
IN each instance a mistrial resulted
and the state took a mol pros. EvI-
dence was brought out at the trial
to show that IN an affidavit, made
before he died, George Hughes
swore that his wife said to him:
"Get up and be shot like a man,
aud not be shot like a dogm