The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-05-05
slain By FIANCE
PISTOL SHOOTS WHEN INN0=
CENT GIRL PULLS-RIBBON
strange SUICIDAL CASE

Wonderful Surprise, Asks Her to
Pull Rihbon-She Does so and a
/ Pistol Fires, Fatally Woundine
! Him.
Emily Wheeler, beautiful twenty
two-year-old daughter. Of John De
Forest Wheeler, of Stratford, Conn,
at an early hour Tuesday morning
told the tragic story of her last few
hours with her fance, Arthur Hearn
! Cowl, grandson Of the late multi
millionaire merchant, James H.
Hearn. She told it in a small, bare
room in the hospital at Bridgeport,
Conn, to officials Of Stratford and
Bridgeport and physicians, while in
an adjoining operating room lay her
fance dying.
Young Cowl called on Miss Wheel
er Monday night and shortly after
10 O'Clock said he would show her a
wonderful new trick if she would Just
shut her eyes and jerk e piece OF
narrow baby blue ribbon, one END OF
which he handed to her. She did so
and there came the sound Of re-
volver shot. Cowl slowly fell dying
at her feet, wounded in his temple.
j The ribbon which he had induced her
to Jerk was tied to the trigger OF a
heavy calibre revolver.
This is Miss Wheeler's own storyS
Arthur wrote me that he was COM
ing to see me Monday afternoon ana
would go to Bridgeport on through
train from New York, and there take
trolley to Stratford. watched Tor
his car and when I saw him step on
ran down to meet him.
| "Not for months had I seen him
| in better spirits or in better health.
We walked home and had tea, and he
| was so bright and happy. After tea
mother and father went to meet
ing at Christ church and left US TO-
gether. First we sat in the hall. we
talked of our love; he told me how
greatly improved his health had been
by his trip to Bermuda; he told me
that he felt sure that he would be
entirely recovered by early fall and
we sat there dreaming and planning
our life together.
"He spoke of our marriage in the
early fall as a certainty. He told me
that he intended spending this sum-
mer in the country, and that ne was
sure at the end Of the summer we
could be married.
Then he said me: Emily, you
know l have been a very SICK man
I have not really been myself lot OF
the time. I want to tell you some
thing. While was sick and not en-
tsrelv responsible for what was do
ing wrote you letter, but l dldn
send it. I am glad I didn't but l
want you to see it. 1 told you IN
that letter that had ceased to care
for YOU. There was a lot more, but
that was what it all amounted to-
that I had ceased to care for you.
"Then he told me that he wanted
me to see that letter. He said he
had it upstairs, and he wanted me to
read it and see how foolish he had
| been when he was sick. Then he
wanted me to destroy it with my own
hands. He told me that he loved me
and that he only write what ne dlo
because he was sick. Then he talked
some more of our marriage in the
fall.
HE went upstairs and got the let
ter and brought it down for me TO
read. He did not seem at all excited
and 7 didn't notice anything unusual
in his manner. I read the letter and
then he urged me to destroy it. To-
eether we walked out on the porch
and down the steps and sat on the
lowest step so I could burn the let
.er. AS we sat down my mother and
father came back from their churcn
meeting and, after speaking to u.s.
went on upstairs. 1t was getting
| late
.I DESTROYED the letter. He wait
ed for q few moments and then, fum-
bling in his pocket, pulled out piece
of ribbon and handed me the end OF
] it. He told me he was going to snow
me a wonderful trick. You must
! shut your eyes, turn away your head
and pull the ribbon he said. After
hesitating I did so. He laughed and
said it hadn't worked. Then he told
me 20 try it again. Give the ribbon
a strong jerk this time he told me,
or my trick won't work. And you
must keep your head turned away
and your eyes closed.
81 dill as he told me. / Jerked the
ribbon again and then, then
Here Miss Wheeler for the hrst
time during her narrative gave way
to shuddering and hysterical weep
ing.
nv boy fell over on the ground ana
Law there without moving. l called
him by his name; I begged him TO
sneak to me. For a moment thought
il only another OF the jokes he liked
to play on me. But he lay there SO
cold and motionless I was frlghteneo
and screamed. After a While tather
came running down.
81 never. never thought anything
like this. His voice was his own; ne
was smiling at me; he wasn't eXclt-
ed: 7 thought he was just playing
with me. I can't. can't understand
He was so we'll. he spoke so positive
" of his getting entirely we'll; ne
talked so earnestly about our mar
riage soon. 1t had seemed to me tha'
our troubles were over. He was very
happy with me all the afternoon and
evening. There was nothing to warn
me. I can't believe it yet
. The coroner said that, although ne
had made no formal inVestlsatlon ol
Cowl's death, newspaper reports
seemed to indicate so clearly tnat tne
case was one of suicide. in fact if not
lin deed. that unless something ar
ferent develops he thought it unlike
" he would hold any inquest.
1T seems to me it would be toe
: brutal to this poor young LADY te
make her testify at public hearlng'
he remarked. This view is shareo oS
his fellowtownsmen
Miss Wheeler did not offer any eX
nlanation Of how Cowl succeeded II
: hiding the revolver from her slght
-, - ba nocitiva1V stated Wheth