The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-29
,aralIeled Tragedy Dis
lsed by Confession of Mrs.
I Maggie Gardenhire.
AIMS UNWRITTEN Law
arges T. S. Gardenhire, Sr.,
Whom She Killed. Had
Wronged Her.
(BY ERNEST G. TAYLoR.)

d Wronged Her.
: tBY ERNEST c. TAYLoR.)
o 5od bless you honey! God bless
sobbed stalwart Tom Garden
as he put his strong arms
. and the neck of his wife, Mrs.
q ygie Gardenhire, who shot and
q ed his own father, T. S. Garden
-. Sr., at the corner of Main and
= iteside streets Tuesday night
- ut $3.50 o'clock.
y You were justifiable in the sight
God, and I will stand by you till
= De a man, and | hope the time will
a -er come when I'm anything else
. a man." he continued.
= iardenhire arrived in Chattanooga
m Rome. Ga, shortly after 10
ock Wednesday morning and went
7aighJ to police headquarters. As
entered the hallway he saw his
e sitting in the office of Mrs. Ra-
Ilel Marshall, police matron. He
de rush for her, took her in his
MS and assured her that he would
nd by her and that he felt that no
Irt or jury would hold it against
when the whole truth was known.
Inderly he patted her white cheeks
| d stroked her pretty auburn hair.
@ scene was pathetic one. Both
sband and wife broke down and
)bed. Presently she looked up at
| n, and with eyes shining with love,
ked him about the children and
| W they were.
Shortly after Mrs. Gardenhire had
lon arrested by Patrolmen Burns
Bass, and charged at police head
YRS with murder, her reason for
WE 'the life of her father-in-l law
known.
Lrdeveloped, a reporter for The
\ Is was told, that her husbands
|ther wronged her about three years
o when she was sent to Tuscumbia
I,untain, near Sheffield, Ala, to re-
perate from chills and fever, with
|hich she was suffering at that time.
Prote sted in Vain.
IT was charged that in spite of her
otests, her physical weakness on
count Of sickness and suffering, and
,r plea that the name of the family
Id her dear little ones be kept free
pm stain, her father-in- turned
deaf ear to her pleadings and car
td out his revolving purpose. After
lat time, it was further charged, by
bans of threats that he would eX-
Use her, he continued to add to her
lame and disgrace. The fear that the
kful circumstances would become
lown and break up her home, kept
~ lips sealed throughout the long
bnths of suffering that followed.
last Saturday her husband came
| Chattanooga and talked with his
ther. "He told me so much and
build say no more" the grief
ticken husband explained.
Returning to Rome, the husband
hfronted his wife and from her lips
brned the whole shocking story.
he fearful recital from the lips of
+ woman who had solemnly said
les" to the VOWS that made them
hn and wife, staggered Gardenhire.
he scene was dramatic in the eX-
me.
bn Tuesday morning, after Garden
re went to his work his wife
Icssed the children and saw them
i to school. She then dressed, se-
Ircd a revolver, which her husband
not know was on the place, and
In her little 4-year-old SON.
Ihink," she boarded a train for this
thriving here she bought a sack of
Inanas ard placed the weapon in the
Ik She first sent her father-in-law a
Dtc to meet her at the depot, but he
not show up. She then went to his
vusc. He wanted to shake hands with
h. thought ! couldn't shake hands
Ih him and then kill him. Mrs.
Il dcnhire said. She did take him by
hand. however. He asked her about
chiidren She then told him she
Iuted to speak to him. While they
| re- in the yard she told him she
! nted to get a room and he asked her
stay there, She next asked him if
had seen her husband; she did not
ow whether anything had happened
him. He told her. she said, that her
sband had been here, but ne denied
l. ing her husband anything.
In n calm manner, but with her
itching hands giving evidence of the
1 lhle nervous strain which she was
|dor, she told of the shooting.
Child Sees Shooting.
. She said she gaze her little boy a
mana and sat him down on the curb
+. Gardenhire, according TO her story,
d her her husband was about to get
orce from her. She then accused
| 1t of telling her husband. Then it
s that she produced the revolver,
| n. with the weapon close to his
domen pulled the trigger. She said
ran. her little boy screamed. and
King the child with one hand, she
| d four shots with the other. She
planned that after Gardenhire had
ne short distance he fell. but arose
II staggered into the street She
ted that she tried to fire the last shot
the gun.
/ then walked up the street with
pistol in my hand" she related.
man passed and asked if there had
| been some shooting. I told him
bought there had been, that / had
led a man, At the corner (Main and
)rket) there was a crowd. l asked
n where the police were and held
i pistol up. When he saw it it scared
In. I told him I did the shooting.
Irsently officers came and got me.
I am awfully nervous over It and did
4 sleep any last night"
Mrs Gardenhire is 40 years Old.
Irdenhlfe is her second husband. She
four children by the first husband,
| 0 is dead. One of her children. a
yOwn daughter. is connected with the
\ II service commission OF the govern
lint. This daughter was with the
'ernment at Camp Forrest last year
IL stayed with well-known Chatta-
Hans while here. There are two chill
|n by Gardenhire, the second hus-
HID
| Mrs. Gardenhire talked to re-
| ter and Mrs Marshall, the little hoy
|ldled un in her arms. He is a bright
10 fellow.
II Young man. who is wcll acquainted
H. both Young Gard3rhire and f's
NEARING OF her tpSube. came to