Year: 1869

The New Orleans Tragedy-A Young
Girl Assassinated by Her Lover in


the City Park.


| About ten o'clock Friday night the
City Park was made the scene of the
most shocking tragedy that has occurred
in our city for years. 1t is expected that
the hand of violence will sometimes be
raised by man against man, bat when a
young and delicate girl is made the vic
tim of oold-blooded assassination, the
public mind is shocked and the heart
shrinks from the recital.


The victim is young girl, about seven
teen years of age, named Caroline
Ketchum, whose parents reside in AL
giers, but who has been employed for the
last two years as milliners apprentice
in the establishment of Mrs. Smith, at
the corner of Dryades and Euterpe
streets. 1t was at this place, about
eighteen months since, she made the &C.
quaintance of a young man named Sal
vador Carlotte, employed as butcher in
the Dryades market, and residing on
Melpome street, between Dryades and
Baronne streets.


The acquaintance on the part of the
girl ripened into affection, and, under a
promise Of marriage, as she alleges, he
succeeded in depriving her of her good
fame and woman's honor. Young, mex
perienced, and all but child, it appears
that she has clung to her seducer, despite
of outrage and violence which his fierce
and domineering disposition has fre-
quently subjected her to- About year
since, IN an outburst of passion, he
struck her with knife and inflicted a
dangerous wound in her left side. She
recovered from this, and, undeterred by
this attack upon her life, kept up her
evil intercourse with him. But, about a
month since, he announced to her his
intention of marrying sHother person.


81 will make you ashamed, if you do, !"
replied the heart-broken girl.


IF you fool with nae, I'll lay you
out r. was the savage reply.


But, notwithstanding his dark looks
and threatening aspect, the girl did not
believe be meant her personal violence.
And when he invited her Friday night
to accompany him to the City Park she
received the invitation with joy, and
went with him accordingly. Arriving
there, they proceeded to secluded
place, near the center of the Park, where
the young man attempted to exact from
her promise that she would not attempt
to interfere with his contemplated mar
risge. This promise she refused to give,
and almost on the instant he attacked
her with the most savage ferocity. Three
wounds were inflicted, upon her with
keen, sharp bladed knife, either of which
will prove mortal--one over the left
breast and two in the side. The girl then
grasped the knife with her hand and held
it so tightly that the keen blade severed
one of her fingers, and begged piteously
for him not to kill her.


Whether q momentary pity took pos
session of him or not, he, at all events,
consented to spare her in case she would
swear never to tell who had stabbed her.
This cath the dying girl has faithfully
adhered to. But chain of circumstances
revealed her assassin as certainly as if
her lips had declared his name. Leaving
her, as he supposed, dying in the Park,
he made his way back to the city. But
the girl had strength enough left 10 drag
herself to the street, aud from thence to
the residence of Mr.. Baker, at the head
of Bienville street To the family of this
gentleman she told her condition, and
carriage was Immediately supplied, in.
which she was brought to the office of the
Chief of Police. DR.. Richie was imme-
diately sent for, and, after examining her
wounds, pronounced them mortal, and
directed that she be sent to the Charity
Hospital.


To the repeated solicitations of Captain
Cain she refused to reveal the name OF
Her assassin; but in her delirium she ut.
tered his name. On this clue the Chief
and officer Marks set out to arrest the
murderer. After long and patient
search they found him,apparently asleep
in the Dryades market. The chief at
once proceeded to the residence OF Re-
corder Becker, and, getting search war
rant, started for his residence. Here his
clothes were found. The pants and
shoes were plentifully besprinkled with
blooC, but his coat had just been washed
by his mother Indeed the clothes were
found under her arm Just as she was in
the act of leaving the house with them.
Notwithstanding the thorough washing
to which it had been subjected, the coat
still discloses one or two deep blood
stains.


The CONSERVATION of the family when
the chief and officers presented them
selves at the residence of Carlotte was
still an additional evidence of guilt, while
the bloodstained clothes and the same
which the dying girl pronounced in her
delrium fixes his guilt almost beyond
question.


This is the history of one of the most
terrible tragedies the criminal annals Of
our city have ever known. 1t is unre-
deemed by a single mitigating feature,
and shows the fierce and sanguinary de-
pravity Of the mans heart.


At nine o'clock last night the reporter,
in company With the Chief Of Police,
visited the wounded girl at the hospital.
She was sleeping at the time, her face
flushed with fever, and breathiHg heavily.
Her light brown hair, long and dishev-
eled, lay in thick shining masses on the |
pillow, where it pictured, as in frame,
a face singnlsrly pretty. The slender,
almest fragile form, outlined beneath the |
thin covering, disclosed a frame lily !