" Didn't Know it was Loaded"

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 55, 10 May 1884, Page 3

" Didn't Know it was Loaded"

1 ♦ The supreme, and unutterable idiot who killed a Brooklyn girl the other day because he " didn't know it was loaded" has been arrested. It is a question whether such stupidity a-< lie exhibited is not as bad as deliberate malice. Certainly hanging the wretche? guilty of it would be qu'te as likely t<> deter others as that penalty deters those who kill from other motives. He was spending the afternoon with three qr four yming ladies, and after a pleasant talk a*k<<i them if they wished to be mesmerised. He said he was a mesmerist, and th<*y laughingly agre- d to put th-msolves under his influence, They were accordingly seated, and afier a few passes he drew a heavy four-barreled revolver from his hip-pock.-t. The young women were frightened, and prayed him to put up the weapon. He refused, and said he needed it in order to mesmerise them One of them ran across the room and stooped behind a chair, rci.arking that she didn't like that kind of sleight-of-hand performance. This amused him, and 10 their consternation he flourished his weapon more then ever, turning it upon Miss Kenny. beitiy frightened, started to run for the next room. He laughed, cocked his weapon and pulled tbo trigger. A report was heard, and Miss llenny fell to the floor with a bullet in her forehead. The shock so startled them that nobody moved. 1 hen Kiley exclaimed :" My God ! what have I done ?" Of course, he was " sorry." and " didn't know it was loaded. " But it was loaded, and he, 'ike so many of his idio:ic kind, h d fooled wirh it and taken a life. — New York Herald.