A Boy Shoots His Sweetheart and Himself.

Little Murders

(From The National Police Gazette, October 16,1886)

 

A Boy Shoots His Sweetheart and Himself.

A Love-Sick Murderer.
Eddie Clark, Eighteen Years of Age, Kills Melissa Fultz and then Shoots Himself in Monroe Co., Ill.

Eddie Clark, the eighteen-year-old son of Silas Clark, of Chalfin Bridge, Monroe County, Ill., has been the schoolboy sweetheart of Melissa Fultz ever since they have been big enough to go to school. He was four years her senior, and toward the close of the last session of the school made it quite apparent to all who noticed him that his feelings toward the girl were rapidly developing into something stronger than childish affection. During the summer he seemed to become possessed of a fear that some one would win her heart from him, and to prevent this he begged her to marry him. She refused. Then he asked her just to promise that she would marry him some time. This she also refused. He threatened to kill her and himself, and the other day he carried out his threats. He armed himself and waited at the house of her brother and sister until the crowd of children came along the road on the way home from school. Then he deliberately shot the girl, killing her instantly. Kneeling down he kissed her and then shot himself, but hot fatally. The group of school children scattered and his married sister came running out just in time to see the frenzied lad reload the revolver and shoot himself twice more in the head. He lived five hours, dying a little before midnight.

 

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The National Police Gazette, October 16,1886.