Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 228, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1912 — ACTRESS KNOWN HERE, MURDERED [ARTICLE]

ACTRESS KNOWN HERE, MURDERED

Lucile May, 17 Years Old, Killed in Vincennes Restaurant by Rejected ~ Married Suitor.

lliss Lucile May, 17 years old, daughter of MrS. Helen K. May, of Paris, Mo., was murdered in a yincennes, Ind., restaurant near midnight Saturday night by Thomas Harry Davies, a wrestler, of Chicago, to whom she had been engaged until she learned that he was already married and had a wife and child in Pennsylvania. Davies suicided in the Vincennes jail. Local interest in the crime is caused by the fact that Miss May and her mother were ipembers of the Gordon stock company that played in Rensselaer last winter. They were here on several occasions and the young lady was very clever in soubrette parts and sang delightfully. Her mother was also quite able in the parts she took. Both were educated and refined and Mrs. May tbld friends here that she planned to give her daughter a musical education abroad. The girl was modest, beautiful, graceful and apparently had a fine career ahead of her, while her mother appeared to be a very sensible woman and exercised a careful guardianship over her daughter. The Mays lived at Paris, Mo„ where they spent the summer. Only recently they started out on their fall and winter toUr as members of the Knickerbocker stock company. Davies was a wrestler. He claimed his home to have been in London, prior to coming to America. He wrestled under the name of Harry Hector and advertised himself as the former middleweight champion of England. He met the May girl when she was only 16 years of age. Both were In Oklahoma City. He was at once smitten with her and showed her every attention, spending his money freely. He followed her for two years, beseeching her to marry him. She finally promised, but would not set a time for thq, wedding. Her mother was almost constantly with her and she did not oppose the match except on account of the girl’s age and her hope to educate her. Several months ago Miss May and her mother learned that Davies was married and they determined at once to break off the match. Davies became enraged and tried to induce the girl to alter her decision, promising to get a dii vorce. But Miss May refused. Saturday Davies went to Vincennes from Chicago for the purpose of murdering the girl. He entered the restaurant to which Miss May and her mother had gone after the theatrical performance in which they had taken part. He walked up to Miss May and drawing the revolver fired and she fell from her chair dead. He then turned the revolver on himself but a Jammed cartridge prevented its discharge. A policeman placed him under arrest. He told of the shooting, said he had planned for four months to commit the murder and to kill himself. He told of having come to Vincennes for the purpose. He offered no resistance and talked freely about the crime and the love affair that led up to it He was placed in a cell and a little over two hours later when officers went there to see how he was getting along they found his dead body hanging from a bar in the “bull pen.” He had torn a towel into strips and used it for a rope. His body was cut down but life was extinct. Mrs. May was so overcome by the shock that she was taken to a hospital and is in a critical condition. The body of the daughter was shipped to Paris, Mo., where it will be buried Tuesday. Davies had carefully planned his crime. He had written a letter to his wife and enclosed S9OO. Another letter also to her contained SIOO, while one to his brother in Canada "contained S2OO. According" to one story he also left a deed to his wife for a farm of 160 acres. He also bad $75 in his Xt and bank deposit slips for amounts.

He had a stack of letters covering his two years* acquaintance with Miss May and her mother. The last letter was written on Sept 12th and mailed by the May girl at Paris, Mo. It bid him farewell and said they should never meet again. - - Country and creamery butter Is getting scarce and higher, and for a substitute try our fancy hutterlne, only

20c a pound.

JOHN EGER.