Bartholomew County, Indiana
Cincinnati (OH) Daily Gazette, May 24, 1875, p. 4.
There are many ways of bringing a hesitating lover to terms. Entreaty, a
flirtation that may arouse his jealousy and at the same time revive his
cooling ardor, or, in extreme cases, a breach of promise suit are useful in
their way. We cannot recommend, even when all these have failed, the plan
of Miss Hannah Petilliot of Columbus, Indiana. Her swain, Henry Palmer, had
been engaged to her for ten years but declined to name the day for the
nuptials. She bore this as long as she could and finally went to his place
of business armed with a revolver and accompanied by her brother. She then
demanded a fulfillment of his vows. He remained obstinate. She thereupon
fired at him, the ball penetrating his side and inflicting a painful but not
dangerous wound. Palmer was greatly scared and grew penitent, and to quiet
his remorse told her he was ready for marriage. A justice of the peace was
sent for and the ceremony performed. She is now nursing the invalid and
there are possibilities that the union will be happy. Still, all men are
not Palmers and all women are not such skillful or lucky shots as Miss
Petilliot proved to be. A life of single-blessedness spent in the
retirement of a cell or suddenly ended on the trapdoor of a scaffold would
be worse than a quiet endurance of disappointment.