The
Paris Morning News
Paris, Texas
Saturday, June 10, 1916
pg 1
Sherman Business Man Has Eyes Burned Out; Wife
Pours Lye on Him
Sherman,
Texas June 9 - Dr. H. L. Brown,
physician in attendance on
Gathright, stated this afternoon that
Gathright is in a critical
condition and is rapidly growing weaker, with
little chance of recovery.
-----------------------
Sherman, Texas, June 9 - L. P. Gathright, a
business man of this city,
is in a Sherman Hospital in a serious
condition, both of his eyes having
been put out with hot concentrated lye this
morning at 3:30 o'clock.
He was also seriously burned on other parts of
his body, while asleep at his home, 813 West
Pecan street.
His wife, Mrs. L. P. Gathright, made the
following statement to Sheriff
Lee Simmons and Deputy Sheriff Arthur Omay,
who were among the first on
the scene:
"I poured hot concentrated lye on my husband.
I did not want to kill
him but I wanted to put his eyes out and spoil
his handsome face, and
fix him so he would not be attractive to other
women."
Dr. H. L. Brown, who attended Gathright, says
that he will in all probability lose the sight
of both eyes.
Pleads for Wife
Gathright asked the Sheriff not to molest his
wife, saying:
"I have not done right, and while I do not
believe I am as bad as she
thinks I am, if I die I hope that she will not
be bothered. I hope she
will not even be arrested."
L. P. Gathright is a restaurant owner here,
and seemed to be prosperous. He has had a
varied business career.
Recently, he returned from Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, where he served a
short term in the penitentiary for passing
counterfeit money.
His wife said this morning: "I was mistreated
before Mr. Gathright was
sent to Fort Leavenworth, and when he
returned he told me that he
would reform and take care of me and make me
happy, and for a while it
seemed he would do it, but other women have
come into his life, and I
stood it as long as I could."
Mr. and Mrs. Gathright have two grown sons and
several smaller children.
Gathright is about 45 years of age, and was a
very handsome man. His face, head and chest
were badly burned by the lye.
The
Waxahachie Daily Light
Waxahachie, Texas
Monday, November 6, 1916
pg 1
WOMAN SCALDED HUSBAND TO DEATH WITH
LYE; ACQUITTED
Sherman,
Texas, Nov. 6 - Mrs. Minnie Gathright, charged
with scalding her
husband, L. P. Gathright, to death with
concentrated lye on June 9, was
acquitted in the district court here today.
The Whitewright Sun
Whitewright, Texas
Friday, November 10, 1916
pg 6
Mrs. Gathright Acquitted
Sherman, Texas, Nov. 6 - Mrs. Minnie Gathright,
who was charged with
having scalded her husband, L. P. Gathright,
with concentrated lye
while he slept at their home here early in the
morning of June 9, 1916,
from the effects of which he died, was tried in
the Fifteenth District
Court today and was given her liberty on an
instructed verdict of
acquittal.
The instruction was given by Judge W. M. Peck on
recommendation of
County Attorney Ben F. Gafford, who stated that
the evidence would not
convict the defendant.
Mrs. Gathright, who has been out on a $5,000
bond since the killing,
never employed an attorney in the case and was
not represented by one
this morning.