New Albany Ledger  Dec. 9. 1868

Troy Times   December 17, 1868

Scott S. Moore, Jr.

Tragic Death of a Young Man - He Sends Insulting Notes to a Married Woman, and She Shoots Him Dead - {From the New Albany Ledger Dec. 9} - Yesterday morning, Mrs. Melissa Mortin, who boards at Mrs. Thomas' house, on Water street, near Third, was seen coming out of the Post Office with a letter in her hand. She was seen reading it by one of the officers of the police. A short time after, she went into the dry goods store of Mr. S. S. Moore, Sr., and engaged in conversation with his son, Scott S. Moore, Jr., a clerk in the establishment. The clerks noticed Mrs. Morton and Mr. Moore in earnest conversation, but, they were talking in an under tone, and only now and then could they hear a word of the conversation. John W. Moore, Esq., brother of the deceased, was in the store at the time and noticing that the talk between his brother and Mrs. M. was very earnest, called Scott to one side, and asked him if he was in any trouble with a woman, if so to let him know, and he would assist him out of it. Scott replied that nothing was the matter, and resumed the conversation, with Mrs. M. Soon after that Mrs. M. left the store, going up Main Street, and immediately afterward John said to Scott, "Come on Scott, let us go to dinner. They went up to Upper Third Street, when Scott turned to the right, going toward the river by that street. John called to him to come and go home, but Scott, threw his head over his shoulder and laughed at him. He (Scott Moore) joined Mrs. Morton on the south west corner of Third and Main and both walked together. The conversation between them is not known, except as Mrs. Morton states it, and the motive for meeting at Mrs. Huff's is only a matter of conjecture. To her house, it seems, he went, and in a few moments she joined him in the parlor, where they were alone. What took place there is not known, only as Mrs. Morton  states it. After remaining there together for a short time, Mr. Moore opened the door and stepped into the room in the rear, where Mrs. Huff was sitting. As he took one step into the room he said, "Mrs. Huff," and immediately fell. Mrs. Morton firing at that moment, and preventing his finishing the sentence. Mrs. Huff testified at the inquest that she saw at the moment she fired, standing in the front room, and that after the shot was fired Mrs. Morton stepped to the doorway and looked at the body, and turning about walking out of the house. Moore was almost instantly killed, the ball entering the left side of the neck, two inches below the ear, savoring the artery, and passing through the jugular vein, lodged under the skin of the lower jaw bone. Mrs. Morton went into her boarding house, next door, and, it seems gave a pistol, a Smith & Wesson seven shooter, to Mrs. Thomas who gave it over to officer Lansford. The officer found six of the chambers charge, and the seventh empty. Mrs. Thomas testifies that she had seen and read two letters sent Mrs. Morton and signed with the name of Scott Moore, but she did not know what became of them.. Mrs. Huff testified that Moore had never visited her home before, and that she did not have, other than a store acquaintance with him. This is about all the evidence in the case, except the statement by Mrs. Morton to Officer Lansford, as follows: Since Thursday last I have received several drop letters through the post office, signed Scott Moore, of an insulting character. I got one yesterday morning, and went to the store and asked Moore if he had written the letters, and he said he did. I demanded a written apology, and he said he had one written, and would give it to me provided I would return the letters I had in my possession, and promise never to tell my husband. This I refused to do. Moore told me that he had often tried to attract my attention, but I would not recognize it. I had no acquaintance with him before that time!! When I left the store, after noon, Moore went with me and on the why proposed if I would, meet him at Mrs. Huff's that he would give me the written apology. He went there ahead of me, and we were in the front room alone. I again demanded the apology and he asked me if I had burned his letters. I made no reply. I took some letters from my pocket, and he made an offer to get them away from me. He said he would see Mrs. Huff, and as he opened the door I shot.

Officer Lansford testified in addition to the conversation above related, that he had searched the house of Mrs. Thomas, and could not find any letters claimed to have been written by Moore. He also said that he told Mrs. Morton she had better preserve the letters, and requested her to give them to him for safe keeping. She pulled out of her pocket several letters which she said were from Moore, but when she examined them they proved to be from her husband, who is absent. Mrs. Morton was arrested shortly after the occurrence and taken before Mayor Hart, who admitted her to bail in the sum of $2,500 to answer at 6 o'clock this morning any charge that might be preferred by the Coroner's jury. This morning, however, an affidavit charging the defendant with murder in the first degree was filed, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Mrs. Morton is a woman of medium stature, and of prepossessing appearance. She is the mother of three children, the youngest of which is not over sixteen months old. Her husband, John Morton, has been absent from the city about ten weeks, and is reported to be at work upon the mill machinery of Mr. John O. A. Smith, formerly of this city, at Red Summit, Missouri, this side of Kansas City. Mr. Moore was a young man of a highly respectable family and had hosts of friends who will lament the sad affair which resulted in his death.