He was James H Shockley who was born in 1822 in Maryland. He was a Civil War Veteran who joined the cause when he was 38 years old under Capt. John Frazier Jr.
Her mother was Gertrude Jane Perdue born 1833 in Worcester, MD and died in 1887. Her family came to Maryland from France in the later part of the 1600's.
Mary had a few siblings,
Elijah Calvin born in Nov of 1857
Charles Lee born Feb 1864
Cra born abt 1867
All born in Maryland.
On a March 9th, 1873 , Mary was walking in the schoolyard where she was a pupil with several other children when George W Hall a 19-year-old boy son of Phillip W Hall. Who was in love with her and kept writing her letters of his affections. He approached her and asked her if she was going to answer his letters he had given her. She refused to, she did not have the same feelings for him he had for her.
He threatens her and she said, " Pshaw, George Hall, You can't frighten me!"
He asked the little girl by Mary's side to move and he shot Mary in the heart.
Mary's brother Elijah was there and ran for Isaac S Adams the Schoolmaster.
He ran to her and held her and tried to get her to say something but she died in his arms.
George ran off and was killed by a train later that night. Most likely a suicide.
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| 1873 mourning garb Marys mother and sister would of worn |
Helena Weekly Herald (MT), 13 March 1873
Shocking Affair
Salisbury, Md., March 8--On Friday, George Hall, 18 years of age, shot dead Amelia Shockey, 14 years old, while she was returning from school. Hall had courted Amelia and written her a letter, which was unanswered, because, as she stated, she had no time. Both are of respectable connection.
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Chrisfield, Md. March 8--A freight train tonight ran over and killed a man supposed to be the murderer of the girl, Amelia Shockley, yesterday, near Salisbury.
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Salisbury, Md., March 9--The funeral of Miss Shockley, the victim of the murder on Friday last, took place this morning. About 1,000 people attended. The coroner's jury rendered a verdict that she came to her death at the hands of George W. Hall.
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Salisbury, Md., March 10--The body of the man who threw himself under a freight train on Saturday evening last, has been identified as George W. Hall, the murderer of Miss Shockley.
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Complete story in The Herald and Torchlight, Hagerstown, MT, newspaper, 19 March 1873.
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| 1873 Map Of Worchester County Maryland A 1850 census shows a Jeremiah Hall living with the Shockely, most likely a relative of George Hall's |
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