Cliffside Man Kills Wife And Shoots Self

Mrs. George Tate Instantly Killed Thursday Noon by Mentally Deficient Husband.

From the Forest City Courier, Nov. 6, 1930

Cliffside, Nov. 3—Mrs. George Tate, aged 37, was instantly killed Thursday when she was shot twice with a pistol, by her husband. The shooting occurred when Tate met his wife on the bridge over Second broad river, near the Cliffside Mills, while she was on her way to lunch after a morning’s work in the mill, Where she was employed. Upon meeting her Tate pulled out a pistol and shot her twice, death resulting instantly. A few minutes later he shot himself five times, and is now “in the Rutherford hospital struggling for his life.

After shooting his wife, Tate went to his home and exchanged a number of shots with Constable Cobb, of Cliffside, and then turned the weapon on himself, shooting himself five times. After attempting to commit suicide, he was rushed to the Rutherford hospital, where at latest reports he is resting very well and has a fifty-fifty chance to recover.

Tate, from his bed in the hospital made the statement that he killed his wife because she refused to live with him following former domestic trouble. He said he had recently asked her to return to him, but each time she refused. It is reported that Mrs. Tate had her husband arrested about three weeks ago on account of alleged mental trouble. The county health officer had permitted him to be released, thinking it would be safe for him to be at large. He was to remain away from his family, and it was thought he was preparing to go to Florida. It was said that spent a term in the State Hospital in Morganton several years ago.

George Tate is about forty years old, and is the father of seven children.

Funeral services were held for Mr. Tate at the Baptist church here Sunday afternoon at 1:00 o’clock with Rev. J.A. Hunnicutt, pastor, in charge.

Sally Rebecca Morris Tate was born March 2, 1893 and died October 30, 1930. She was married to Mr. George Tate September 24, 1913 and to this union was born seven children, two girls and five boys: Clyde, Ruth, Paul, Yates, Billie, Robert and Junior. In addition to the children and Mr. Tate she is survived by three brothers, Eugene Morris of Texas, Bob Morris, Montana, Wade Morris of Virginia, and three sisters, Mrs. J. H. Bailey, Gaffney, S. C., Mrs. Rosa Lail of Richmond, Va., Mrs. G. G. Hendley of West Virginia.

When a child Mrs. Tate was left an orphan, and being ambitious for an education, she continued her studies at Asheville Normal. She united with the church at the age of fourteen at Gaffney, S. C. For several years she has made her home at Cliffside where she won for herself a number of warm friends who also mourn her passing.

About one thousand attended the funeral service Sunday afternoon and after the service the body was laid to rest in the local cemetery where the grave was covered with a profusion of beautiful floral offerings.

While Mrs. Tate’s brothers and sisters were unable to attend the funeral because of the distance, Mr. Tate’s brothers and sisters with their families attended in a body, with the seven children of Mrs. Tate.

The pall bearers were Messrs. J. B. Guffey, Howard Guffey, J. F. Atkinson, C. L. Rhymer, G. A. Dula, Boyce Bridges, R. A. McDaniel and Charles Lavender. The large floral offering was borne by the following young ladies: Misses Esther and Ruth Allison, Gladys and Effie Winn, Jessie Jackson, and Maggie Rhymer.

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Courier. Copyright owned by The Daily Courier.