Alonzo Tappin
Penny Press, Saturday, 24 December 1859, page 3
NEWPORT
About seven o'clock yesterday evening, a man named Alonzo Tappin,
who resides in Newport, and is a pilot on the steamboat Alma, went to a bagnio
on Lodge-street, kept by a woman named Matilda Noble, with whom he had an
engagement to go sleighing. He had no vehicle and was intoxicated. The woman was
in her room when he entered and drawing a revolver, he said he intended to shoot
her lover.
She replied that it would be difficult to do since she did not happen to have one. She was alarmed at his appearance and fearful that he intended her bodily harm. A young girl, named Clara Thompson, entered the room and was informed by Matilda, that Alon was going to shoot her. She kicked the pistol, he pointed towards Clara and fired in her right side. She fell to the floor and then rushed down the stairs followed by Matilda, during which time Toppin left the house and made his escape.
A physician was summoned but failed to find the ball. The injury is a severe one and as the internal hemorrhage was very great, it is not probably the girl will recover.