Catherine Merkle Stalked Her Ex & Burned Away His Eye With Acid – Ohio 1892

FULL TEXT: Akron, Ohio, March 1. – Four years ago William Belke, aged nineteen, yielded to the smiles of Mrs. Catherine Merkle, aged sixty, who seemed to be perfectly infatuated with him, left the home of his parents for her home, and there the two lived as husband and wife. This continued until six weeks ago, when the woman’s insane jealousy became more than the boy could stand, and he left her. she vowed vengeance.

Belke works nights at the factory of the Diamond Match Company. He started for his home south of the city at 4 o’clock this morning. He was about entering his yard when a woman, whom he recognized as Mrs. Merkle, sprang from a corner of the fence, and with the words “I’ve got you now, take that,” threw a bottle of vitriol in his face.

Crazed with pain, the young man finally succeeded in getting into the house. He presented a pitiable spectacle. His left eye was entirely gone, and almost the entire left side of his face had been eaten away, the burns extending to his shoulder. The woman escaped.

[“Mrs. Merkle Threw Vitriol In The Face Of Her Faithless Lover. – Mrs. Merkle Threw Vitriol In The Face Of Her Faithless Lover.” New York Times (N.Y.), Mar. 2, 1892, p. ?]

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SEE: “Acid Queens: Women Who Throw Acid” for a collection of synopses of similar cases.

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