On January 17, 1877, the couple registered as husband and wife at the Capitol Hotel in Marshall, Texas, about 18 miles south of Jefferson. After two days, they traveled to Jefferson by train. Jefferson was, at this time, one of the largest and busiest river ports west of the Mississippi River. The exact nature of Rothschild's business in Jefferson is not known, nor at what point his plan to murder Bessie might have been hatched. The couple registered at the Brooks House in Jefferson as "A. Munroe and wife". Their fine clothes and, of course, Bessie's diamonds, made an immediate impression on the townsfolk. Rothschild is said to have first addressed his "wife" as Bessie during this trip, and the locals adapted this into "Diamond Bessie". On the morning of January 21, Rothschild bought a picnic lunch from Henrique's Restaurant, and the couple crossed the bridge at Cypress Bayou, walking away from town along the Marshall road. The last person to see them together was Frank Malloy, who noticed them in the restaurant before 11:00 am; Malloy took special note of Bessie's massive diamond rings. About three hours later, Rothschild was seen crossing the bridge back into Jefferson alone. When questioned about his wife's whereabouts at the Brooks House, Rothschild claimed she had stayed across the Bayou to visit friends. The following morning, he took breakfast alone at the hotel, where he was seen wearing Bessie's rings. On the morning of Tuesday, January 23, he boarded a train to Cincinnati with his and Bessie's luggage. Bessie's body was discovered in the woods along the Marshall road on the afternoon of February 5 by Sarah King, an African American woman out collecting firewood. The victim had been shot in the head. The remnants of a picnic lunch were still scattered about. The body was fully clothed, and had no jewelry. The townsfolk held a collection and raised $150 to pay for Bessie's burial. In Cincinnati, Rothschild began drinking more heavily and was reportedly becoming quite paranoid, believing himself to be followed everywhere. He tried to shoot himself outside a saloon in late February, but only succeeded in putting out his right eye. After a few days in the hospital, he was arrested and jailed, awaiting extradition to Texas for the murder of "Diamond Bessie Moore". With Rothschild's real identity known, the case quickly became a "cause celebre". The public fascination with the murder of a beautiful young woman at the hands of a wealthy scion of society held a lurid appeal comparable to the contemporary murder trials of O.J. Simpson or the Menendez Brothers.