The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-04-15
From the Chicago Republican of Wednesday
A FRIGHTFUL CRIME.

deped Womes-The Child Drowned
i'm n Barrel Of wnter-Atten,pted
M.rder Of Tive Other Chi Idren.
Great excitement was created among
the residents of the Southern part of
the city yesterday afternoon by tho
murder of a little girl, coupled with an
attempted murder Oftwo other children,
by o woman named Mary Branagan.
The facts Of the case are substantial
ly these: .s
The murtleress was arrested about
four or five weeks since for cohabiting
with negro, and since that event her
neighbors, very naturally, have enter
tanned no very high regard for her.
This contempt, occasiOned by her init
macy with the negro, seems to have
nettled her greatly, and frequently has
she taken opportunities offered to
avenge herself upon l,ei neighbors by
sundry acts of violepce toward them
tearing down their fences, splitting in
their faces, and using fearful lam
guage in addressing them. Many
of the more peacably inclined
really feared the ferociOus woman
and few would dare to venture near her
house, knowing full well that should
they do so, they could not but suffer
for their daring.
This sort of thing continued and
waxed more spirited as the time ad-
vanced-the woman, Branagan seeming,
rs resistance met her attacks, to in
crease in violence and ferOcity.
Yesterday afternoon, shsrtly before
5 o'clock, the story of d fearful murder
was circulated about, and, as the muir
deress, the name of Mary Branagan
passed from mouth to mouth. The pO-
lice at the Twenty-secend street Station
were notified that the child of Michael
Kavanagh, next-door neighbor to
Mary Branagan, who resides at No. 119
Twenty-frst street, had mysteriously
disappeared, and was last seen in tho
vicinity of the house, engaged in play
with several other children. A descent
was Immediately made on the resi-
dence of the woman, and after
great difficulty the inmate was captured
and taken to the station. 1t appears
that the little girl, who was only four
or FIVE years of age, had ventured to
return answers tn the angry threats OF
the woman, Branagan, who, standing In
the doorway, said to the children that
if they din't move away she would
"send them to h-ll." Enraged at the
evident spirit evinced by the child, the
woman dashed down the steps, and,
grasping her by the neck, pushed her
into the house and through the hall
way into the backyard, where she
mercilessly threw her into barrel of
water. After holding the poor little
creature in the water for about ten min
utes, the female fiend closed the barrel,
doubtless with the intention of par
TALLY covering up her astrociOus crime.
A few minutes afterward little Siri,
not much older than the one so shock
ingly murdered, daughter of Patrick
Pigeon, residing at No. lS3 Twenty-frst
street, between Burnside and State
streets, was taken into the house by
Branagan. After shaking her i'll such
manner that she could not scream for
aid, the woman took the child to privy
in the rear of the house, and threw Rr
down into the vault.
The thirst for vengeance was now
fully aroused in the demoniac being, and
to Guench it Heaven and Hades would
not have sufficed if placed n her dispo-
sal
Leaving her house after disposing of
the second child, the woman met on the
sidewalk another little child, daugh-
ter of Patrick OBrien, a saloon keeper
near by, and tried to coax her to accom-
pany hel home by Offering her candy
and toys. The little one, knowing well
the terrible character of the woman,
shrank from her instinctively, and,
fortunately, the last effort of the muir
deress to add to the number another
victim failed.
Returning to the scene of her bloody
work, the woman proceeded at once TO
close aud securely bar the doors and
windows of the house, in order to bet
ter defend herself against the attacks
of The police, which of course, she soon
expected and looked upon as inevitable.
These precautions, however, proved
of little avail, for, even though she was
armed with huge bayonet, and numer-
Gus pots and tea-kettles with which to
defond herself, the police soon managed
TO effect an er trance into her house and
arrest and securely bind her.
During the time the detachment OF
police were eudeavOring to enter the
house, the little girl who was thrown
down the privy had, by repeated efforts,
escaped from her loathesome prison.
The murderess was firmly shackled
and lodged in safe quarters, wherein she
will be kept until some time to-day,
when she will have preliminary ex-
animation mt the Police Court,
The body of the little girl who was
thrust into the barrel was taken out and
presented a fearful sight. About its
neck were huge black marks, den"ting
severe choking, and its body was Ii uch
bruised, the flesh in maly portions be
ing lascerated. An inquest will be held
over its remains to-day.
The perpetrator of this bloody work
is aged not moro than thirty-tiye years,
is not repulsive in personal appearance
by any means, but has already been
known rs slovenly hag. Her husband
is still living, and it is stated that she
has several children.
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