Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-06-05
MURDER.
Awful Effects OF COnjusaI Tna-
delitJ.
An Injured Husband Brains the
Destroyer OF his Happiness,
with an Axe, while ne
Is Asleep.
a Talk with the Murderer.


Yesterday morning, about six O'Clock,
smother one of those siekening deeds of
blood which we are daily aud almost
| hourly called upon TO chronicle, took
place in our city. The daily and hourly
recurrence OF these hideous episodes in
every day life of Memphis has some
| what blunted our s~eusIbilities, and we
do not look upon them with that horror
which they should inspire; but ia this
case the murder was 40 cold biOOded and
deliberate, and the attendant circum-
stances so sensational in their character,
that it becomes n of more than ordi-
nary interest.
Alaborlng man, Woodworking, honest,
and hitherto Of blsmeless reputation,
John LlnDehan by name, who lives
on the Randolph road, about a
quarter Of q mile beyond Wolf
river, yesterday morning drove an
ak into the skull of Matt Dwyre,
killing him instantly, under the follow
ing circumstances, g detailed to US by
Llnnehsn, then a prisoner in Adams
street station. For convenience, we will
give the affair, near as possible, In his
" words;
81 married my wife about three years
ago, and lived very pleasantly with her
until about two months since, when this
man Dwyre came to board at my house.
She was q widow when / married her,
and had a son about twelve years old.
With this boy Dwyre generally slept, and
through him | learned of the first thing
that led me to suspect that there was
anything wrong between his mother and
Dwyre. About six weeks ago / went out
to Collierville to do q Job of ditehing, but
when / got there, found 1t was given to
some 4 else, and / returned to town
thatsame night. On gOisg into the house.
l saw Dwyre leave my wife's room. l
went in end accused her OF acting
wrong with him. She bitterly denied it,
and we had a quarrel, and from that
time on we had no peace in my own
house. Dwyre bossed everybody and
everything, and always went around
With a repeater, so that 1 was afraid of
my life.
"On Wednesday evening, I went to
the house with two friends of mine, aud
we had something to drink. On goings
into my Yife's room suddenly, found
Dwyre in there with her. and as soon as
he saw me he knocked me down
and kicked me out Of the room, calling
me q and saying he would kill me
yet. My friends made me go to bed, aud
yesterday morning when l awoke, I got
to thinking about Dwyre's treatment of
and l determined to kill him. 1 got
right up and went to the yard and got
the AKA common old wood ax-and
went first TO my wifeis room be was
not there, and then I went to her sons
room, where he generally slept.
Here l found him 10 bel with the
boy, both asleep; I walked up to the
bed and dealt him one blow with the
edge Of the AK, driving IL into and
splitting his skull open. He did not even
groan. Idrew the ak out, and stood by
him q minute to see if he would move
or speak, but finding him dead, 1 laid the
ak down, washed myself, put on a clean
shirt, and came down town to deliver
myself up to the police. The first one I
met l delivered myself to him. On the
road down / told q good many people
what / had done, The policeman
brought me here adams street station
and locked me up. That is slI-the
truth, and nothing but the truth. I
killed him-I am glad I did 1t, and
would do it again If I had the same
Linnehan is an IrishmsB, about forty
years old, small ia stature, with an hon.
est, Irish face. his wife, he informs Us,
is also Irish, and Of about the same 2
or perhaps a little older. Dwyre, the
murdered man was g Captain In the 18th
Tennessee regiment, @. 8. A, and is
represented as having been a very good