National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-01-24
THE BISHOP TRAGEDY IN ST. AL

! THE BISHOP TRAGEDY IN ST. AL
BANs.-Mrs. Bishop, the wife Of the
suicide and would be murderer, was
able to testify at the official investi-
CATION of the transaction by which
she 80 nearly lost her life; and her
evidence, reported by the Messenger
was as follows:
MRS. CATHERINE BISHOP-I am
wife of John Bishop, now deceased.
He has been troubled in mind since
Christmas. / think he was insane.
And to-day he was i'll liquor; he had
been drinking. He sat and watch
ed me all the time he was in the
house this morning. | think he was
Jealous OF me, or at least seemed so.
| He came home about II a. IN.
brought a bottle of liquor with him
drank twice or three times after he
came home. About noon, or little
after, he ran to the bureau drawer,
unlocked it and took out his revolv-
cr. | think my sister, who had been
in the room, had just gone ont. |
was standing beside the bed. He
fired twice at me, fell, and he i'm
mediately shot himself and fell
down. | did not move for moment
after fell. | then got up, went
down stairs, found my sister. All
Mr.. Wards family had gone ont.
ran over to Ralph Taylor'S, who
lives next door, for help. Ny hus-
band did not then or at any other
time threaten to shoot me or any
one else, nor did he while getting
his revolver say anything. lie had
always been kind, good and devoted
III every respect to me up to this
time.
Other testimony in the case was
offered as follows:
MRS. ANN WARD-John Bishop
, and his wife lived in the .rper
rooms ~ our house. / was in Bish-
ops rooms last night III company
with my husband. Did not see any.
, thing ont of the way in Bishop,
= He Just spoke to me as ! came up
stairs. His wife and sister in law,
Mary Jane Coonan, were there
, They were pleasant, and asked me
to come up again when left. This
. morning ! went up into Bishops
rooms. Bishop asked mc to come
; in; asked me TO sit down and pay
2 attention to his words. sat down.
5 He asked if when my husband came
e in to his meals he was in the habit
f. of taking off his boots. | told him
! he sometimes did. He does do SO
i sometimes when his feet are cold OF
= boots dirty. He said he thought he
a had heard him'come up stairs in his
stocking feet. Then Mrs. Bishop
y spoke and said bishop is jealous
J. of Your husband. | think | said
t ''why, Mr.. bishop, thought there
II was more man about you; anu not
= jealous of him" Told him | never
: thonght of such IA thing, and if
+ was going to die, would willingly
t swear he was no such a man.,
: About that time my husband came
/. into the room, and Mrs. Bishop sal,
r. to him; Mr., Ward, Bishop is jeal
f ous of you. My husband turnc,
C out of the rooW and went dow
II stairs. then went down and sool
n came up again, asked Bishop VIII,
r, he staid here if he was jealous of III,
IT husband. He said he was not goin;
II to. lie told me to leave the room
left and met my husband cominj
Il up the stairs, and told him to Q
z, back into the room below, and sta
,. there, forced him back into til
II bedroom below. | was afraid Bisl
z op would shoot my husband. III
u, Jumped through the bedroom vii
n dow, out doors. heard the repor
d of a pistol up stairs, was irightei
&c ed and ran over to Mr.. Taylor's io
help. Mrs. Bishop came over 500
r, after, and said Bishop had shot hin
le self, Mrs. Bishop was bleeding pr,
IN tusely.
te HENRY MARSH testified that u
+, met Bishop about half past ten
of the forenoon of the day of the Grim
as going into the Foundry Office. II
is. said he was going to get his revC
1t, yer. He always spoke well of h
IL wife to me, and seemed fond OF he
IA Never knew that there was az
ld trouble between them. He was
10. native of Bristol, Eng. and so am
His father and other members of Il
IS, family live in Bristol. Have see
en them frequently and know them
rs, be very respectable people.
be The Messenger adds:
lc- The facts VIII not sustain Il
on charitable surmisc of general me
'd, tai arrangement. Bishop was II
tat drunk-eye and hand were l.
'ly steady for that--but the fiery liqu
nd he had drunk, leading its madde
ch ing influences to the jealousy he b,
brooded upon and talked of duril
cid the morning, heightened the passi
lily till it was uncomfortable. His
nd termcnt was provided for by {
IS, town authorities. His widow it
nd thought will recover from her I'M
'cl. ries, to live out a blighted life.
M
be A new and green justice of (
for peace IN Kansas closed marryi
las his first couple with these wor,