Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-06-22
=
The McGREGOR MURDER /!
Seduction of Soldiers Wife, and In
human Bntohery of Herself
and three Children.
BODIES FOUND and IDENTIFIED 4!
From he Dubuque Herald. june IL.

From r-he Dubuque Herald June 10.
McGregor is intensely excited yer
what seems beyon doubt TO be case
of the most deliberate, cold blooded,
tiendish murders in the annals of
crime; the murder of a beautiful. in
telllgeDt married woman, about thir-
~ tive years of age. TO cover up tie
consequences of illicit love, after his
ingenious and long continued ape
proaches and eliminated in seduction,
and the murder of her entire family
"a young lady of fifteen, boy of
twelve, and boy of nine-to pre-
vent them from being witnesses
against him for the murder of their
mother.
TIE HAGGARTY FAMILY,
originally, as the name indicates,
from ireland, had for some time be-
fore the war been residents of Girard
township, John Haggarty, the hus>
band and father, before the war kept
saloon at Bulls Head" six and q
half miles west from McGregor.-
When the war broke out, he enlisted.
leaving his wife to carry on the sa-
loon. She, Maria Haggarty is re-
presented as being bright, intelIi-
gent woman, of engaging manners,
black or very nearly black hair and
eyes, and slightly below the medium
size. Her three children, ANA, Jer>
ry, and John, were bright and pretty
| children.
THE THOMPSON FAMILY,
Consisting of Andrew Thompson, his
wife, and eight children, are of
| Scotch descent. The father of An,
drew, and the Thompson family gen.
orally, are we'll spoken of; honest,
industrious, well>behaved citizens
Andrew has been rather hard case,
but nothing criminal has been laid to
his charge until quite recently. He
lives about twelve miles west of Nc
Gregor; nearly six miles beyond
"Bull's Head" on the direct road
from his own farm to McGregor.--
Andrew was always a Moderate
patron of Haggarty's saloon; and
that patronage he did not withdraw
when Haggarty went to war, leaving
the saloon in the hands of his wife.
When Haggartys term of enlistment
was ended, he came home to find
UNPLEASANT RUMoRs
In circulation. connecting his wifes
name with that OF Andrew Thomp,
son. Some sort of reconciliation
appears to have effected, Temperate
~ but Andrews Mormon tenden~
cies and Marias teebleness Of pur-
pose led TO renewed suspicious and
quarrels, aad at last John Haggarty'
leaving his wife with the children
and property, went to he gold re-
gions some say with the int ion
OF returning when he had ma lie his
pile, some say to leave his family foro
ever. One thing is certain: if the
intimacy between his wife and AM
drew Thompson was not renewed
before he left, it was shortly aiter-
wards, and continued while she lived
Last summer it became evident
that Mrs. Haggarty was enciente
which, in connection with the fact
that her husband had been absent
| for about three years, was regarded
| by some of her curious neighbOrs as
rejecting upon her reputation for
chastity. Before this, however, she
had borrowed money of Thompson,
to support herself and family; and
Thompson, IS her agent, had sold her
little place, including the saloon, and
retained in his possession not only
money enough to cancel her indebted
ness to him, but some four hundred
dollars besides and she removed to
Monona township, on his farm, oc-
cupying a little building within few
rods of his residence-which was
very convenient. But it soon became
very embarrassing, as may we'll be
comprehended and on the 9Th of
December last, Mr.. Thompson came
to McGregor. hired small tenement,
paid months rent in advance,
bought some furniture, and Mrs.
Haggarty moved in-assuming the
name of Mrs. Devins, or Divins. She
made, however, but
SHORT STAY IN M'GREGoR,
For the next day she returned the
furniture, wagon and team was
seen to come in from the country,
her trunks and goods were loaded
into the wagon, and the premises
vacated, about dark. The man who
bad supervision of the team and the
loading was not Andrew Thompson
when asked by a neighbours boy if
that was his team, be said, no he
was only hired to attend it that day.
This infringes little upon the
domain of facts not yet sworn to III
the investigation now in progress
but so tho story goes. Certain it is,
about dark the team, with the goods,
the woman and the three children,
drove away, and were
NEVER SEEN AGAIN ALIVE.
The prevailing and natural sup>
position was, that Mrs. Haggarty
had discovered she could not remain
lnc0gnltO so near her former home,
aud had betaken herself to some
distant place. where she would be
beyond all probability of recognition,
aud thus hide her shame. But this
spring. shortly after the breaking up
OF the ice, Prairie du CHEN fisher
man hauled up feather bed, q shawl,
some ladies shoes, and other goods
recognized by old acquaintance as
the property Of Mrs. Haggarty.-
Aud May 20, John Corners, Of Nc
Gregor, fishing with seine in a
small slough mile above Prairie du