The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-12-21
THE LATEST WIFE MURDER.
Narrowing Particulars of the Ulste,
County Horrors.
From the n. 7. Herald.
L ~ v

KINGSTON, \. Y, Dec. IL, 1871.
In Ulster county, on Saturday evening
last, there was enacted another of those
horrible and tiendish murders for which
, that country has of late become noted. 4
murJer more sickening in its details has
seldom II ever found place in the annals
OF crime. Rock Locks, the scene of the
murder, Is situated on the Delaware and
hudson Canal, about seven miles fron
Kingston. The facts as cleaned by q
Herald reporter are as follows:
About two years ago Thomas Degan, a
young man, then about twenty-five years
OF age, married a young woman about
twenty years of age. \ short time after
their marriage he began course of brutal
treatment towards her whom he had few
months before sworn to love and protect.
He became dissipated in his habits and
daily grew more cruel in his treatment of
his wife. Night after night, as he would
come home from his drunken carousals, the
neIshbors would hear the cries and screams
| of his abused wife, and shudder as they
| heard the kicks and blows, loud and fast.
as they fell upon the defenceless woman.
On Saturday evening the last act in this
horrible drama was enacted. 1t appears
n.
in company with few friends, went TO
Rosendale, small village few miles dis
tant and there became somewhat intoxicat
ed, but yet not so much under the influence
of liquor as not to know what he was about.
After spending the day at Roscnlale, he
returned home at about six 0 clock in the
evening, and for once appeared quite socia-
Die and friendly toward his WIFE Present
ly she started for the well, about seventy
five yards distant for the purpose of obtain
ing water. Thomas soon followed. She,
seeing him approach, spoke kindly to him,
ana SAID: Iom, are you going to help NE
draw waite: lie replied, in an angry
voice, . Damn you | am going to take
your life and then seized her, and at
tempted to throw her in the we'll
She cried for help several times, and
Degan seeing wagon approaching, and,
fearful OF being detected, loosened his hold
at the same time giving fearful kick in
her side, CRUSHING in har ribs -----
Mrs. Mckinley and went up stairs where |
Mrs. Mckinley was, and said, " l am kill |
ed, guess Tom has killed me Please
send for docter." Mrs. Mckinley then |
seated the injured woman in a chair
and was about calling for help when she
heard the front door open and saw the |
brute Dcgan enter. lie at once went up
stairs, and, taking his dying wife from the
chain, r,attenlpted to put her on a red hot stove,
and, as he said: .'Roast her alive
In this he was frustrated by Mrs Nc
Kinley, who fought bravely to save Rose
Degan from so horrible death. Degan
having been foiled in his design, turned
upon Mrs. Mckinley giving her a
fearful blow; then seizing his wife,
he threw her with great force
into the corner of the room, and then
while she lay bleeding and insensiblc,
struck her several blows upon the head
and face with chair, inhicting ghastly
wounds. Not yet content he caught hold
of her feet, and while holding her in that
position, kicked her numerically in her
abdomen. began relaxing in his assault,
Rose rcganed her consciousness and m" H.
aged to crawl into a bedroom adjoining
and attempted to lock the door. Before
this could be accomplished, however, the
fiend forced the door, and again and again
struck and kicked his now senseless victim,
dragging her about the room by the hair in
fiendsh glee and saying, Now | have
| finished you,''
The two rosnls in which the horrible
tragedy was enacted presented the appear
ance of slaughter house. The floors, the
walls and even the ceilings were besmeared
with blood. The hair of the dead woman,
which bad been pulled out by the iendish
husband, was thick upon the floor, while
| the stairway leading to the rooms below
was reeking with blood, cnd the doors bore
the marks of bloody hands. i
Mrs. Mckinley, having by her screams
aroused the neighborhood, Degan left the
| house. A few minutes after the injured
woman was taken down stairs into the
apartments occupied by Owen Gallagher
and family, and everything possible done
| to relieve her suf1erings. DR.. Robinson
was at once summoned, who pronounced
/ her injuries fatal. About IL o'clock the
| same night Degan returned to the house
where his wife lay, and demanded admit
/ tance, which was denied him, his wife beg
/ ging that he should not be allowed to enter,
| saying that she knew he would kill her
| Degan then went away, but returned in
about ten minutes, and again demanded
admittance. Gallagher refused, telling
| him he would not allow him to see her till
morning, whereupon Degan said he would
come in if he had to force the door. He
commenced to carry his threat into execu-
ton by kicking in one of the panels, Gala
CHER, with ak in hand, stood guard at the
| door, determined to strike down the MUIR
derer should he attempt to enter. Mrs.
Gallagher warned him not to come in at
the peril of his life, and he finally with
drew, not wishing to face certain death, to
his own house. About three o'clock on
Sunday morning he was arrested while pre-
pairing for flight.
DEATH OF TIE VICTIM.
Mrs. Degan fingered through the night
in great agony, and died about eight 'clcck
Sunday morning, A coroner's jury was
at once summoned, and, after viewing the
body, which presented a sickening appear
ance the chest and ribs being broken in,
rendered verdict that Rose Degan came
to her death from injuries wilfully inflicted
by her husband, Thomas Degan. Where
upon the prisoner was committed to the
| Kingston jail to await the action Of the
Grand Jury.
Late News of the Military M0vo-
+. menfS in Cuba.