Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-09-24
THE KILLING, OF GEN. MCOOK.
particulars as DetoiIed by an Eye witness.

Gov. J. A. Burbank, Of Dakota, Maj Ham
son, and Col, l.. b, Wilson, who accom-
panied the remains of the unfortunate
Gen. McCook to this city for interment.
From Majo Hanson, who witnessed most
of the tragic performance, we learned the
following interesting facts in regard to the
affair:
On Friday evening last, public meet
ing was held in the court house at Iank-
ton, on some railroad question that excited
the community Among those present at
the meeting was a banker named p. p.
Wintermut. During the meeting he left
the room and went into billiard -parlor
near by, where he met Gen. McCook.
Some words passed between them IN re-
gard TO the meeting, which raised hot
blood and abusive epithets on the part OF
Wintermut. The result was. Gen. McCook
punished his antagonist by knocking him
down.
After this scene, Wintermut went back
into the meeting, and it has since transpired
that he provided himself with pistol, and
threatened to shoot McCook before doing
so. He took seat some twenty feet from
the door, and was observed to look around
and watch the entrance at frequent inter-
walls. In the course of fifteen minutes Nc
Cook made his appearance at the door. AT
once Wintermut arose to his feet, pulled
revolver from his pocket, took few steps
towards him, and fred at him. McCook
Immediately rushed upon his assailant,
who fired a second shot when at close
range. The ball from this discharge pass
ed through the right shoulder, just above
the lung, severing an artery. Notwith-
standing this, McCook grappled with his
assassin, who fired two more shots, with
out effect, before the pistol could be taken
from him, which was finally done by Maj.
Hanson. In the struggle that ensued,
McCook succeeded in throwing his enemy
..,N IN ioh
have hurled him to instant death, but he
considerably drew him back and allowed
friends to separate them.
The plucky General by this time weak
ened rapidly, and was conveyed to his
room. The wound was examined by
physician, DR.. Burleigh, who at once saw
its fatal character. HIS patlentt inquired;
doctor, how is it with me ,"
81 am afraid, General, the shot will
prove fatal"
After but moments pause, the General
responded: "All right. If my time has
come, am ready to go. Ed. McCook dies
game"
From, this time, 10 o'clock, the wounded
man suffered much pain until l o'clock in
| the morning, when he sickened, and at
| tempted to vomit. The exertion created
| fresh hemorrhage from his wound, and
| from this time he sank slowly until
O'Clock, when he expired.
Almost the last words he uttered were,
never knowingly wronged man in my
| life. If could have died in battle, or in
some other way than at the hands of a
| miserable assassin, would die without u
| murmur."
There were present at his death his de-
voted wife and darling boy, his wife's
| mother and father, and several personal
| friends. 1t was trying scene, to see a
man who but few hours before was in
1 I'd fIn vim 81 CO otId
| denly pass away, and to think that after
! having gone through half hundred bat
| ties almost unscathed, he should fall in
such an ignominious encounter. Even
| the strongest men present wept and sobbed
! like children.-Cincinndti Times.
THE Corier-Journay, abiding to tn
death of Gen. McCook says:
The recent violent death of Gen. E. s..
McCook. Secretary of Dakotah Territory,
at the hands of Wintermute, banker of
! Yankton, with whom he had a personal
| rencounter few minutes before, recalls
the remarkable succession of violent deaths
| which have occurred in the numerous
| family. The elder McCook and one son
were killed by guerillas during the late
war; a second SOP was slain in battle, and
a third son is now added to the unfortu-
mates of family noted for their physical
strength and fighting qualities, who seem
| doomed not to die IN their beds. III is sell
dom that the bullet anticipates ordinary
diseases in so many instances in promi-
nent family. The McCooks were regarded
as among the best soldiers sent from Ohio.
To this may be added the death of anoth-
err brother, who was slain, when only six
teen years old in the first battle of Manas-
sas. Col. Dan. McCook was killed near
| Chickamauga.
The Graphic says of the failure of its
| Balloon
"The cause of the disaster is easily stat
| ed. The balloon was far toe large. The
managers of the enterprise, in building the
greatest balloon that had ever been con-
| structed, had attempted too much. At the
moment of the explosion the cloth of
which the globe was made, strong as il
undoubtedly was-and, in the words of Pro.
lessor Wise, on Wednesday last it was ''as
| strong as leather''-was straining under
the pressure of the lifting power of nearly
| 300, 900 cubic feet of gas. 1t is now evident
that no balloon, silk or cotton, could be re-
lied upon to Withstand this tremendous
! strain"