Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-10-02
ATTEMPTED RURDER or an ACCIDENT?
A HUSBAND SHGOTs HIS WIFE.
The Pal, Passes Trough Her Body
sud That Of Her Unborn Babe.
Conflicting Statements as TO the AZ
fair.


4 terrible tragedy was enacted at the corner
q 81 and - streets northwest yesterday after
rrou utcUt . o'clock, at which hour work men
on tie streets in that neighbOrhoOd heard the
r,VcT- Of = pistol fred in or near the house of
Malachi Gately. who keeps a store on the cor
nor. II was soOr ascertained that the wife of
tattly lad been shot by her husband who
Greedy altar the deed, had closed the store
door aHG made his escape. Drs. Mccoy, Krause
AMI } .shlr were summoned and soon appeared.
Tlcy found the woman suffering terribly. The
lat Lad entered the light side of the abdomen
ard, crossing in y downward course, lodged in
tie itit Etoin. The hemorIhage was entirely
internal. and after a fruitless labor of half an
hour the physicians were compelled to desist
nom probing Tor the ball, on account OF the
N'ahi,s- % tie patient. The physicians pro-
T'Itced the wound fatal, and Rev. Father
Earl'a. OF 81. Peters church, arrived and adj
l"luisteTtd the last rites of the Catholic church
." the sutitriUg woman. Lieut.. Austin sent
OffCCT c. ". BlantUId to take charge of the
premises. ~ promptly possible full de-
SCTlItuu az the escaped man and a statement
OF his crime were telcgI aphed to headquarters.
and soon thereafter the police in all the pre-
cinc's we're instructed to keep sharp lookout
for him.
sTArENETT OF , NEIGHBOR OF THE GATELT's.
Ms. Lucy Jones, u young cOiOred woman,
vi o lives 81 No. sD5 L street, the yard of which
aoio.Hs that o. Gateiy, appears to have been tie
only witness. She says thag she had lived there
Tor some time, and that Mr.. G.. was in the habit
OF getting drink frequently and abusing his
wife. Yesterday afternoon. between $50 and
% Na.tn -ill htfl ttNlITElluL OGtW MT.
Mrs GaiC'Y, and at once ran to the fence ami
locked over. At the time Gately was standing
in Lis shirt sleeves In the ward. about ten feet
from the bach door, and Mrs. G.. was in the
door. Just as Mrs. Jones reached the fence she
heard tie reports OF pistol held in the hand of
the nan. At the time he was directly facing
his wife, aud after the second shot was fired the
wife screamed. Sodid Mrs. Jones, aud she then
ran 70 the door and cried out to the men on the
street that MIR. G.. lad killed his wife. She then
entered the yaTd in time to see him lock the
n n al "a FruA
way through am adjoining yard to the alley.
She at once turned to render such assistance as
was possible 70 the wounded woman, who had
sunk on q chair near the door. Some other
neiEhhors soon arrived, and the physicians were
sent for.
MRS. GATELY's STATEMENT.
Mrs. Gately stated that her husband had been
sick, and for some time had been taking medi-
cine, and 80 far from ever thinking that lie
would do anything Of that kind Intentionally,
he would befTiend her against any one. She
had said yesterday afternoon that they might as
vel Kill a chicken OF duck for dinner, when
he p'ayfully remarked, ON see if can't kill
one with a pistol" She thought no more Of it
until, walking toward the back door of the
house, to 90 out int the summer kitchen, he,
standing IL the yard. discharged pistol ward
the door, as she supposed. at one of the chick
ems, which usually fed around there. He seemed
to perceive that She was burt, and she told him
she believed she was slOs. when he Immediately
said: en- throw this thing away" and suiting
the action TO the word, threw the pistol into an
adjoining lot He Gidn't intend to kill her she
knew.
MEETING OF HUSBAND AND WIFE AFTER THE
SHOOTING.
Nothing was heard from Gately until about
seven O'Clock last eveniu <, when ne entered the
wept bitterly, and asked that he be allowed 70
see his wife. The request was complied with,
and the meeting took place, and was most at
f6cting. Both cried bitterly, the wife showing
the most feeling. asserting that the act was done
accidentally, that her husband was not to blame
ami begging piteogsly that he be not arrested,
but allow ed 10 remain with her.
CATELH'S STATEMENT.
To Father Eabbia, assistant pastor or st.
Peters church, Gateiy stated that the shooting
was purely accidental, and that in the excite
ment he had thrown the pistol against the wall
OF the al joining house and fed. To other per
sons he said that lac had been shooting chickens,
and that his wife happened in the way Just as he
fired a shot, and it struck her. He expressed the
deepest regret for the occurrence, and prayed
that il might not prove fatal. He was then
taken to the eighth precinct station and locked
up.
THE WEAPON AND THE WITNESS.
Detective hcElfrcsh arrived shortly after
wards. After close look, with the aid of
lights. the pistol was found under huge to-
matO vine, about the middle of the yard. The
weapon is an Allen seven-shOoter, pocket size
only two chambers of which had been dis
charged, and they showed evidence OF recent
use. Mr.. McEelfresh then had talk with Lucy
Jones, the principal witness, and In view of the
importance of her statements concluded that.
as she vas the only witness of the event, to place
her under arrest as "A witness, and she was taken
by an officer TO the station house.
SHOCKING FEATURE OF THE AFFAIR.
DT.krause, who has been the family PHI ysician
for some time, called in the evening and made
Q careful examination. He states that the
man i eEcisHte, and that he Is satisfied from the
SYMPTOMS as stated by the patient ulat the ball
in its passage passed through aud killed The I'M
born babe, and that the mother could not posi-
bly, survive. The hCmCrrhage Is entirely inter-
nal, and the ball could net be found.
GATELY AND HIS WIPE
have been married about ten years and have
four children, three girls and one boy. He il
about fOrty-fve years of age, and possessed OF
considerable property. He has been engaged
in the grocery and liquor business for some
time, and was looked upon by his neighbOrs as a
quarTelsOmc man, who, when under the i1tiu-
ence OF liquor, was dangerous. Some OF them
state that it is no uncOmu u occurrence for
him to quarrel with and begtt US wife, and that
on previous occasion he drew pistol TO shoot
her. The wife is a woman of about thirty wears
of age, spoken Of by all who knew her as
amiatie and haTd-wOeking. Up to a late hour
she insisted that the shooting was accidental
and asked that her husband be released and
allowed 10 return TO her.
IN THE POLICE COURT THIS MORNING
Gately was charged with assault and battery
with intent TO XII his wife. Mr.. Gloss stated u
ne court that the sifa was unable to appear,
by reason Of the severity o. her wounds, and I'm
al probability would never be able. He asked
that the prisoner be committed to answer the
results Of her injuries, aud that julia Jones,
witness, be placed under $1,000 bonds; 50
ordered.
WASHINGTON CITY IN 1S13.-The correspond
ence OF Sir George jackson, a British diplomat
v 10 fCurshCd at the beginning of this century,
has been published in London. Among the
letters are several from Francis Jackson, Brit