, 1874-06-10

Particulars of tho Murder and Suicide
+: at loffersonvi[e.
Miscellaneous Criminal Record.

a "U UUctACFHVbFAAA1'k 1'kFltEGHy-sehhu HEGS
/ Dernl0tt Shoots 1lsH Wifi and CfttitI,
nMd pt1ts n ISullot Through His own
Hrntu.
T From Tic LoWisrine CoHrftr-joHrndI,J Jnne7.
About lalf-paRt 0 o'clock last evening, John
MuDormott, a woll-knowu IrisIman In Jefror-
aonviite, who l,aB for .tho last five or six years
kept q family grocery and drinking houso OIL
Prison Hill, shot bis wife and child, and thon
blow his own brains ont.
For tho last fow years NIoDcrmott mud Ills wlfo
q,lont and violent q,arrola; ending in iigl,H.
hlcDermott at times is Batd to llnvo bcaton his
vito numerically. Aftor these Hoenes Mrs.
1loDernott would 1eave llor husband and i.enlain
away for Several vooks, but amicahlo rolations
home; tilon, for q tllno, they would live peaco-
ably together, until another rupture would occur.
Thoy both drank, an neArly nil their quarrcls
wcro tho dfroct consequences Of liquor. somo-
applied for d divorce from her htsbRud on tho
ground Of cruel troatmollt, but: before tho case
came into court ahe withdrew the suit Tho
severe whipping, mud she lort lin, and again In
stituted SUIT for divorce. Since then, k1cDor-
mott has boon drinking hard, and was apparent
ly In much trouble about tho suit. The
ea,t t., was s,. to be trio! triod ne1tt week. at the
# t1,e. trial draw nom h1oDor1notat
has been In ha1f frantic condition for fonr his
wifo would gain the divorces prayed for. I1e has
cnlied to SEQ 1lor . gront mnny times in the Inst
wook or ton days, aud ondeayored by tho most
persistent ontroaties to Induce l,or to como
back and live with him again. When this would
fail. ho would throaton to kill her If allo did not
return, md then leave The house in compost Of
passion. During. this timo Mira. NIoDormott was
boarding with q friond. Mrs. Mary Horn, who
roaidos on Indiana avenue, between soyenth
and Eighth streets, In Joirersollyllo.
Friday afternoon McDormott won't to Mrs.
FTnrrsa IN lila ypffn lint MI
together. lie begged hor to come home, prom
Using not to nstrcat ler again, El,t his pleatlEngs
were Ia vain, the wife firmly rotuning to agaln
live with him. This angorod McDermott. and
out Of tho door, swearing that 10 would Kill her
IL slo did not go homo with him. Bho jerked
away from the maddenel man and ran into the
house, AtcDermott going OF swearing tint he
Yesterday A1oDerrnott camo to this side Of tho
river to soc his sister for tho purpose OF getting
her to go over mud SOC hia wife, and try aud por-
auade hor to live With him again. At this time
talked to his sister iii . portcotly rational NAM
ner. His sister promised to 50 oyor the next
day (thia morning} and exert Ill tho influence
She could to induce Mrs. AlcDorlnott to go back
to her husband. This apparently ,satisilod Nc
Dernott and ho returned to Jeirorsonville about
noon. About O'Clock yesterday afternoon Nc
Dormott again wont to SEQ Ills vito, mud agnitt
entroatod her TO 80 homo with him. sherofusel,
aa usnai, ouk tolu l1m that, II 10 would go OIL
home Monday. He wantod her to go then. but
sho would not do it, 10, aftor threatening her
again, as usual, le loft the house. From there
ho went down to his Rtoro on the Prison Hill,
near tho stato's Prison South, md from th9ao
ho "acted like crazy. mau.' He went
across tho street. from hia store to q neigh
boris and borrowed a 1arge-aizea Colt revolver
telling the ruan OF whom he borrowed the won
that Htrin11nr hnt1 hi nf nh
money or pockot.book, and tint he was going
nfter him. Ho told this same story to several
men whom ho mot 10 tho next half an hour, aud,
before the deed OF blood lad oocurrad tho re-
port WAS on the Htreets Of Jeiferaonville that
"John Med Dermott had boon Bwindled out Of his
pockot-bool1.". About half Rn hour before the
murder, Mr. David Tonl!in,. Deputy sheriR,
met McDermott, and served writ upon him to
appear In tho divorce suit ponding. This, it IL
supposed, excited NloDormott more than over,
and, after leaving Tomlin, llo started dt-
rootly to Mrs. Hor1iH, whore Lis wife thon waH.
He was soc'! 70 enter tho gato. aud 60 around to
franc cottage. with two rooms and kitchen.
Mrs. AcDsrmott WAS sitting In tho Kitchen door
with her lttlo daughter, aan infant II months
old, In her arms A nefglbor states that Alle
baud appoared and this Is most likely the case,
as tho child wus found after tho. tragcfy
with nothing on but its shirt. MoDermott could
not haye been in tho yard moro than tlvo min
utth Huou tl4IGS 18EultH VI u IllbtUl NGIB
hlr. Jnmes L. Smith, who lives nearly Opposite
tho house, malos the following statoment to tho
Courie!-Joarnai reporter: Il hourd q report Of
apistol, ran ont of tue house, and whom OH tie
street hoard two more They wore from Airs
When got inside McDermott was lying on his
side in the room next tho kitchen. Ho was
living whom first arrived, but gave q gasp III q
moment. and knew ho wus dead. Tho pistol
was about foot from where he WAS lying.
passed on into the kitchen. l1ra A1oDernaott
was sitting in the Kitchen door, with lor head
leaning over on tho door Hll. She held tho child
In her arms. ! Haw tho wounds of Airs, h1cDer-
mott, and asked her II sho was badly hurt. She
did not a.swer mo, and could not speak.
looked at tho child, and saw TINT it was doaa.
Blood was all oyor motlor and child. Tho sight
WAS horrible one. Some OF the women by this
time had como in and tnlcn the dead infant from
spread . comfort Oh tho floor, aud laid Mrs. Nc
Dermutt Oh it."
Mrs. Mary Horn, the woman who liyol in the
house where tue deed was committed, WAS Mt
homo at tho time, but Inst night WIS unable to
give tho least information about tho shooting, aB
her system received such a shock from tho tor
rible sccne that she vas perfectly proatratod ald
III spoochlesB and dangerous condition. 1l-
deed. 30 great il tho fright slo Sustained that
fehra arc Expressed that Sue may never recover
from It, and, it sho does, it will be several days
before size can tell anything about tho affair."
It iB matser more OF conjecture than certainty
ut present how the shooting was dono. Tho
general AuppoBition iH that McDormott commonc-
I'd firing on his wife who, Rho was sitting on tho
door-atop with the child iu her arms. Aftor he
had killed thom both, aa ho supposed, lla rushed
BY them into the next room, and thon placod
tho revolver to hia right tomple nnd pulled
tho trigger, tho ball passing clear through
Lis head, of co,lrso killing MIN inBtuntly.
The frat shot firol BY McDermott, 1t is sup
posed, killed tho child It entered the upper
! lip and came out at the back part of tua
head. Mrs. MoDermott was shot through the
loft arm and Oh tho elbow. Tho wound On the
elbow, 1t is supposed was made by tho Same bull
| that passed through tho hoad OF tho child. Tho
third wound was IN the top Of her shoulder, the
bull going down aud lodging between scal,nla antl
the ribs. The exact location Of tho bull III not
| yet known, as probe Of two and a half inches
| failcl to discover 1t.
| THO wound OF the woman is considered danger
| GUS, mud tho chancos are against her recovery.
At laf past II o'clock last hight she waa resting
aH easy az could bo expected from tho Hoyoro
| natnro OF her injuries
John MoDermott, tho murderer and suicide,
has resided in Jeireraony!lo for tho last olglt or