The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-07-03
A LIFE TRAGEDY.
The Story OF Sam Mcdonald, the
Millionaire Murderer.

more was published:
During a drunken brswl in the
Sherwood House early this morning,
Berry Amos, aged 35. a well-known
gambler, was fatally stabbed, IS be
alleged, by Sam Mcdonald, who was
arrested. Mcdonald is supposed to be
here on a visit from Indiana. He
formerly resided near Baltimore, and Is
the son OF VIM. Mcdonald, the millions
aire, former owner OF Flora Temple.
The young man who stands charged
with this atrocious crime was well
known in the West. and has many
friends in this city. Never did career
open more brightly than his, and never
was the inevitable end OF unbrided dis
sipation more clearly fulfilled than in
the brief paragraph we have given
above. His fall from high estate,
tar beyond the common, has
been so headlong and rapid, that
brief recital O. its incidents will be OF
interest to the general reader, and will
serve to point Sad mortal that cannot
be too often inculcsted, and will rot
come amiss to some OF our own Jeun-
nesse doree
The Baltimore papers. in chronicllng
the incidents OF the crime, have but
briefly alluded to the previous career o.
the alleged murderer. Some acquaint'
ance with it's salient features enables
the writer to present the facts as given
below. The murder seems to have
been the natural sequence OF four years
of the most extraordinary dissipation
Three men were drinking together in a
Baltimore bar room 10 the early hours
oithe morning, and after night spent
in debaucb. Oue OF them was noted
gambler OF that citv-Berry Amos,
whom a local paper describes as fine
looking man-at least, 80 far as the
animal part is concerned; tall erect,
broad chested, and muscular,
with sturdy lower limbs, and
brawny arms, and al well rounded he
presented to the eye the very personlti'
cation Of physical strength and manly
vigor. Another was boon companion
and the third was Sam Mcdonald.
The two first were at the bar taking a
drink together, and'the third arose from
| his chair aud stabbed the gambler to
the heart The murder is said to have
been done out OF mere wantonre3 s. The
murderer was besotted with liquor, and
had bowie knife in his pocket. Ris.
ing from his seat in alcoholic delirlum,
he singled his victim out simply be-
cause he was the taller man in the
crowd before him. There is said
TO have been no cause for quarrel
between the two, and that
it Is not probable the drunken
man cherished any malice whatever to-
ward his victim or any other person in
the party. Such are the circumstances
OF one scene in the life-drsma OF which
we write; the next must be left to the
record oil the courts to tell, and of that
which preceded the bloody tragedy in
its course, we may briefly slIude to
here.
Samuel Mcdonald was the son OF
very wealthy man in Baltimore, whose
family occupied the highest social po-
sition in that city. He himself was
sent abroad to be educated, and spent
several wears at one Of The schools in
ENGLAND While still abroad his father
died leaving his immense fortune
to be divided between his son and
daughter, his only children. Young
McDonald's portion was some
thing over 100000, and, with
proper management would soon
have advarcsd very greatly in
value. Shortly after his fathers death
the Young man attained his majority.
The family residence, just out OF Balti-
more, was one Of the most elegant IN
the country. Here on the night OF his
DIST birthday he gave grand dinner
TO various friends in the city, and the
celebration Is said to have been carried
out in a style OF almost unparalleled
maenificence. The spacious grounds
were ablaze with light. and q fountain
ran CHI smpaeneiin the yard. The night
closed with an orgie ot wlne'drlnking
in which an amasing quantity was coA-
sumed. Thus he started ont upon a
career of dlss patton which has hurried
him in four years-he is now but 70
10 the horrible tragedy OF last Wednes"
day night.
Young Mcdonald at this age was an
ex rsordnary specimen OF manly
beauty. He was over SIX feet tall;
straight as an arrow, broad chested, and
muscular; yet as graceful and agile rs
an athlete. A wealth OF tiaxer hair,
and a broad. tar forehead; deep blue
ewes, and a noble mouth, with features
perfectly classic in their outline-he
was u perfect type o. the Anglo saxon
Add to this the exuberant spirits which
ALWAYS attend good health, and that
nameless magnetism which so te| men
possess, and the possession OF when
NAV be the best or the worst OF Gods
gifts, he was most eoJoyaoie
companion, the lie OF the social
circle, and as much admired -b'
men az he was adored by wons
en-. Shortly after he attained his mt
iority he came out TO Terre Haute, Ind,
on a visit. He returaed to that pleas
ant CITY few months afterwsri, bought
him a farm in the vicinity, stocked ii
with the finest horses and cattle, and
there inaugurated series OF dlsslpa'
tions which shocked the goodly little
CITY to it's centre. he was soon ostra-
cised from the society OF the town, and
direful stories are told OF the excuses
into which he then plunged. There
were two gamblers from the East,
whom he had brought West
with him, and 1t is said that
there were still more dlsre-
putsble companions OF another
sex who lived ia the same house with
him. From this rendezvous be would
take frequent hunting excursions into
the neigh boring prairies Of Indiana and
Illinois, the return to be always cele.
L.o,o5 bv a debanch. Wines flowed