Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-04-29

''e'@ saw IA sAC ASAt CuCch, lnc Udll pass
ing through and lodging in the opposite
side Of her head. The surgeon was un-
able to extract the ball. Although in a
very critical condition, the young girl re-
lated the circumstances of the shooting
Lafferty came to the house in the after
noon. Mr.. Vannoy was in the barn at
work, and Mrs. Vannoy was in the kitchen.
Laferty entered the room and commenced
talking with the young lady. He had for
'nerly worked for her father, and had for
a year professcd to be in love with her
and wanted her to marry him. She had
invariably repulscd his offer, and had told
him several times that he must not speak
to her further in the matter. He had of.
ten talked of committing suicide, or
of doing something else terrible, but
she had always laughed at him. When
he came on Wednesday he renewed his
saying that his grandmother had
given him lot of money and he would
give it all to Miss Vannoy if she would
marry him. She told him that she did not
wish to have any association with him, as
his character was not what it should be-
He said he would be better man if she
were his wife. She then rose to leave the
room, when he handed her a newspaper
and told her to read paragraph he point
ed out. 1t was headed "Murdercd for
Love-" She had turned her face away
from him in looking at the paper, and had
just glanced at the heading of the article,
when he drew revolver and fired. She
ran, shrieking and bleeding, toward the
door, when her mother rushed into the
room. Lafferty then shot her, and ran
hurried]y out Of the house. Mr.. Vannoy,
hearing the firing, left the barn, and was
going to the house when he saw Lafferty
leaving, With his pistol in his hand, and a
wild look in his face. The farmer shouted
to him, and asked him, "What in the name
of God, is the matter:' Laffcrty wheeled
and fired at the farmer, but missed him.
without waiting to see the effect of his
last shot he placed the revolver against
his own head and blew out his brains.
Mr.. Vannoy entered the house and found
his wife and daughter lying on the floor
weltering in their blood. He lifted them
to the bed and was about to dash on his
horse to Cuba for surgeon, when man
rode up to the house evidently in great
excitement.
"Have you seen anything of Jim Latter
ty:" he asked, as Vannoy started on a run
to the barn. His old grandmother has
been found dead in her bed at Rockville,
and has been strangled and beaten to death.
The house has been r.nsacked, and as
Jim has had plenty of money lately the
folks think he killed the old woman, and
I'm looking for him with warrant"
In very short space of time the officer
was made acquainted with the details Of
the tragedy Of the farmhouse, and he gal
loped to Cuba, got physician, aud gave
the alarm.
Coroner Young was notified Of the quad.
ripple tragedy, and took charge of the bod
les of the murderer and his grandmother
The former was buried in a pasture no,
far from Vannoy's. Atan inquest held on
the body of Mrs. Lafferty it was elected
that her grandson had been seen lounging
around her house on Saturday, and had
not been there for some time before. He
was known to leave on Saturday night
which was the last seen of him until he
appeared at Vannoy's. The deceased old
lady was known to have about $3.50 in
her house, which she had saved from he,
earnings, and which she had laid by iol
her funeral expenses. None of this mon.
ey could he found at the house, but moth
ing which could be identified was discov
cred on the body of James Laf1erty.
Mrs. Vannoy and her daughter are quito
comfortable, and the doctor thinks they
may recover. The family IS a highly re-
spectacle one, and Lafferty, it seems, had
presumed upon their kindness and gencr
GUS treatment of him while in their EN-
ploy in making his ovcrtures to Miss Van
noy, who ridiculed his pretensions.