National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-24

n reEnant sensation so STARTLING III I've Oh0t
as the assault made last night upon the life OF
T-ottis Werrep by John Dempsey, and his subse-
.onpnt attempt to take his own life. As is usual
in such cases the story spread with lightning
like rapidity, and before the terrible deed was
half an hour old it was known throughout the
entire city and had been so much emoelisho1 py
the several mouths through which It had passed
that. if the parties most interested-the Would-be
murderer and suicide and his victim-live to hear
them repeated they will doubtless laugh heartily
at their recitl'.
THE FACTs
Of the case are about as follows: At O'Clock last
night the propr:et7ess Of the boarding house NO.
427 Fourth street, while seated with several
friends in the diningroom in the basement, hesrd
two pistol shots fred in quick succession in the
room above. They were followed by q scream,
and moment after Mrs. LOttie Warren, one Of
the boarders, who occupied the room spoken of,
staggered in their presence, eXclaiming, 81 am
shot" OF course the suddenness Of the affair
threw them all of their guard, and with one &C
claim they said, "Oh, no." but the victim sought
the protecting arms of the lady, and soon demon
strated by the blood on her garments that she
had told an unfortunate truth.
In the meantime one of the gentlemen of the
party had assembled to the apartment above, and
there, with pistol lying on the floor and vial
of laudauum at his mouth, was Mr.. John Demp-
sew. The poison was at once taken from him, and
as soon as the parties recovered from the shock,
fhey ran in several directions, one for DR.. Lloyd
Magruder. others to notify the police authorities.
DR.. Magruder was luckily found at his ofhce aud
responded at once, and was soon seconded by DR..
Dexter, both of whom Immediately took charge
Of the parties and examined
THE WOUNDS,
which proved to be of a very serious nature. The
woman was shot Just above the right hip, and the
ball had entered directly and lodged in the alb
domen.
The man had shot himself between the nth
and sixth ribs on the left side, and the ball had
glanced slightly, but after following its course
with probe a short distance the physicians were
satisfied that it had entered the left lung. As
he was rapidly supplying under the effects of
the laudaDum, an emetic was administered at
once and his stomach relieved Of the drug, after
which the wound was dressed and bandaged, and
a sedative given. In response to the call for
THE POLICE,
Dete ctive Miller, Lieutenant John F. Reilly and
Sergeant Arnold were soon at the house, and
took charge, rendering such aid as was possible,
and keeping of the curiosity seekers who sought
to invade the premises. The room in which the
deed was committed is the rear room Of the first
floor which is fitted up in excellent style as o
full Brussels carpet, the furniture is walnut, with
marble tops and French-plate mirrors, and the
toilet stand and articles OF Uertu speak alike au
ence and taste on the part Of the occupant. With
the exception of some spots Of blood the carpet
the room was in perfect order.
The front room is also Handsomely furnished,
containing piano, books, &c, but it also contains
3 bed. Both rooms were rented and occupied Dy
the lady.
THE CAUSES
which led to the dual crime are as yet unknown,
and will probably remain so forever; but the fol-
lowing statement is about as near true as can be
reached at present: Dempsey has for some time
past been paying his attentions to the lady witt,
as her friends say, a view to matrimOny. She has
been the recipient from him Of bouquets, maya
zines and small presents, and has accepted his
escort to various assemblies and places Of smuse-
ment, only Monday night accompanying him to
the New York State sOciable, from which they
returned at al early hour. Those who profess to
know all about her say that his attentions and
pTetentions were extremely distasteful, and that
she had positively refused the proffered honor Of
his hand; but on the other side the circumstances
point unerringly to the fact that instead Of being
displeased she encouraged his attentions, which
it is possible were not so much inclined towards
matrimony as they would have 1t appear. Suffice
it to say that yesterday, about l O'Clock, DemP-
sew, who had been heavily drinking, appeared at
the house and obtained admission. With him was
a colored man. carrying the dead bodies Of his two
fne-bred black-and-tan pups, which are known to
almost every one in the city. These he deposited
in the room, stating that they had been KILLED by
being run over by an omnibus, and that he had
almost been killed himself. The lady at this time
was out with some friends, and he quietly took
possession Of the room, as he had an eVidentright
TO do, and went TO sleep. Later she returned
with her friends, and while entertaining them in
the front room he swoke and was talked to by the
landlady, who had entered the room, and who
knew him we'll. She states that she advised him
AGAINST DRINKING,
to which he made an evasive reply, and she left
him and did not see him again until after
the murder. The woman, It is thought, entered
the room after the company left, and a quarrel
ensued, which illuminated in the terrible tragedy.
Alter the decd was committed she was laid on
the bed in the front room and he in the back
room, but about II O'clock she insisted so strongly
on being removed to her own bed that for the
sake Of keeping her quiet the request was COM
piled with, and the position OF the two changed
As she was laid upon her own bed by the doctors
she noticed the presence Of the reporter Of THE
REPUBLICAN and the police, and at once asked,
'What are these strange men doing in this room?
She spoke in a strong, confident voice, and evil
IDENTIFY little appreciated the condition in which
the wound had placed her. She kept up her
nerve with wonderful courage, and when asked
whether she would not like
TO SEE MINISTER,
replied, "No; not unless l get worse" and in
further conversation she transferred her watch
and chain to the custody Of the landlady and
gave directions that It should be given to her
mother, and that in the event Of her death she
Should be buried In certain clothes in a certain
spot in Baltimore, and added, He was deter
mined to kill me, ard now 1 suppose he has sue
ceeded." The wounded man, on his part, was
quiet and stupid at first, but apparently suffered
much pain.
AS soon as . minister was suggested he &C.
quiesced, and after a brief interval Rev. J. A.
Walter, Of st. Patrick's church, was at his bed
side. After his departure he became somewhat
easier, and late in Intervening on being spoken to
by some friends as to the cause Of the rash deed,
said in substance that both she and himself had
been drinking, and that just prior to the occur
renee be had made up his mind to go out but she
said he should not. A slight quarrel followed, in
which be threatened to shoot her, to which
she replied that he had not nerve
enough to do it. This made him mad,
and he proved his nerve by deed, as recited, He
expressed no regret whatever for it, but seemed
to look upon it as the inevitable result OF an ac
quaintanee which all cOncede was lily begun and
could not fail to prove disastrous.
THE WEAPON
used was an old-fashioned Remington muzzle
loader, six-shoOter, and when found had but one
chamber loaded, but it is certain that only two
shots were fred from it in the room. The wounds
made are large, ragged and ugly; the one in the
woman bleeding profusely, but his showing but
little evidence Of the flow Of arterial blood. The
laudaDum vial was four-ouDce, almost half full
and although labeled ''laudanum-pOis0n" did
not have the name Of the druggist from whom it
was purchased. Its, however, stated that It had
been regularly purchased by her on the prescrip-
ton Of a physician, and was always kept in the
room for purely medical purposes
AT ONE O'CLOCK, An,
a call was made and both the physician and on
Ger Richard Taylor fOundlon duty. Dempsey was
suffering and excited, but the woman had still
maintained her courage. A few moments after
however, 8 EeIl-knoWn detective entered the
ROOM and after aecOsting him she said, "This is
my last night on earth" and Immediately after
sEooned. Stimulants were at once applied, and
she revived, but not with the old courage.
THE VICTIM
is 9 woman Of petite but Eell-deEeloped figure,
about twenty-five years Of age, black hair and
eyes, regular features and VivaciOus manner,
ready in conversation and quick to make friends.
She WRs born IN Baltimore, partially educated In