The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-04


G1171;1;;;;; -
Il Young MAN Murders His Grahd.3
mother, the Girl svshG Rejected His
Lovs, ana Her,~ Mllether.s and Then
Commits suicide. re II %S~S~' v"
lcuba, N:Y.,sApril 2sd, Correspondence New
- 1851 York Herald ..,-s
On Wednesday, toward evening, this
place was thrown into great excitement
by man from New Hudson dashing
into town on horseback after a doctor,
and announcing that james Lafferty,
= somewhat notorious character in this
part of the county, had murdered his
grandmother, an aged lady with whom
he lived, shot the wife and daughter Of
farmer named George Vannoy, and then
killed himself. "A doctor and anumber OF
citizens, accompanied the messenger
back to Vannoy's who lives about tive
miles from Cuba, near the road leading
to Rockville. Arriving there, sicken'
ing sight was presented. In the door
yard, near the house,lay the dead body OF
a man about 20 years Of age. His face
was turned upward, and from wound on
the side of the head his brains were
oozing out. This was the body Of LATER
ty. By his side, and near his hand lay o
revolver In the house, on bed, With
blood pouring from wounds in their faces,
lay Mrs. Vannoy, fne-looking woman
Of about IS or 40, and her daughter, a
handsome girl of l8. They were both
conscious, but very weak from loss of
blood. The physician, DR.. Carpcr, ex-
amined the wounds, and succeeded IN
extracting q pistol ball from Mrs. Van
noy. It had entered her head near the
temple and lodged back Of the ear. Miss
Vannoy was shot in the right cheek, the
ball passing through and lodging in the
opposite side of her head. The surgeon
was unable to extract the ball. Although
in very critical condition, the young
girl related the circumstances of the
shooting.
Lafferty came to the house in the after.
noon. Mr.. Vannoy was in the barn at
work, aid Mrs. Vannoy was in the kitch-
en-. Laferty entered the room and com.
menced talking with the young lady. He
had formerly worked for her father, and
had for year protested to be in love
with her and wanted her to marry him.
She had invariably repulsed his offer, and
told him several times that he must not
speak to her further in the matter. He
had often 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
proposal, saying that his grandmother
had given him a 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, his character was not what it should
be. He said he would be a better man
if she were his wife. She then
rose to leave the room, when he handed
her newspaper and .old her to read a
paragraph he pointed out. 1t was head
ed <sMurdered for Love" She had turned
her face away from him in looking at the
paper, and had just glanced at the head
ing Of the article. when he drew revol-
yer and fired. She ran, shrleking and
bleeding, toward the door, when her
neither rushed into the room. Lafferty
then shot her, and ran hurriedly out of
the house. Mr.. Vannoy, hearing the
firing, left the barn and was hasten g to
the house when he saw Laferty leaving,
with his pistol in his hand, and q wild
look in his face. The farmer shouted to
him, and asked him, "What, in the name
of God, is the matter . Lafferty
wheeled and fired at the farmer, but
missed him. Without waiting to see the
effect of his last shot he placed the revol.
yer against his own head and blew out
his brains.
Mr.. Vannoy entered the house and
found his wife and daughter lying on the
floor and 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 evil
dent:y in great excitement.
"Have you seen anything Of Jim Laf
ferty :" he asked, as Vannoy started or
run to the barn. "His old grandmothe,
has been found dead in her bed at Rock
Vile, and has been: trangled and beater
to death. The house has been ransacked
and as Jim has had plenty of money
lately the folks think he killed the ole
woman, and Il m looking for him with :
warrant
In very short space of time the OH
Ger was made acquainted with the details
of the tragedy at the farm house, and h
galloped to Cuba, got physicians, ant
gave the alarm.
Coroner Young was notified Of tn
. auadruple tragedy, and took charge Of tn
bodies of the murderer and his grand
mother. The former was buried in pas
ture not far from Vannoy's. At an in
quest held on the body of Mrs. Lafferty
it was elected that her grandson
had been seen lounging arount
her house on Saturday, and hat
not been there for some tim
hefore. He WAS seen to leave ON Satnr