Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-04-12

New York Sun,
In Newark, on Saturday evening, in .
little wooden tenement at 236 Warrer
street-owned and partially occupied b,
Michael Matthews and his family-Petel
Degnan tried to kill Mary Matthews and
to commit suicide. Only recently he re-
turned from California, where he had
been for twenty-five years, and was liy-
ing with his mother, his step-father, Mr..
Matthews, and his step-sister, Mary.
Since his return he has professed great
admiration for Mary, and has shown her
such attentions as lead to the spread of
the report of their engagement. He is
| fifty years old and she is twenty-one.
On Saturday, after supper, he pursuaded
the old folks to 60 TO market to get tur-
key for Sundays dinner, leaving him
alone with Mary. Immediately on their
departure he approached the girl, who
was washing the supper dishes, and
insisted on her conseDting to marry him.
She Indignantly rejected his proposals.
He drew a bowie-knife and struck at her
hand. After cutting her hand and arm
in several places he dealt o swift blow
that severed the ligaments of the wrist,
and her arm dropped powerless. He
then slashcd her across the left breast,
and inflicted two severe cuts on her head.
In the struggle q kerosene lamp was
overturned, and it exploded Instantly
the window curtains were in blaze and
the floor was covered with burning oil.
This diverted Degnan's attention for an
instant, and the girl fed from the room,
down stairs, through the narrow hall, and
into the street. Seeing her about to es-
cape, he seized loaded rifle and started
in pursuit. AT the foot of the stairs.
6pdinn that Eo hoA
he placed the muzzle Of the gun to his
head and fired. The ball entered bis
right ear and passing out at the back of
his head, lodging in the ceiling above.
He sank on the stairs. and there he was |
found by a man named Gordon, who oc.
cupies the lower portion of the house. |
He was made to walk to the police sta
ton, and thence he was taken to the st. |
Michaels Hospital in dying condition.
He refused to give any explanation of his |
and II was not known until |
hours later that he had attempted TO kill /
Mary Matthews.
In the meantime the wounded girl fed /
through the streets for nearly mile, un-
Ill she sank exhausted on the Rev. DIR.
Fish's door-steps, In Cedar street, near
Broad. There she was found by men,
who took her to Garrigan's drug store in
hospital in which her would be murderer
lay dying. She said afterwards that she
was trying to find her parents, and warn
them not to go home, as she thought that
Degnan would kill them.
The fire was extinguished by a watch
man before the engines reached the spot,
and search was instituted for the missing
girl Mary Matthews worked in Balls
corset factory, preferring thereby TO re-
ain her independence, although her
father IS possessed of property worth $75,-
700. Her lover brought from Califorcia
81 300 in gold as a result of his twenty
i've years labor. She was visited yester-
lay by her many friends, none of whom
would see Degnan. As they stood about
ler and breathed threats OF vengeance
against him in case he should recover,
he begged them not to injure him, but |.
ather to pray for his soul.