The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-05-04
Triple Tragedy in California.
THE VICTIMS AREFRoM LIGoNIER VAL
LEY


a brief note was made in ycster-
days Ncacs ofthe tragedy, but par
ticulars seem to be as follows:
Swearengcn, a resident of Dayton,
seven miles from Chic, California,
shot his mother-in-law, Mrs. David
Boucher, killing her. He next shot
his wife in the arm, seized her and
placing the pistol to her breast fired
again with fatal effect. He then
sent a bullet through his OWN brain.
There had been some family trouble
between the parties, but Il general
understanding had been reached,
and Swearengen was 70 have left for
Missouri in the morning. Mrs.
Boucher was the widow of the late
State Senator OF Butte county, Cali
fornia.
Senator David Bouche- was a bro
ther to Mr.. III. Boucher, VINO resides
in this county. The murdered wo-
man was a sister-in-law to Mr..
Boucher, and an aunt 20 our fellow
townsman. John n. Boucher, Esq.
The young lady was a niece and
cousin to the above respectively,
and WIS very highly educated, hav-
ing received much of her education
in Paris, France. The sad affair has
east n gloom over the hearts of their
friends here.
The murdered woman's maiden
name was Maria Miller, daughter of
Philip Miller, who at one time kept
hotel in Ligonier, where Noah Mar
ker's store now stands, and after
ward the house now kept by j.
Hargnet Frank. She still leaves
some brothers and sisters in the val
ley to mourn her brutal assassina-
ton. They removed to California
some twenty years ago.
The Johnstown Daily Tribune of
last evening says:
THE account OF Henry Swearen
gen, shooting the mother of his wife
Mrs. David Boucher, his wife, and
her daughter, and then himself, at
Dayton, seven miles from Chico,
Butte county, California, is of local
interest because of the tact that Mrs.
Boucher was a native of Ligonier,
Westmoreland county, a daughter
of Philip Miller, deceased, and sister
of Mr.. Harry Miller, of the first
Ward, this city. At the time the
California gold fever broke out in
1S49, Messrs. David and Joseph
Boucher, then young men, left their
home in Ligonier and joined the
"Argonauts," as the band who cross
ed the Plains that year was called.
Soon after arriving on the Pacific slope
they purchased a large tract of land
and started stock rancho Fortune
favored their venture, and in 1885
David returned to his native home
and married Maria Miller, daugh-
ter of Philip Miller above referred
TO. After a briefhoneymoon spent III
Ligonier and vicinity, they started
to Chico, Butte county, California,
near which place the brothers had
been so successful, and in 1872
David was elected to the State Sen-
ate. He died the following year,
leaving a son, Joseph, now about his
majority, and Ella, whe was married
in October to Henry Swearengen,
and who, if still living, would now
be about seventeen years OF age.
This young man arrived in DAYTON
some four years since, from Missouri,
and commenced working in the
vicinity. He ingratiated himself
INTO the esteem of Ella Boucher,
and they were united, but it seems
that the family did not agree very
well together, and an arrangement
was entered into with the under
standing that Henry was to sepa-
rate from his wife and depart for
his former home On Friday morning
last, but afterward he determined
QpOli tIlt QlCdu ClllllC WHICH W d.
carried into successful execution,
and which was fittingly terminated
by the blowing out of his own
brains. There is nothing known
among the relatives of the murdered
women in this city in regard to the
perpetrator of the tragedy, beyond
the information received last October
that Ella had been married to Henry
Swearengen, who was represented
as a steady, worthy man. 1t is
likely that in the course of a few
days full details of the matter will
be received by Mr.. Harry Miller
Mrs. Miller, mother of Mrs. Boucher,
resides on Napoleon street, Fifth
Ward. with her son-in-law, Mr..
Grower, and her age is now some
sixty years. Messrs. David and
Joseph Boucher worked at the
"Union Line" warehouse here in
1S40-41, during the old Portage
Railroad and canal days, when Mr.
Kratzer, deceased, was agent of that
transportation line. Shortly after
the death of her husband, Philip
Miller, his widow took up her resi-
dence here,