Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-02-03
MURDER APPROVED.
Interesting Trial Of Brave Little We
man for Murder.

& htAANoeAN- ------
man for Murder.
! Acquitted by the Jury and the Verdict
Applauded.
Terrible History Of an Unhappy and Mis-
] cradle Life.
I pittsburg. Pa. January 30.--The
trial of Mrs. Mary l.. McClelland for
/ the murder Of her husband, Alexander
/ McClelland, in French Creek Town
ship, Nenango county, on the Sth day
/ of last November, was commenced OH
I Monday afternoon at Franklin, Penn
7 syIvania. and was concluded yester-
day, the Jury bringing in verdict OF
not guilty The interest manifested
4 in the trial was immense, and
I the court room was crowded at all
/ hours during the taking of testimony,
many ladies being present. The ter
/ rible history of Mrs. McClelland's mar
| ried lite was forced from the witnesses.
\ IL was plainly to be seen that the
sympathy of all was with her. The
story of the shooting Is as follows:
z VII hN1luhN HlEhts @NoNtiiONA JIM
Alexander McClelland-who bad the
reputation Of bad man, aud when
under the influence of liquor desper-
ado OF the most reckless charactcr--was
killed by a pistol shot fired by his
wife i'm defense OF her life. 1t appeared
that McClelland had been in the habit
OF getting drunk and abusing his wife
and family in most heartless manner,
and frequently threatened to XIII
her. This treatment continued until
his wife became fearful that he would
execute his threat and murder her. n
few DAYS before the tradgedy, Mrs.
McCleIland was confined and gave
birth to a girl baby; and this seemed
to be the cause OF great irritation to the
father, who, when drunk, had previ-
ously threatened her with cruel treat
ment if il was not boy. When her
husband learned that she had given
birth to a girl he got beastly drunk.
On that fatal Monday evening
McCleland arrived home from Oil
CITY quite drunk and in bad temper,
and commenced abusing boy named
Samuel Wise, who had been living
with him for some time. Mrs.
McClclland at once became alarmed
for her safety, and called to her
sister, Il young girl, To get her q
revolver from drawer in another
room. When the revolver was secured
it was empty; but the girl got the car
tridges and Mrs. McClelland succeeded
/, in loading it and secreted it under hen
night-dress.
When McClelland got through his
: attack upon the boy he entered the
house and commenced an attack upon
I l, ola If x,+l, lt "a t.l In d
bed, protested against his actions. II,
Immediately advanced toward her
i. when she jumped from the bed anC
tried TO escape from the house TO /;
neighbours house for safety. but sh,
- was so weak she was only able to get
;, into another room when her busbant
= rushed upon her with uplifted hanC
to strike her. she then pulled the
i revolver, and as he seized hel
- she fired, the bail entering
his right eye, producing ;
:, wound from which he died in a few
= hours.
= When the trial came up larg,
number of witnesses were called 10y
the defense, and it was proved 10y
g them that McClelland had frequentl,
. threatened to kill his wife and chill
dren. 1t was shown by one of tn
witnesses that at tne time he ha'
- pointed revolver Mt his wife and nj
y tempted to shoot her, but was pre-
I, vented from doing SO. Before tn
= birth of his last child he had toll
- several persons that if 1t was not bo
~ he would kill it and the mother alsC
'" All the evidence for the defense wa
;, such rs to show that McClelland ha,
= treated his wife and children in
t,h human 1,
', was n desperate, unfeeling wretcl
: with very few, if any, redeeming fea
10 lures, and the verdict of the people
'' IA we'll as that of the jury, is that hi
=, wife did but her duty when she fire,
the pistol-shot that ended his career
y Mrs. McClelland appeared at tn
- trial neatly dressed, accompanied Is
- her bright and pretty children. Sh
> Is not handsome woman, vet she /
~ bright and prepossessing, while trace
, of her terrible sufierings are yet To b
~ seen i'll her countenance. She watche,
=, the progress of the trial closely. b
:" her careful attention to her childrel
and aged mother, who accompanie
~ her, she won the sympathy of all VIII
as attended the trial, aud her dcliveranc
lie from her present trouble was halle
~ with delight.
IT. When the jury entered To rende
- their verdict the court room wa
crowded to suiiocation. The accuse
was requested to stand up. She face
y the twelve men without betraying an
., nervousness. After the usual formal
~ ties, the foreman of the Jury L,
a. sponded: Not guilty" Hearty AZ
a plause greeted this announcement. LII
~ dies crowded around the prisoners DO
NE and embraced Mrs. McClelland, Sc,
u. eral hugging and kissing her in thei
NJ excessive JOY at the happy terminatio
M OF the case. Mrs. McClelland coul
~. scarcely control her emotions, and wit
- fearful eyes she thanked the ladies ft
4. their warm expressions of sympathy
~