Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-05-06
SHOT HIS WIFE.
The Crime of Drunken Brute Near Rem
sen, Iowa.


d A/CAAaAo OGnGluelS Sus
About noon yesterday the town of
Remsen, about twelve miles east of here
on the Central road. was thrown into a
state of excitement by the news that
man by the name of James Kirk, living
on the Harvey farm, four miles north
west of that place, had shot and killed
his wife. DR.. Mareden started immedi.
ately for the scene of the tragedy. About
the same time q wagonload of young
men of that town took their departure
for the farm, and considerable talk of
hanging was .ndulged in, should the re-
port be found to be true. Deputy
Sheriff Fuller, of this city, by forum.
ate chance happened to be passing
through Rsmsen on business about this
time, and hearing of the tragedy and the
threats of lynching, Immediately started
for the Harney place in great haste,
to make the capture of Kirk. Al
though the parties who had first
started we're considerable dis.
tsnce ahead. with bis horse he outdis.
taIced them all, and eas the first arrival
at the place. DR.. Marsden Immediately
following him.. They found the state of
affairs not 30 bad as feared. Deputy
Fuller entered the back door of the house
and found Kirk and his wife occupying
the kitchen, one seated on each side oi
the stove. gazing at each other. Kirk
was put under arrest by the officer, and
the woman, VINO had been shot in the
back, was cared for by DR. Marsden. On
examination it was found that she had
received three gunshot wounds of serl.
GUS nature in the right side of the back.
| Two Of the shots were found lodged
against the llbs and were>extracted, but
tie third, which had entered higher up
could not be discovered after considera.
BILE deep probing.
The particulars of the shooting
as correctly as can be ascertalned
are as follows: Kirk came home
from Remsen drunk and his
wife demonstrated with him
This maddened the intoxicated brute
and he got up and reached for a CUR
kept loaded IN the house. at this move
the woman ran for the door, which shs
had to unlock before her excape could b.
made, and started for the barn to tax.
refuge there. Her infuriated husband
however, followed her 20 closely that alb,
stopped when short distance from th,
house and took refuge behind the cur
blng Of veil, the back of which WA
boarded up much bigherthan the other
rherenpon Kirk blszed away ut be
through the boarding, with the resul
above stated. The farm where tn
tragedy took place Is owned by Nj,
Harnsy. who came here from the vlcinit.
ct Galena. ILL.,, from which place th
aoout six weeks ago. They boarde,
| aovopoI honHo suh0
Officer Fuller. who deserves high prais
for the promptness with which he se
cured his man. arrived in this city will
the prisoner about 5o'clock last evening
filed information aud jailed him.
When the rnmpus took place no on
but Kirk and his wife were iu the house
but the shot alarmed William Hayes, al
employe on the place, who was in th
barn at the time, Who, when he reache,
the scene and took in the situation, ez
claimed: Jim, what have you done
Shot your woman?" The reply "yes.
accompanied the threat to give biz
(Hayes) the contents OF the other barre
of tho gun il he einterfered. Hayes, how
ever. was not 90 easily scared, and fol
lowed the would be murderer and too
the gun away from him. he then too
the gun with him to neighbor's hons,
informed them what had occurred an
dispatched messenger for physlciaI
j OF the man Kirk bnt little 10 known j
. the community, owing to his short res
dence there. but his personal appeal
:. a0ce 10 not prepoesessing an
; he may be termed ~ roue
looking customer" A sharp read,
|. VI human nature would probably di
!. cover much Of the brute 10 his eompos
) ton and class him ~ dangerous ma
He had been on spses about tvo dAl
lvhsa ths shooting occalsed, and his0