The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-28
A DRUNkARD'S DEED.
John Gallagher Beats and Caryes His
Wife Until He thinks Her Dead.

News of terrible murder was convey
ed to the police at about 10 O'Clock this
morning. 1t was said that John Gallagh-
or had killed his wife. Officer McCabe
went to the home of the Gallaghers on
Seventeenth street near Seventh avenue,
and upon entering the front room, found
Mrs. Gallagher lying on the floor, mo-
tionless and appare ntly lifeless, with the
blood gushing from an ugly wound on the
left side of her head. Mr.. Gallagher was
sitting on the floor BY her side, scared ais
most to soberness by what he had done,
with his hand over the wound, trying to
staunch the flow of blood The bleeding
was very profuse, and before it was stay
ed, Mrs. Gallagher must have lost large
quantity.
DR.. Eyster soon arrived, and washing
the wound, fixed it up as well as possible
and left her, while officer McCabe took
Gallagher to the police station. None of
the neighbors would go near the house
for fear of bodily harm, for both Gal
lagher and his wife are hard characters
when under the influence of liquor
Marshal Miller and the reporter, hav>
ing heard of the row, then went with
Officer McCabe to the house, to see
how badly Mrs. Gallagher was hurt and
what she had to say. She had recovered
her senses and was sitting up, but pres
scented a horrible sight. The whole right
side of her face was badly swollen, and
covered with blood. A large strip of
court plaster nearly four inches long COW
cred the cut, which extended from just in
front of and slightly above the ear, up
over the temple nearly three inches in
length. 1t was cut clear to the bone, but
no fracture of the skull was made. Her
right eye bali was perfectly red. where it
ought to be white and below the eye the
flesh was black for an inch and half. 1t
was as bad case of black eye as it is
possible to have. and looked as though
she had been struck an awful blow:with
some hard substance.
Marshal Miller asked her what Gall
lagher hit her with and she replied that
he didn't hit her. No amount of persuas
sion could make her tell how the trouble
happened. Evidences of indulgence in
strong drink were numerous, and the
neighbors said they had been making
night of it, and that the clubbing was the
elimination of prolonged spree which
had lasted all night, and during which,
for some petty annoyance, Gallagher had
struck his wife and given her black eye,
and then at about 10 o'clock this morn
ing had hit the blow which stunned her.
When Mrs. Gallagher found that the
reporter was present she began to curse
and swear at him, and took great delight
in calling him ChinaDan, with numer-
rous uncomfortable pre>nomen. She was
still much intoxicated, and the name
seemed to hit her fancy for she laughed
heartily over it. She relieved her mind
by delivering TRADE directed principally
against the Dutch, and then the Irish,
and after that against mankind in gener-
al, but every time her wound was men
toned, she would stop and refuse to say
anything except Don't you wish /
would tell" She said with ready and
varied flow of invective that If the ARGUS
made any item about her, she would new
er pay her bill, etc.
The case viii be heard by Justice Crop
per Monday.
Gallagher killed man on gun boat
near Keithsburg in 1868, and was SEN
fenced to fourteen years in the peniten
tiary from Henderson county, by Judge
Smith. He served out ten years of his
sentence, and was then pardoned by Gov.
cambridge. Mrs Gallagher waited for
him to be pardoned and then married
him.