Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-07-22
lAMENTABlE TRAGEDY.

An Illinois Farmer Shot and Killed BY Hin
son-in-Law, Whom He Was Assaultins
With a Pitchfork-The Tragedy the Out
come of a Family Difficulty.
PINCKNEYvILLE, ILL.,, July IA la.
mentable tragedy occurred yesterday
morning near Tamaroa, ten miles east of
here, in the killing o. John w. Corgan,
an old and prominent citizen of the
county, by his son-in-law, Harry Miller.
Miller has been living on farm three
miles east of Tamaroa, which he rented
from Corgan. About three months since
they had difficulty, which was com.
promised in the courts here by Corgan
giving peace bond, and allowing Miller
10 remain upon the farm until
the expiration of his lease, October /.
Since that time the parties have not been
friendly, and Miller moved off the place
last Monday. On Tuesday he went back
to get his share of an oat crop that had
oeen grown on the farm, taking four
wagons, With necessary hands. Below
is given a synopsis of the evidence of w.
>. Jones, an eye witness, before the
coroner's jury at Tamaroa yesterday
morning.
''My name is w. S. Jones; age, Thirty
six years; live three miles east of 1&Ina-
rOa. Miller came to my house this morn
ing, and asked me to go and help him
haul his share of the oat crop off Cor
gan's farm. | went and took hand with
me. There were four wagons with two
men to each wagon. When we arrived
at the field two of the party got out and
let the fence down, and Miller started to
drive in. | hallooed to him that he had
better tell CoTgan he had come to divide
the oats. Just then he looked up and
said: 'YOnder they come, now-all of
them with pitchforks.' By this time
COroan had got within about one hun
dred yards OF Miller, and said: sGet out
OF here, you thief. You come here to
steal again. You get out, or I'll put you
OUT Miller had, as yet, $ aid nothing to
Cor@an, who had arrived at the wagon by
this time. Miller said: 81 am now ready
to divide those oats Corgan said: Il
am not ready to divide them, and won't
divide Them At this time he was near
the horses heads, and came around to
the side of the wagon and made at Miller
with the fork, trying to get in the wagon,
which he finally did.
About this time John Corgan, Jr..
aged about eighteen years, came up, and
made at Miller with fork. Corgan,
ST., was still in the wagon, and striking
at Miller with a pitchfork, and Miller was
warding off the blows with one hand and
holding his team with the other, and f.
nally hit Corgan, knocking him out of the
wagon. Corgan rose and grabbed the
fork and started for him, trying to stick
him with the fork.
Miller then drew his pistol and shot.
Mr.. COrgan fell in his sons arms and ex-
pired in few minutes. Miller turned to
Mr.. COrgan'S sons, two of whom were
present, and said: Boys, you see what
L have had to do He then turned his
team and drove out of the field and to
town, accompanied by his brother, VIM.
Miller. The shooting occurred on the
farm known as the Pyle place, three miles
east of Tamaroa."
THE STORY GORROBORATED.
The above evidence was corroborateo
in all the main facts by most of the wit
nesses. The pistol used was small 32-
caliber, rusty concern, that did not look
like it would more than make noise.
The ball entered the body between the
first and second ribs of the right side,
four inches from the center of the ster-
mum, five inches above the right nj pple
and two inches below the collar bone,
passed in an oblique direction to the left
side, cutting either the main artery or
going through the heart.
DR.. Ward probed the wound, but
could not find the ball. The hemorrhage
was internal, escaping through the
mouth. Corgan lived in Tam aroa, and
with his two sons, John, Jr., and Frank,
was out on the farm harvesting hay. He
was large, fine-looking man, and one
who was very positive in all his opinions,
a very strong friend. but had no use for
his enemies. He had been a resident of
this county for many years, and was well
known and respected.
After the shooting Miller came to
Tamaroa and gave himself up to Squire
Willough0y, who ,urned him over to
Constable Grain, and he was brought
here and placed in Jail. He is a man of
ordinary appearance and intelligence,
comes of a highly respected family, aged
twenty-four years, and has been married
to Mr.. Corgan's daughter for three
years. He appears to feel
very badly about the matter
and regrets it very much. He says that
it was m after of life and death with
him. Coroner Farmer selected jury
yesterday afternoon, and proceeded to
investigate the matter. There were
eleven witnesses to the tragedy, two of
whom were brothers to Miller, and two
sons of the deceased. At the time of his
death Mr.. Corgan was engaged in mer-
chandizing in Tamaroa.