Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-10-15
4 SHOCKING TRAGEDY.
Burke Fairehilds Shoots and Kills his
Wife and Attempts to Kill Himself.

about two miles south of the city.
brought to town the startling informa-
ton that Burke Fairchild had shot his
wife with shot gun. and that she lay
at the point of death. A warrant was
Immediately issued by Justice Com
Minis for the arrest of Fairchilds, and
constables Jones and Sims, followed
by Drs. Vivian and Eastman, went to
the scene of the tragedy. 1t appears
that late in the afternoon O'Neal
passed by the house of the Fairchilds,
and heard Fairchild and his wife quar-
reling; but he went on home and
MIXED and Cd other chores about his
own house, and had sat down to sup
per when Mr.. Chapel, who lived closer
by the Farchilds than he did, came
and told him that Fairchilds had shot
Mrs. Fairchilds. and that her daughter
had come to him crying for him to go
and see if anything could be done to
save her mother. This Chapel said
he was afraid to do lest Fairchilds
should shoot him. Chapel and
O'Neal then Went t" Fairchilds house
and O'Neal enterri and found Mrs
Fairchilds lying down on the floor with
gun shot wound in her head; while
Fairchilds himself had gone to bed
O'Neal Immediately started for town
and notified the officers and physicians
as above stated When the officers ar
rived on the scene they entered the
house and found Mrs. Fairchilds lying
where O'Neal had left her when he
went to give the alarm. Burke Fair
child, her husband, was still in bed,
aud with two bullet wounds in his
head, he having meantime attempted to
take his own life with revolver which
lay on a stand at the head of his bed
Besides the pistol wounds in his head
there We're several bruises such as
might be inflicted with club; and
there was found in the house stick
of stove wood which bore evidence of
being used in that way. Fairchilds
was not Frustrated by his wounds.
The revolver was small calibre: one
bullet made only flesh wound in his
forehead and was taken ont near the
top Of his head; the other struck him
near the right eye and was feared it
had lodged there, but this could not be
determined. Mrs. Fairchilds' woun d
proved fatal and she died during the
night The District Attorney, J. p.
Smoker. was called in on Sunday
morning, and Joseph PrideauX, Will
liam Sands, John Opie, George Mas
ten, NJ. j. Minor and l.. W. Shafer, be
ing impaneled as jury, an inquisition
was held before Justice Commins.
O'Neal testified to passing the house
during the afternoon and hearing Fair
childs and his wife quarreling, and the
wife saying, " let me alone"
Chapel testified to hearing very
loud report of gun, and that soon
afterwards Edith Fairchilds, who is a
DAUGHTER of Mrs. Fairchilds by form |
er husband, came to him and told him
that Fairchilds had shot her mother. |
Edith testified that in the evening |
on returning from town she found her |
mother lying upon the floor with a ter
ribIe wound in her head while Fair |
childs was standing by, holding light |
and gazing at her.
FairchildS testified that he quarreled |
with his wife, but could not tell the |
commencement Of the quarrel; that |
she knocked him down with club, |
and he begged to get up; that she said |
she would let him up if he would be- |
have himself; that he got away from |
her Somewhow or other and ran out in |
to the hall, and seeing the gun there
he sliced it and going around the |
house he came into the back door and |
shot his wife Both barrels Of the gun |
were loaded when he picked it up; but
he could not tell whether he fired both |
barrels. He also testified that he was
in the habit Of drinking liquor while at
work. but didnot think that he drank |
more than usual that day or not.
Only one report of the gun was
heard and that a very loud one; and it |
is supposed that he fired both barrels |
simultaneously.
The jury rendered verdict that |
Mrs Jane Fairchilds came to her death |
by gun shot wounds inflicted at the
hands of Burke Fairchilds without
any justification whatever.
The body of Mrs. Fairchilds was
buried in Graceland cemetery on Mon |
day.
Fairchilds was left in charge of two |
private citizens until Monday evening,
when he was arrested. and without a |
preliminary hearing lodged in the
county Jail.