Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-01-02
SHOCKING MURDER.

The Old, Old Story Of Promis.
cuous Shooting.
The Murderer Taken to Jail
Without Resistance.
Conflicting Statements - The
Parties-The Inquest.
Thursday evening. about lO:15 o. clock,
while at least 200 Of our citizens were
laughing and dancing the old year out
at the roller rink, the report came that
Pat McWeeny had been shot dead by
Billy Oswald. The INTER-OcEAN lost
no time in getting upon the scene of the
tragedy, which was not difficult thing
to do, as we simply had to follow the
crowd that passed toward Fourth street
and Kelly avenue. Four doors west
from the corner of the latter thorough
fare Is the saloon Of Boeing & Doyle, In
one Of the front windows Of which
stands fine piano; then comes the bar,
and . little further on lunch counter.
A rear door leads through brief hall
way to an ample room furnished snuxly,
but not lavishly, with two dozen chairs,
three or four ash-stained tables and
one semi-clrcular table covered with
green cloth, the lair of the animal
known rs ''stud-poker." The prem
ises afford comfortable retreat for
the gambling fraternity, being sup
piled with all the beguilements cal
culated to entice the devotees Of chance
games-the loud-toned piano, tho elab
orate bar with its exhilarating fluids,
the succulent oyster, the appetizing
mustard sandwich, and the quiet room
where tickle luck is reported to abide.
An excited crowd was gathered in
front Of the saloon, and tho room itself
was packed with men, Deputy Sheriff
Flummerfelt and Coroner Zunich vainly
attempting to keep tho crowd back.
New eeney lay In the corner OF
tho room, behind tho front door,
life helng extinct. Tho body was
lifted to a chair, and the clothing being
partially removed the fatal wound was
found. The bullet had entered between
the fourth and fifth ribs, about threo
inches below and to the right Of the left
nipple. Drs. o. Donell, Camp and Smith
soon came in aud pronounced life OK.
tinct. They were Of the opinion that the
ball had ranged upward to the heart.
The room being partially cleared,
the body was taken to the
rear portion Of the saloon proper and
laid upon two tables. Further exami-
nation disclosed flesh wound just over
tho left hip bone. bullet having passed
through the clothing at that point.
The painful duty Of notifying the
murdered mans wife was now being
performed by one Of our citizens. Nc
Weeney's home is half mile northeast
Of the city. The wife was of course al
most frantic with grief, and insisted
upon seeing her dead husband. She
came down town, but was not permitted
to enter the saloon, being taken to the
house Of friend. At IL o'clock the
body was removed to the home Of the
deceased, and friends Of the family
watched will, it until morning.
There were as many versions Of the
tragedy As there were witnesses of It.
The first version We heard WIS that Os-
wald put his arm about MrWceney's .
neck and said: ''Ynn Irish s--"f b.,
take drink" Ii is proper to state here
that Oswald and McWeenet have always
been on good terms, and there was no
i'll feeling between them. McWeeney
replied: Don't call me that; will
drink with you" Oswald, it is
claimed. repeated the words and Nc
Weeney drew hack and squared of. Os-
valid. throwing himself into a pngulistic
attitude, advanced toward McWeeney,
and the latter struck him in the face.
knocking him down. Oswald turned
upon his side and pulling his pistol, a
large self-cOcker commenced firing
at McWeeney At close range. The first
ball missed its mark and passed into
the ceiling. but the second took effect.
McWeeney then turned his back upon
Oswald, who fired two more shots in
rapid succession. One of these struck
McWeeney on the LEFT hip. a. described
above.
The wounded man then turned his
face to Oswald, and raising his hands,
essayed to speak, but his words could
not he understood. He moved slowly
backward and fell. By this time Os-
wald was on his feet, his empty revol-
YER In his hand. Some one said to him !:
BILLY, you have killed Pat.''
II know it." replied Oswald. "He
had no business to strike me-"
Oswald then passed hurriedly to the
back room, whore there were several
persons engaged at the games, and called
for some ono to give him "a gun.' No
one responded to his request, and Os-
wald then left the premises by the side
door. .
Another version Is that when Nc
Weeney protested against being called
an infamous name, Oswald tiourished
his revolver in McWeeney's face, stxik-
ing him light blow with it. The face
shows an abrasion of the skin on the left
cheek bone. The same authority states
that Oswald then put his pistol in his
pocket, and McWeeney, riled by being
hit with the pistol, retaliated by knock
ing Oswald down.