Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-01-09
HELATETRAoEDY.

THE LATE TRAGEDY.
Account of.the Killing Of Mewes-
ney New Years Eve.
1foa Lae Weeks Edition.
.Thurxdsy evening. about lO:l5 O'Clock,
while 1t least 200 Of our citizens were
laughing and dancing the old year out
at the roller rink, the report came that
Pat McWeeney had beeo shot deSd by
Billv Oswald. TIN. INTER- OCEAN lost no
time in getting upon the scene Of tn.
tragedy, which was mot a difficult thing
I" do, rs We simply had to follow the
crowd which passed toward Fourth street
and Kelly ~ Four .hnrs w-st
from the corner "f the latte. thur,u I'll.
fare is the sal'o" o!fR,.iny'6 D.l", in
II the fr.,nt wind, vs. ufwhich stands
y tine piano; then the liar. and N
little further nn u lunch A
rear door leads through 81 brief hallway
tn an ample room, furnished saugly. but
not lavishlv, with tw" doz4n chairs, three
or four ash-stained tables aud one semi:
circular table covered with green cloth.
the lair Of the animal known ~ "stud-
poker" The premises afford a comfor,-
able retreat for the gambling fraternity,
being supplied with all the bexuil-ments
calculated to entice tho devotees OF
chance games-the 'loud.toned piano,
the elaborate bar with its ex%hilsrating
duids, the ~succulent oyster, the appetite.
ing mustard sandwich, and the quiet
room where fickle luck u reported to
abide.
An excited crowd was gathered in
front Of the saloon, and the room itself
was packed with men, Deputy Sheriff
Flummerfelt and Coroner Zunich vainly
attempting to keep the crowd back.
NcWeeney lay in tho corner 81 the
room, behind tkesfront door, life being
extinct. The body was lifted to . chair,
aud the clothing being partially removed
the fatal w,unds~as found. The bullet
had entered between the fourth and
9Th ribs. about three inches below snd
to the right Of the LEFT nipple. Drs.
O'Donnell, Camp and Smith soon came
in sndapronounced 1life extinct. They
Of the op,nionFthat the ball had
ranged upward 'tothe heart. The room
being partially cleared, the body was
taken TO the ear portion of the ssloon
proper and laid upon two tables. Fur
ther examination disciosed . taesh
wound just over thesle left hip bone, 4 bull
lot having passed through the clothing
at that point.
The painful duty Of notifying the mar.
dered mans wife vas now being per.
formed by one Of our citizens. Novice.
ney's home is q halls mile northeast OF
the city. The wife Of course was almost
frantic with grief, and insisted upon zee.
ing her dead husband. She came down
town, but was not permitted to enter the
saloon, being taken to the house of a
friend. At IL o'clock the body was re-.
moved to the home Of the deceased. and
friends of the family watched with it
until morning.
There were rs many versions of the
tragedy ~ there were witnesses Of il.
The first version we heard was that o.
valid put his arm around McW-eney'4
neck, and said: you Irish - ,fa b.,
take II drink" II is proper to state
here tia, Oswald and McWrenry have
always been on g"o'l terms, and ,i,-r.
vas ~ i'll feeling hr.wren them. Nc
W..n"y r%ei'li."l: ID nj cal IN" that;
x,i: drink with You" q w.id, it IL
e; im..!, r.'I".a,."i il" w,.l~ ,ui " p.
wai'i, / tl."H < ! mr., 4: =: !"n :.uyuli> l,
a,titud,.. advanced ,.,w .rd MEN, -..n.,
ant til. ia Seq struck ! ~ il -. { &C..
knocking tlm Il WI. O,~ati turned
upon his sill" an.l pulling Iii. pistol, u
large: s-lf.creker. commenced firing al
McWeeney at close r,rge. The irst bal
missed its mark and passed mt" the cell
ing, but the second tonk effect. McWre
pev then turned his back upon Oswald
who fred two more shots in rapid sue
cession. One of these struck McWeeney
on the left hip, as described above.
The wounded man then turned hi.
face to Oswald, and raising his hands, e.
ssyed to speak, but his words could nu'
be UNDERWOOD. He moved slowly back
ward and fell. BY this time Oswald va,
on his feet, his empty revolver in hi
hand. Some one said to him:
"Billv. you have killed Pat"
II know i',"replied Oswald. HE hae
no business to strike me-"
Oswald then passed hurriedly to tn.
back room, where there were severa
persons engaged At the games, and calico
for some one to give him "agun." NJ
one responded to bis request, and o.
valid then left the premises by the sid,
door.
Another version 10 that when McWee
ney protested against being calfeds IN in
famous name, Oswald aoarished his re
volver in McWeeney's face. striking hin
light blow with it. The face shows ~
abrasion Of the skin on the left cheel