New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-08-21
Saw the Trag!edY.l

Saw the Tragedy,
San FRANCISCO, Aug 15.-Among the pas
sengers on the Southern overland train was
Col. &. G. Otis. editor Of the Los Angeles
Times. He was standing outside of the de-
pot dining room al Lathrop when the shoot
ing Of Judge Terry occurred, and was at the
scene of the tragedy moment later. In an
interview he said: sJustice Field was among
| the first of the passengers to enter the din
| ing room. He took seat at table facing
the door. United States Deputy Marshal
Maggie sat at his side. Soon after
they sat down David s. Terry
and his wife entered the room. When Mrs
Terry saw Justice Field she turned and hur-
ridly Went out of the room to the train, the
! superstition being that she went after a
pistol or a bottle Of vitrio. Terry sat down
at table further up the dining room, and
while waiting to be served, glared at Field.
Presently he arose and walked over to the
| atter's chair. Judge Field was leaning over
him from behind, and without a word of warn
| Ing delt him blow on the side of the face
| Al that instant Nagle cried hold, hands off
| that man. Justice Field looked up, and as
| he told me afterward, never saw such pict-
ure of incarnate hatred as that depicted upon
Terry's face Terry did not heed the
marshars warning, and raised his clenched
| fist 10 deliver a second blow. That menac-
| ing gesture was
THE LAST ACT OF HIS LIFE.
Quick as a flash Maggie drew his pistol and
| sent bullet through his heart. A greatcom-
motion then arose in the dining hall and on
the platform. Mrs. Terry ran about from
the train to the dining hall door franLioaily
demanding her satchel which some one had
| taken from her. She then stormed about
the tn a door demanding entrance and charging
those who had barred her out with shielding
1nurderers" Col. Otis declared. II happen to
know thai the deputy marshal was acting
| under direct written Instructions from the
attorney general to protect the persons OF
Judge Field and Sawyer at all hazards In
conversation with me before, Justice Field
had said he was not responsible for the con-
slant attendance of the deputy and was
! rather annoyed at it, but the officer insisted
upon carrying out his instructions to the
letter Justice Field told me he was not
armed, although he was frequently urged to
| arm himself, but would never do so, and had
declared that when IL becomes necessary for
Justice of the United States supreme court
to go about i'll the performance OF his duty
carrying firearms with which to protect his
| person, it would be time to abolish our
| courts"
Terrys History.
David s. Terry was born in Todd county.
Ky, in 1928. He served in the Texan war
under Sam Houston. He came to California
in 1949 and settled in Calaveras county. In
1855 he was elected justice of the supreme
court of California on the Native American
ticket, and upon the Death OF Chief Justice
Murray in 1857 Judge Terry became chief
| Justice. He was opposed to the vigilance
| committee of 1856, and stabbed one of the
members Of the committee who had at
/ tempted to arrest Maloney, friend of Terry.
| Terry was held by the vigilantes, but was
afterwards released. In 1860 Terry was de-
feated as Hancock elector, although his
associates were elected Sept 8, 1888. he
was sent to jail for six months for cOntem pt
of court by Justice Field He was married
to
SARAH ALTHEA HILL.
who claimed to be the wife of ex-senator
Sharon. while prosecuting her claim against
| the Sharon estate This brought them into a
| resentful attitude toward Justice Field. who
| last year rendered a decision in the United
| States circuit court in this city. DENYING her
| claim to be the wife of Sharon. Mrs Terry
| created scene in court during tine reading
OF the decision, charging Justice Field with
being corrupt. and as she refused to remain
| quiet, Justice Field directed that she be re-
| moved from court When deputy at
tempted to carry out the order of the court
she became involved in personal quarrel
with that official, and Judge Terry inter
fered. drawing dagger from his vest He
was disarmed, and both Terry and his wife
| We're adjudged for contempt and committed
to jail. In the meantime Justice Field went
to Washington to resume his duties on the
bench. returning to San Francisco six weeks
ago. Newspaper articles We're printed init
mating uhatit would be dangerous for JUS
tice Fled and Judge Terry to meet person.
ally, as Swas thought the latter might in
suit the former, while the fact was also
recognized that Justice Field would be
quick to resent an attack from Terry know
Ing it could only result fatally to one or the
other, in view Of the latter's record.