Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-01-25
TOOK HIM FOR A WHITE CAP.
STORY OF A NEW JERSEY FARMER
WHO SHOT HIS BROTHER.
IN-LAW DEAD.

AAf 80 " DHhDs
MOUNT HOLLY, n. j., Jan. 21.-
Shortly after midnight yesterday
morning John Mcneil shot his
brother-in-law, JAS. Dellett, jr., on
his front doorstep. Death was
instantaneous. Mcneil lives on a
lonely road leading from SbamOng
station to Indian Mills, about &c
miles from here. The house is
situated IN a cluster Of pine trees
and is more than mile from any
other dwelling. Mcneil SAYS he
was awakened by a loud rapping
on the door. A number of White
Cap notices had been posted in the
neighbOrhood recently, and al
though they were generally sup
posed to be the work of mlschiev
Gus Young men, it had been
strongly limited in the past few
DAYS that serious work was sOou
to be done by the regulators.
M'NEL HAD RECEIVED NO WARN
ING.
Of impending punishment, and had
no reason to believe that he merted
one Of the whlppings tor which
these lawleSs bands are noted, but
the unreasonable hour Of the night
and the isolation Of his home made
him proceed cautiously.
The knocking was soon renewed
vigorously, and on looking out
another window Mcneil saw, in the
shadow of the trees of his front
yard, a solitary figure. Suspicious
OF the mysterious stranger, Mcneil
took his shotgun and went
cautiously down stairs to the front
door, which was sull being battered
by the fists OF the unknown visitor
lie opened 1t a short distance, and,
pOklng the gun out, said: "What
do you wantW
81 want yOu,' responded the
stranger, and started to enter the
house. As he did so he encounter
ed the end of the shotgun. Mcneil
pulled the trigger. \ lOud re-
port, a smOthered grOan, and the
dead body lay on the ground
weltering in blood that flowed
from a large wound near the heart
Up to this time Mcneil had not
the slightest idea who the man
was, nor had he seen him as be
started to enter the door. He felt
some one seize the gun and he
fired. The family was sO0H reused,
and an investigation showed that
the dead man was Jas. Dellett, jr.,
who had married McNei's sister
some years ago, who is now dead
Mcneil gave himself mp to the au
thorities to-day and is in jail
awaiting a hearing.
M'NEIL's STORY DIsCREDITED.
This is McNeiI's version of the
affair, and Is corrOborated by mem
bers of his family. 1t is known
that Dellett had spent Saturday
evening at SmalPs tavern, near
ShamOng station. He had drunk
considerable liquor and is believed
to have been intoxicated. II Nc
Neirs story is true he probably
knocked on the door in drunken
fancy as he passed. Mcneil denies
that he had any motives for com
hitting the crime, aud says he was
on the best possible terms with bis
brOther.in.law. There are many
persons who DO not believe Nc
NeiPs story and say that clrcum-
stances Indicate that it was cold.
blooded murder. The two men
have had trequeat quarrels. II
is thought OJ some persons
that Dellett was killed in the
woods by Men eil and dragged to
the front door step in order that a
plausible story OF his death might
be told. Dellett was about thirty
years old and leaves three small
children. His wife died about a
year ago. Deficits father is a
wealthy farmer aud Mcneil is also
prOSuprOus