The Springdale news., 1889-10-11
The Cute Little Town Of Springdale Shaken From Center to
 Circumference.
A Romance of Very Low Order Ends
 In Disastrous Manner.
The Sad Death of Mistress Martha
 SWaney.
4 COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE AFFAIR.


 day morning the people living 0 n the vicinity of the small brick resi- dence occupied by Mrs Martha Swaney and family were startled by seeing Mrs. Swaney run from the house toward the front gate screaming and calling for help. At the same time, or soon thereaf- ter, Claud s. Drake, a young man who had been ogtens siDl y visiting at the Swaney residence since Sunday morning ran down the street to the business part of town lnquiring ex- eitedly for doctor to go at once to see Mrs. Swaney who, he said, had accidentally shot herself with pis- toi. The first person who reached l the house after the shooting found Mrs. Swaney standing in the room holding her hands on her abdomen, and while crying and screaming managed to tell the visitor that she had shot herself. Dr. D. Christian vas summoned and by the tune he reached the house il was crowded with the most eager and excited collection of men and women ever seen together in Springdale. An examination made by Drs. Chris tian and Atwood showed that the ball had entered the abdomen near the navel, ranging downward. The ball, Il 28 calibel, had struck q steel corset stay, carrying a pelce of the steel into the wound with it. The peice of steel was extracted. but nothing could be done to locate the ball. Dr. ". B. Welch of Fay etteville was telegraphod for by Dr. Christian, and on hls arrival in the afternoon consultation by Drs. Welcb, Christian and Young was beld, their unanimous opinion being that the wound would prove fatal in spite of anything that t was m ther power to do. The poor wo- man received all the attention and assistance that the best medical tal- ent could give, but sine gradually grew weaker and weaker until about ten o'clock on Tuesday night she died. She Was buried Wedncs- day evening. Mrs. Swaney was a mlddle-aged lady and leaves three chlldren-all boys-the oldest be- ng about + years of age.
 The life and character of the ua- fortunate woman and her associates so far as Enown among the people here, together with varIeus circum. stances known to exist prior to the shooting and other circumstances that have happened sin ce, caused many persons of good 1gment to suspect that the shooting was not altogether accidental and that some one other than Mrs. Swaney was re- sponsible for 1t. Therefore 1t was de- eided to hold an inquest, and in the absence of the county Coroner A. J. Hale, Justice of the Peace, caus- ed a jury of inquest to be empanel. ed on Wednesday morning eompos- ed of the following named gentle men: II. K. Swartwout, J. N. Jack son, Joe Kennedy, A. Lininger, l.. P. Haywood, P. NJ. Owenby, Greene Parrot, J. k. Goodman, John Pharr, c. q. Dodson, Eugene Livingston and A. Lowe, who on being sworn proceeded to the Swancy residence about II clock a. m. and com menced their Investigations by viewing the dead body and every thing in and about the residence which might in any way or manner throw light upon the matter under investigation. After making thor ough investigation at the residence the jury repaired to the Justice's office where they were engage d during the remainder of the day and until 10 o'clock at night in a thorough examination ofa number of witnesses who were subpoenaed before them.
 The evidence showed, as was al ready known to umber of Spring dale people before, that Mrs. Swanav had for several years been leading rather unsavory life, and