Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-16
ONE DAY OF HORRORS
McKeesport Has Two Tragedies With
in Twenty-Four Hours.
HELD FOR HIS OLD AUNTS MURDER
Mysterious Shooting of Wealthy Miss Mar
garet Douglass.
JOHN CROSS FOUND POUNDED TO DEATH

MCheeSPOTb luEulSutu Two IuuTucT eousd-
tions yesterday. Around both of them lin
ger the elements of mystery, and, while one
of them may have been, and probably was,
the outcome OF a brutal drunken fight. the
! other, from the facts already known, ap-
pears to bear the impress Of unnatural pre-
meditation and cold -blooded cupidity.
Miss Margaret Douglass, maiden lady
of 81 years, has lived all her
life at River View, or East
Park, about 21k miles from Nc
Keesport. She owned the property upon
which she lived, together with valuable real
estate in the Second ward, McKeesport, a
large amount Of other real estate scattered
throughout the county and considerable
cash. With her lived her nephew, James
E. Myers, who was the heir to her estate and
whom she treated as a son. Being hale and
vigorous, Miss Douglass dispensed with the
services of domestics and performed the
necessary household duties herself.
Yesterday morning Constable J. M. Piper
started out to serve q summons IN civil
suit upon the nephew, who is member Of
the well-known real estate firm of Myers &
vankirk, in McKeesport, the Office being
on Fifth avenue. The constable called sew
eral times during the morning at MIR.
Myers office, but each time was unable to
find him. About P. NJ. the constable got
weary of waiting, and rode out to Mics
Douglass residence. He found Myers
there and served the summons.
SURPRISED THE CONSTABLE.
As the constable was about to leave he
inquired after Miss Douglass, with whom
he was acquainted, and was startled when
lscI .. Arro fnS lad
"What was the matter with herr inquired
the astonished officer.
"oh, don't know; think it must have been
heart failure. She died very suddenly" re-
piled Myers.
Ibid you call in pbysicianf' queried the
constable
Yes s sen; for D., wiggins; and sspec'
About this time the physician arrived accom-.
panied by Mrs. Eisenbeis The body OF the old
lady was reclining in chair, and after . very
superficial examination the doctor said he
could find no marks of violence.
Constable Piper suggested that closer ex-
animation be made. and the physician and Mrs.
Eisenbeis disrobed the corpse. Then the
cause Of death was discovered. The old lady's
skirts and underclothing were soaked and
despatched with blood, and In the back. just
apparently made BY a ball from revolver
The bullet had penetrated the old lady's dress
skirts and underclothing, and entered so far
into the body that DIR. Virgins was unable to
At once the doctor, the constable and Mrs.
Eisenbeis began to ply the nephew with ques-
tions as TO how the calamity happened, but the
latter professed entire ignorance of any shoot
ing, and expressed the greatest surprise at the
result Of the PHYSICIANS examination.
QUARRELED ABOUT MONEY.
The Coroner's office was notified. and Deputy
Coroner Grant Miller started Immediately for
the scene. After viewing the body, Mr.. Miller
made inquiries as to the relations between the
nephew and aunt Mrs. Alex Shaw.
who is the nearest neighbor, living
about 100 yards from Miss Douglass
residence. said that in the past two
months she had heard the two quarreling over
financial matters. A short time ago Myers
gave very elegant and costly banquet to some
and this appeared to have added intensity to
the quarrel. 1t is also said that Myers has been
spending money very freely in other ways of
late.
Deputy Coroner Miller questioned Myers
about his auut's death, but the nephew still
persisted IN protesting entire ignorance of the
matter. The fact that Myers was not at his place
of business all day yesterday, and the other
peculiar circumstances surrounding the case,
led Mr. Miller to feel justified in ordering
Myers arrest. and be was placed in the
Mckeesport lookup to await the result of
Coroniaf investigation into Miss Douglass
death.
Drs. Virgins and Black will hold post
mortem on the body this morning, and the in
fixed by Coroner Mcdowell.
ANOTHER TRAGEDY.
Shortly before o'clock yesterday morning
the dead body of John Cross was found lying
on a pile of logs near the Monongahela Furn-
ace Company's works in the Third ward Nc
Keesport The body was taken to Walks un-
dertaking rooms, where Drs c. H. and r. j.
Black held post mortem. 1t was found that
the wall of the chest had been completely
broken in and had penetrated the liver. and a
number of contusions were found on the head.
Cross was 81 years old and had been en-
pleyed at the National Tube Works. He had
quit work when the strike was ordered and
drew his pay Wednesday morning. He went
to Pittsburg, but returned about noon. During
the afternoon Cross, accompanied by Henry
Groves, William Mcmillan, Thomas Truxell and
John Ham, strolled around McKeesport. The
last seen of Cross was shortly before mid
night, when he was trying to take Mcmillan
Cross was apparently less under the influence
of liquor than Mcmillan. After squabbling a
little while both men started for what is known
in McKeesport as "Ruction Row." which is
near the Monongahela Furnace, and bears a
very bad repute, consisting of speak -easies and
dIsorderly houses frequented by all nationaIi-
ties and colors
A CRY OF MURDER.
Shortly after midnight Fritz Espy, who lives
in the neghborhood, heard cry of murder,
and looking out of the window, saw three men
go in the direction of the Monongahela Furnace.
Espy was unable to see the mems faces,
but they appeared to be quarrelihg, and he
heard the name of Mike used once or twice.
There was sl3 in the dead mau's pockets when
found.
The Coroner will hold an inquest this after
noon at 2 o'clock. The body was shipped to
the home of the dead mans parents at Mt.
Savage, Md. Cross had intended to start yes
terday for his home and remain with his
parents until the strike at the Tube Works was
settled.