The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-08
SHOT TO KILL HIM.
The Domestic Troubles of the
McNeils eliminate.
THE HUSBAND BADLY WOUNDED.
Jealousy the Cause of the Trsgedy-The
Woman's Statement In Jaii-Both
Parties Well Connected.

Yesterday afternoon at half past O'Clock Mrs.
Mary Mcneil shot her husband, John Mcneil, in
room of the Golden State hotel, No 200 South
Third street.
At that hour Officer Cave, who was standing
near the hotel heard four shots in rapid success
sion. He rushed into the building and found
everything In the utmost confusion. Mcneil
was lying on the sofa In room No. with a
sal.et in his back. without delay he hastened
70 the room OF the shooting and found Mrs. Nc
Nci! on porch in the rear of the room. lie
promptly arrested her and marched her of to
Jail She was as pale q ghost, her bosom
heared convuisively, and she labored under the
most intense excitement.
"whcre is your revolver" said the officer.
at il gone,' said the woman.
"Did ron do the shootingg' queried Cave
81 did" answered the infuriated woman, sand
shot to Kill the 49, - -.
"what did you shoot him for?'' persisted the
officer
To this there was no answer. The woman
evidently had cooled of sufficiently to realize
the gravity of the situation, and refused TO COM
NIT herself further
When the police headquarters was reached,
Mrs Mcneil was searched, and in her satchel
the police clerk found q 3s-caliber bulldog
double-action revolver, with every chamber
empty, aud envelope containing dozen
cartridges, all OF size to fit the pistol. She WAS
placed in cell upon the charge of assault with
deadly weapon with intent to kill
An examination OF the spot wherein the
crime was committed shows small room. com
fortably but not luxuriously furnished. 1t con-
fains bed, bureau, was hstsnd, table, stove and
chairs. In the south wall. near the ceiling, is
large hole in the plaster, fnrrowed by speedy
bullet. In the door, which was open, another
bullet had found its unerring way, while outside
on the wall OF the hall, another hole shows
where the third shot sped itE way. This third
shot had been fred at McSeiPs head. IL missed
that target but went through the hat, one-eighth
Of an inch above the top OF the skull. The
fourth bullet was aimed with skill that would
have done credit toa marksman, and IT struck
the object of the womans fury n little below
the right shoulder blade, just three inches from
the spinal cord, with an upward course. De-
spite two hours probing by the doctors, the
leaden pellet still remains in the body OF the
PROSTATE man.
From the course which the bullet took through
the hat, and from the nature of the wound, 1t
seems as though Mcneil had turned to leave the
room when the fusilade had begun. As soon
the man was struck he staggered into the hall
and walked with unsteady footsteps to the front
part of the house. without uttering word
There he fell into the arms of James McKeu-
drick, an employee OF the house, who removed
him TO room /, laid him on sofa, and sent post
haste for physician.
The wounded man bled profusely and when a
Posr-IsTELLIGEEcER man reached the house
Drs Jacobson and Ryan were busy hunting for
the ball. DR.. Ryan thought that the bullet had
lodged in the patients right lung and that the
wound would prove fatal. DIR. Jacobson gave as
his opinion that the ball was not yet to the
spinal column and that the wound, while very
dangerous. was not necessarily fatal in its
nature. The patient WINGED as the probes were
pushed into the yielding flesh, and with eyes
glaring with pain and fear, begged the doctors
not 10 smother him, and then sank into insensi-
bility from the application of ether.
No one saw the shots fired, but Mrs Nellie Nc
kcndrick, the housekeeper. wife OF James Nc
Kendrick, tells the story OF the probable imme-
diate cause Of the shooting. Mrs. McKendrick
Is OF devotional turn OF mind. ana up to three
weeks ago, when she accepted her present
position, was member of the Salvation Army
That band oil warriors drove her from the fold
because she became housekeeper in the hotel.
81 came here three weeks ago." sobbed Mrs.
kckendrick, "and since that time I have
scarcely slept wink. Mr.. and Mrs. Mcneil have
quarrelled necessarily since / came TO the
house, and The language used by both was
something awful to hear She eats morphine
and he drinks very heavily, and when each is
under the influence, and az other times as we'll.
ehey tight and quarrel almost all the time. She
shot ut him two weeks ago. In room u there is
acaptain and Mrs. Miller 1t appears that Mrs.
Miller had been in the house before, and Mrs.
Mcneil got IL into her head that her husband
had been too attentive TO the lady. When the
Millers camc again, on Saturday, Mrs. Mcneil
Immediately suspected that something was
wrong. She accused Mcneil of undue intimacy
with the lady in question, and on one occasion
rushed into Mrs. Miller's room aud seized a
bouquet from her breast, that she understood
Mcneil had given her. Since then the pickering
kos In
ono about the house knows of this, and speaks
OF the hatred that existed between the couple -
Mckendrick, who is night clerk at the hotel
states that yesterday about noon Mrs Mcneil
left the house in her old clothes went 10 tina
Russian bath house and the drug store, and re-
turned fifteen minutes before the shooting
dressed In very fine clothing, and that he be.
hevcd she intended to shoot her husband aud
poison herself Immediately afterwards Nc
Kendrick believed that she had a quantity of
the drug on her In her cell.
Immediately after the shooting Mrs Mcneil
was seen in her cell. As the rusty hinges creakei
abe came into view, standing In the cell. her
eyes bloodshot and her arms folded
my God, is he dead" she shrieked, every line
OF her face betokening intense anxiety
"No," came the answer.
"Thsuk God for that. am not a rnurteress :"
exclaimed the wretched woman, as she fell upon
the hard wooden bench OF her cell, aud the
tears burst forth from the pent-up floodgates of
emotion.
"Mrs Mcneil" said the reporter, II want a
frank. fun statement from you"
81 win say nothing. for you newspapers have
always been unjust to me- aud together with
Mcneil have shut the door of public sympathy
upon me"
After time Mrs. Mcneil gave her version o,
the affair. I'll had inside up my mind 10 leave
Mcneil, she said. although ! am friendless
aud without money. But l could stand his
abuse aud cruel treatment no longer I tried To
slip out when Mcneil was asleep, but he came
into the room. saw that | had mr. things
packed, and began 20 quarrel with me lie
struck my nose and eye, bruised me. and called
ME every vile name known TO the tongue of
biaspheiny. opened my satchel. He saw The
pistol in II, and exclaiming that he had a
weapon, toe, put his hand TO his hind rocket As
II TO draw was already maddeued with his
taunts, his curses and blows, and fearing fer my
life, fired, and fred sgaln knew not what
did, and now l am here in a dungeon 10 aux,se-
Cor the deed. | wanted 90 go peaeeably. but he
would not let rae and forced me TO do the shoot
ing.
Much more the woman said. She spoke Of her
nome in san Francisco OF her two bows there
respectable, intelligent aud honest: that she
came OF good family aud Tor fifteen years had
followed the stage fog S living A. IN. heavy
door closed upon her. she Historically berxe,,
she taller not 10 leave her alone that she As on
che verge OF insanity now, aud that a few hours
al solitary confinement would steal away her
reason
Mcneil Is man well axed financially He
came from Elmlrs. y. Y, where his family i
said 60 be well known and highly respected.
Before coming 20 Seattle ana engaging in th,,
hotel business he was successful dry goods
merchant In his native city.
Later In the day his attorney was elose;e,i with
Mcneil and though weak FINN TIA los ~ ~