The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-12
A BULLET IN HIS HEART.
POLICEMAN DEIaNAN SUICIDES IN
AFT OF DEPENDENCY.

A FIT OF pESPONDENO
A Spell of Sickness Affected His Mind
ana He Imagined He Was to Be Ar
rested and Discharged From the
Forcs-Under ths Shadow of Mo-
mentary Insanity He Selzsd His Pts
tol and Shot himself Dead.
Mounted Policeman Matthew Deignan
committed suicide yesterday afternoon q
few minutes after o'clock at his home.
Henry and Price streets.
The weapon used was one Of the 44-caliber
cavalry revolvers carried by mounted off,
GERS. The bullet entered the right breast
at an angle, and is supposed 20 have passed
through the heart Death was almost in
Simultaneous.
Deignan had been sick for about eight
weeks, but about three days ago he reported
for duty. In a short while, however, a
message was sent to police headquarters
that the officer had fallen from his horse,
and the ambulance was sent after him and
he was taken to his home. Since then his
mind has been wandering at times, and he
became possessed of the hallucination that
he was to be discharged from the force and
would starve To death.
SEIZED BIZ AN HALLUCINATIoN.
Yesterday morning he got out Of bed and
brushed up his uniform, telling his wife that
officers were coming after him to take him
to the barracks, and he was TO be tried for
his life. Seeing that there was something
radically wrong with her husband, Mrs.
Deignan humored him and remarked,
why, you have done nothing to be tried
for"
20. that's all right" he replied. "I've
got TO 60 to court, and / will be discharged,
and then we'll starve to death"
His wife told him not to worry about
starvation, but nothing could get this idea
cut CO h;s mind
About IL o'clock Deignan went back to
bed, and remained there until shortly be-
fore o'clock, when he got up, and, calling
to his wife. asked where his daughter Jane
was. She told him that the girl was prob
ably at some Of the neighbors' houses and
would be in shortly. Mrs. Deignan then
cows. and on returning found her husband
sitting on a chair near the door leading out
to the piazza.
EXAMINED HIS PISTOL
In his right hand he held his revolver, ap-
paFenty examining it. AS soon as he sa W
his wife he again asked IL his daughter had
returned, and was told that she had not,
but would probably be In within the next
few minutes Mrs. Deignan, thinking that
her husband was going to clean his re-
volYer. paid little attention to the fact of
his having 1t in his hand. As she turned
to go into an adjoining room Deig-
trouble; good-by." She looked back and
he had the revolver in his hand, pointing
toward her, and an distracted look on his
face Mrs. Deigaau smiled, thinking he
was simply wandering, as he had been all
day, and continued on into the next room.
just as she reached the table she was
startled with pistol shot behind her, fol-
lowed immediately by groan. She turned
quickly and saw her husband fall from the
chair to the foor. Realizing at a glance
what had happened, she ran screaming
through the street to the house of Officer
McQuade, who lives but a block distant,
and told him that her husband had shot
himself. He jumped out OF bed, and,
throwing on few pieces Of clothing, ran
as fast as possible to Deignan's house.
A TERRIBLE SIGHT.
AS he opened the door he saw his brother
officer lying on the floor, with his SHIRT on
fire and stream of blood gushing out Of
his right breast, while by his side lay the
deadly weapon. Officer McQuade extin-
gnished the fire, and. picking up the dead
man, laid him across the bed. He then
went to the barracks and reported the sui
oide, and Officer Preudible was sent TO
notify Coroner Dixon. The coroner went
Immediately 10 the scene, and, after investi-
eating all Che circumstances, decided an in
quest unnecessary, and gave a certificate
for Deignan's burial.
A MORNING NEWS reporter reached the
house in about twenty minutes after the
shooting. He found the dead officers wife
and two daughters in a terrible state of
grief, and their screams could be heard
quite distance. Kind neighbors we're
trying to console them, with but little eff
feet. The daughters hung over the body of
their dead father and begged him TO speak
to them, and then they gave way 10 par
oxysms of grief. The scene was affecting
In the extreme, and there were but few peo-
ME in the room with dry eyes. A crowd of
people gathered outside of the house. at
tracted by q morbid desire to get glimpse
OF tie dead man, but no one but friends Of
the family were allowed to enter.
A FAITHFUL OFFICER.
Officer DelgnRn was about 80 years old.
and had been member of the police force
since iee Organization by Gen. Anderson in
1860. He served 10 the confederate army
during the war with Company A Of the
Irish Jasper Greens. He leaves a wife and
five children two sons and three daughters.
one Of the latter being married. He was
native Of County Westmeath, Ireland, but
came to America quite young, having lived
in Savannah about thirty-five years.
officer Deignan was regarded as one of
the best men on the police force, and a de-
tachmenJ of officers will attend his funeral
this afternoon at o'clock.
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