The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-14
Murdered IN TEXAS.
Mrs James Howard ceives News OF Her
Daughters l. ,rrible Death.

Monday telegram was received at the
Western Union Office in this city, adj
dressed to David Howard, and stating
that his sister, Mrs. McDonougb, had
been murdered at Lyons, Tex. The West
ern Union people tried hard to find David
Howard but no such man lived in the
city Strange coincidence that it is, the
message was put into the hands of mes
senger boy named Howard, brother OF
the murdered woman, and for three days
he carried around with him the news OF
his sisters murder, trying 10 ind the man
to whom it was addressed. He did not
know the contents of the message or he
could have explained the matter. The
little fellow tried hard to find David
Howard. and searched all over the city,
but in vain. Yesterday morning similar
message came to Mrs. James Howard, and
this was also put into the hands OF the
Howard boy for delivery. why" said
he, this is ny mother" and then the
whole matter was explained. When he
was told that his sister was murdered, the
little fellow burst into tears and conveyed
the sad news TO his mother, who lives at
I4OS South Topeka avenue. Mrs. Howard,
of course, was stricken with grief, but
concluded to leave last night for Lyons.
The following special dispatch has been
sent out concerning the murder from
Brennan. Texas:
AT section house No. "a, two miles north
of Lyons, a station sixteen miles north OF
this city, on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa
Fe road, yesterday evening, Mrs. Barney
McDonnough, wife of the section boss,
was brutally murdered while at home with
her two small children, her head having
been beaten into an unTecognlZable mass
with "a pick handle. The fiend or fiends.
whose only motive could have been rape,
not content with outraging mother with
an infant sn her arms, killed her 1-year-
old bov, his head being pounded into a
jelly by the same pick handle. The lnno-
cent babe, crying for the nourlshment OF
its mother, was found sitting IN its
mothers life blood and between the two
horrible corpses, by the railroad men who
boarded there, when their days
work was done and they came to
supper. They gave the alarm,
and Sheriff Wommack of Burleson
county. was summoned He reached the
scene this morning, where he was joined
By 100 armed horsemen. who volunteered
to help him scour the country for the per-
petrators of the horrible outrage.
The husband had been absent for three
DAYS and his whereabouts were not known,
ami he has not yet been found. a courier
from that section at o'clock this after
noon stated that during the day two ar
rests had been made, one of a white man
who is a track walker on that portion OF
the Santa Fe. and the other yellow he
gro. and there was strong talk Of lynchIng
and that if the posse in charge arrived at
the conclusion That they had the right
parties they would be burned. The whole
section is wrought up over the horrible
affair.
A negro was burned in the same section
for similar ofiense two years ago. The
names of the two men arrested are Frank
ConnOrs, white, and Frazier Davis, color
ed, and the evidence is against them. a
special from there at O'Clock tonight said
they were still being held.
The murdered woman was until two years
ago Wichita girl, when she married
James McDonnough. 1t is only a few
months ago when she was here visiting
her mother and had the baby with her
which is mentioned in the special dispatch.
The father of the unfortunate woman is
now i'll Chicago, connected with the sew
age department., but was until some time
ago connected with the same department
in this city.