Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-24
CRUS ED Err BODY
Joseph Beam, Sane or Insane, is q Muir
derer.
Shoot. His stepdnushtS r Five Times
and Stamps ON Her body
Terrible Crime.

A. Beam may be insane. Saturday after
noon about $3.50 o'clock he murdered his
srepdaughter Mrs Annie l.. Leahy, at her
home No. 226 Maryland avenue northeast,
by sending five bullets into her body, and
now it is claimed that he Ia insane. But
the prisoner himself makes no such pre-
tensions He went to the house to see his
wife, who had ordered him away from
home only q few weeks ago. His step
daughter, who was a widow, objected to
his going upstairs to see the woman whom
he had soiemnly promised to love, honor
and protect, and in the words of the muir
derer II simply killed her."
The affair caused considerable excitement
in this quiet part of the city, and was the
means Of attracting several hundred per-
sons to the house. Beam Is by no means
stranger in police circles. He is not yet
fifty years old and has resided here a num-
Der of years. During this time he has
figured in assault cases In court, at one
time being accused of having attempted
the life of the late j. Parker Jordan, when
the latter called at his apartments in what
is known as Riders Castle" on New Jer-
sey avenue. Later he was in court for
beating his wife and was required to pay
the penalty.
Mrs. Beam, 1t appears. had control over
her house, and when her husband did not
conduct himself properly she ordered him
out, and he knew that she meant 1t. He is
much larger than his wife, but she is not
afraid Of him, and when, several weeks
ago. she said go" he went. Then, having
no home. he sought out several liquor sa-
looms and spent his money for cheap liquor.
Just what effect this had on his brain, of
course, is not known, but when he COM
mitted the horrible tragedy 1t Is said he
was perfectly sober, and II he had been
drinking he denied 1t.
1t is generally supposed that he went to
the house, intending to kill his wife and her
two daughters, the deceased, and Miss
Lizzie GoetZ But the widow answered the
bell and she was the only one to get killed.
Beam went to the house about o'clock
and saw his wife and daughter in the yard.
He had the two revolvers In his Overcoat
pockets, and thinking he would get In the
yard where they were and surprise them,
he went to the front door, expecting to
find it unlocked. Then he could have gone
through the house and out the back door.
But the door was locked and so the disap-
pointed carpenter made an effort to go
through neighboring yard and scale the
fence. But then he came in contact with
large dog and again his murderous mis-
sion was interrupted. He then walked
away from the house and paced the street
for fully thirty minutes before he return
ed to the little house back In the yard and
made known the fact that somebody was
at the door. r. Il
Il want to see my wife" said the heay-
lily armed man.
His stepdaughter told him he could not
enter the house, and added, mother IS
sick and you can't see her." ~
Fatal Act.
The man gave vent to his feelings To
be denied the privilege of seeing his wife
was more than he cared to stand, and as he
spoke he drew the two revolvers.
Mrs. Leahy cndeavored TO slam the door
In his face, but the foot of the heavy man
prevented her. and when he threw the
weight of his body against the door the
heavy piece of wood went against the wo-
man with such force that she was thrown
violently against the wall
Then he pulled the trigger and a bullet
entered the abdomen of the woman Mrs
Beam came to the head of the stairs at
this juncture and Beam told her If you
come down here I'll kill you too"
In the meanwhile the fatally wounded
woman was lighting for her life and when
she broke away and started to run an
other bullet struck her In the region of
the first. Mrs. Leahy, who was then grad
ualiy becoming weaker from the effects
of the wounds, started through the house
in the direction of the kitchen, and as
she ran the Infatuated man fired two more
shots. These bullets missed the woman
and she succeeded in reaching, as she
supposed, a place of safety. She closed
the kitchen door behind her, and locked
1t, but the strong man broke it down and
again used his pistol on the woman, who
begged piteously for her life. He was
deaf to her entreaties, and, pressing the
barrel against her left breast. he pulled
the trigger three times in rapid success
sion and sent as many bullets into her
body. Even after all these wounds were
inflicted the woman managed to run from
the house and fell dead in the yard.
brutal Treatment.
Beam kicked her. even after life was ex-
tinct, and made use of language. accusing
the dead woman of having made his home
a hell and said Il have killed YOU"
Policeman Wagner and several citizens
were soon upon the scene, but Beam re-
loaded his revolver and used such threat
ening language that no one felt like risk
ing his life. The policeman was in cit-
Zen's clothes and unarmed. When Beam
thought they were going to make a move
in his direction he rushed out of the yard
and went across Maryland avenue.
Congressman Meiklejohn happened to be
passing at the time and grabbed the man,
who still held a pistol in each hand and
held him in a manner to prevent his using
either weapon and then he was hauled
away in the patrol wagon to the 9th police
station.
When the Congressman grabbed the man
who had killed his stepdaughter. the prs-
oner was attracted to the Congressman's
Masonic charm, attached to his chain, and
inquired: Are you a Mason?"
Beam, as already stated is not fifty years
old and his wife is about fifteen years his
senior. Mrs. Leahy, who was the widow of
Stephen Leahy, was about thirty-five years
old. She was married in New York, and
her husband died In Chicago about eigh-
teen months ago.
The prisoner, ii appears, met his wife In
Stanton Park recently and made all sorts of
promises, but she would not agree to his re-
turn home. Saturday morning he sent his
wife u note asking her to meet him at gro
Gerry store on Sd street but she paid no
attention, and when he called at the house
a little later she slammed the door in his
face and refused to see him.
THE COURTS.