The herald., 1894-01-24
COWARDLY ASSASSINATION
A Chastity Double Tragedy
Near Petaluma.
Rancher Meagher Shot by an
Unknown Party.
The Assassin Then Blew Out His
Blind Wife's Brains.
A Jail Delivery at Santa Rosa-Bruggy
and Another Murderer Among the
Escspss-One More Effort
to Save McNulty.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PErALUMA, Jan. 23.-At 9:30 this
morning two ranchers drove terriically
into town and notified the officials
that Frank Meagher, who lives on the
Willow ranch, one and half miles from
town, was dying from gunshot wound,
and that his wife had been instantly
killed by come party unknown. Officiale
and physicians at once started for the
scene. The sight that met their gaze
was sickening and ghastly beyond de-
scription. There are two houses on the
ranch, one fine, modern. handsomely
furnished residence, the other en- old
house in which the family lived portion
ofthe time, and in which Mrs. Meagber
was shot. In the kitchen, partly re-
clinlng on the floor and against a
lounge, her body and clothing saturated
with blood, lay Mrs. Meagher, cold in
death. In the back bed room, lying in
bed, well-covered with clothes, lay her
husband, moaning slightly. A CHASTITY
wound was in the back OF his head,
showing where he had been wounded.
A physician at once examined him and
removed several shot from his jaw and
mouth, and his serious injuries were
dressed.
In the meantime the body of Mrs.
Meagher Was placed on table, and it
was found that the entire charge of
a shotgun, loaded with mixed ehot, had
struck her squafely on the right temple
at close range, tearing a ghastly hole in
her head,
From Indications, Meagher had been
sitting on a chair in the kitchen reading
a book; he had his back to the window
and his wife wae at the table beside him,
engaged in making bread. The assassin
crept up in front of the house until
within l5 feet of the window, when,
kneeling, he fred a shot, striking
Meagher, VINO no doubt fell back in his
chair, stunned, the book falling at his
feet. Mrs. Meagher, who Was stone
blind, terrified by the gun report, evil
IDENTITY CROPPED her way through the door
into the adjoining room, and endeavored
to open the door leading to the front
porch, and as che opened this, the MUIR
derer poked the deadly weapon against
her head, fired, and she fell dead.
A large pool of blood remains to tell
the tale. To finish the job, the perpe-
traitor Of the deed dragged the body into
the kitchen against lounge near where
the husband was shot, and went away,
leaving both for dead. Meagher must
have remained unconscious for some
time, anI when he revived dragged him
self to bed in the back room and re-
mained there until this morning.
A theory is advanced by the officers,
who state that Meagher, who is a man
of fine physique, might easily have
wandered around while out of his mind,
and in this way account for the several
trails of blood in the house and finding
him in bed. The tracks of the muir
derer were plainly visible outside the
house, and proved by the officers. Two
panes of glass were broken by the first
shot, which hit the husband. and half
OF the charge lodged in the window
sash, and half in Meagher's neck.
Great excitement prevails in the city.
and large knots of citizens are discuss
ing the horrible affair. There is no clue
to the perpetrator. unless it is the marks
of number 10 rubber boot, just where
the shooter stood. An inouest will be
held tomorrow.