Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-25
ATTEMPTED MERDER And SUICIDE.

ABOUT elSlt O'CLOCK last DlgnC Wnlle
Oficsr Sherwood was in the Deighbor
hood of the intersection OF Wolfe an6
Lee streets slim, dark-complexioned
young man walked leisurely by him ir
northerly direction. The officer
slackened his pace and kept behind
him, and when fhe young man reached
Duke street he crossed to the southeast
corner aud stood in the shadow of Mr.
Chas. w. Moore's residence. The of
ficer upon arriving abreast of him
thinking his movements strange, cross.
ed, and after scanning the man crossed
the tagging to the northeast corner
aud then to the northwest corner.
There being nothing apparent to detain
him he sauntered slowly along the
west side of Lee street in 3 northerly
direction. On the opposite eide of the
street a young woman leading chill d
was proceeding in southerly direc-
ton. When Mr.. Sherwood was at the
First National Bank steps he heard
two pistol shots in rapid succession
and after few seconds interval anoth-
er which came from the intersection OF
| Duke and Lee streets. The shrek of a
female followed the sound of the pistol
shots and he ran back as fast as posi-
BILE, and found the young man he had
left on the corner, who proved to be
Walter Paragory, dead with pistol
ball in his right temple, and young
girl, Miss Annie Haney, known as
Annie Rooney" the same he had seen
passing down the east side of the
stree), with ball through her left ear
and her face blackened with powder.
The girl had run in an easterly direc-
ton, had fallen, and young man who
had come to her rescue was picking her
Up. Officer Ferguson, who lives in
the neighborhood, had hold of Para
CORY when Mr.. Sherwood reached the
scene. Mr.. Ferguson had just reached
his home when the shooting occurred,
and hearing the shots he rushed from
the house, when he heard cries of an
guish to the effect, "They have killed
my child" which emanated from rela-
tive of the child who was with Miss
Haney. He saw Paragory, who had
fallen on his knees, on the corner, and,
supposing he was drunk, caught hold
OF him and found he had hold of a
corpse. Paragory, after sending the
bullet into his head, fell on his knees,
with his pistol under him, His head
was toward the west and pool of blood
had flowed to the pavement.
A large crowd soon gathered around
the dead man and all sorts of stories
were circulated as to the origin of the
affair. The following seem to be about
the facts in the case:
Paragory and the girl (who is about
16 years of age) have been keeping
company for some time, whether with
any intention of getting married is not
known, and of late he had grown in
sanely jealous of her. The girl had
been employed in the house of Mr.. Ben.
Posey, who lives on the south side of
Duke street., between Lee and Union,
and night or two ago Paragory went
to see her and became so disorderly
that Officer Davis had to enter and
eject him. 1t is evident Miss Haney
was averse to giving her admirer any
monopoly of her company, and this
fact preyed so upon the mind of Para
CORY that he grew desperate. He was
in an ugly mood when last seen alive
and when he stationed himself on the
corner where the shooting occurred il
was his intention to kill the girl
and himself. He knew she would
soon pass, and upon her approach,
to the horror of the girl, she
saw the cleaning pistol which had
been placed at her left ear. In the
twinkling Of an eye she threw her head
aside and the ball from the weapon
passed through instead of into her ear.
This quick movement saved her life.
| She screamed aud ran from him and he
fred again, but the bullet passed
through her hat and did her no harm.
She fell, however, aud Paragory, sup
posing her to be killed, muttered some
thing to the effect that he would be
hanged, and placing the weapon to his
right temple pulled the trigger. As
stated above. he fell upon his knees.
and was in that position with his head
hanging down when Officer Ferguson
caught hold of him. Chief Webster,
with other officers, were soon On the
scene, and wagon having been pro-
cured the body of Paragory was con.
veyed to Mr.. Demaine's undertaking
establishment, where the inquest was
held this morning.
Miss Haney was attended by DIR.
Jones, who found her wound was by no
means dangerous.
The grief of the father of young Para
CORY when he reached the scene of the
suicide and saw the dead body of his
son stretched upon the pavement was
heartrending. His anguish knew no
bounds and his lamentations caused
many to turn from the scene. This
morning he went to Washington on the
6 o'clock boat, and it is said acted as
though he would bury his troubles in
the bottom of the river, but kind hands
interposed and deferred him from the
rash act.
Paragory came here when small
child with his parents from Washing-
ton. He had but recently attained his
majority. He had no trade, and last
summer was employed at the st. Asaph
track. Recently he had been an attache
of the Opera House restaurant. Miss
Haney is daughter of Albert Haney,
who was killed in an accident on the
Southern Railway some years ago. Her
mother subsequently married man
imed Lamb.
DR.. Purvis held an inquest at De-
maine's undertaking establishment this
morning. The jury was composed Of
Frank Evans, foreman, Julius nienelt,