The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-17

| ught supper ana my mother retired. !
could not sleep. put the money In my
pocket and came to the city.
Finally I drifted into ynriety show
and met woman. The money was sptnt
| for beer and after remaining there q short
time was asked II had any more money.
| spent all I had. but thought knew
where I could get some more. then
started for homo and ran nearly all the
wav.
II knew that my mother kept uoney In
pocketbook. which was on bureau in her
room. When reached the house entered
AZ quietly rs possible and proceeded to
her room. She was sleeping souadly I
walked over to tho bureau end was Just
in tho act Of taking the contents from the
pocketbook when fancied saw mother
move.
"As quick 90 a flash grabbed for a
razor. which was on the bureau, and made
tho fatal lunge I then ran out Of the
house. On Sixteenth and Avenue |. met
u friend. who asked me whcrc was so
Ing and noticing my state OF excitement
wanted me to return home. I would rot
return and had to resort to force to pre-
vent his trying to lead me back. Then
returned to the variety theatcr and spent
the stolen money with the woman.
Il left the women about 8 o'clock, and
somehow. l don't know what caused it,
seemed to have craving to return to the
home. there was no ono about the premises.
IL entered the house. My mother was
upon the bed. | glanced burriddly at the
corpse and planned fer Its disposition.
Several ways OF getting rid of 1t sug-
gested themselves to me. was desper-
ate. Why not burning2 / walked oycr to
table upon which was n lamp. took
some Of the oil from the lamp and threw
II over the corpse and on the furniture and
bed clothes. Then | applied mash and
left the house. The room was soon abla2e.
After setting tho place ON IRE I left.
but only to return In short time.
stayed around the house all day, alone
with the corpse. There was a bottle OF
whiskey In the loom from which drunk
literally. About q o'clock In the evening
went To- the beach and went In bathing.
me, several friends out there and chat
ted with them pleasantly.
at must have been IL o'clock when l
again returned home. ! remembered that
there was n $500 policy on the furniture.
and | thought | would again try 10 burn
my escape.
so again tried TO fire the place. Some
how tho clothing would not burn. The
smell OF burning flesh pcrvaded the room.
again left the room and visited tho hos
pital where | assisted some OF the local
surgeons in setting mans arm. l re-
turned home again. 1t was about 4:3o
o'clock. and made the third attempt o
burn the house and contents. This time
| was more successful
II went to the Scaly hospital, leaving the
fire In the room burning. When I returned
this morning about q o'clock. | WAS In
formed Of tho terrible tragedy by butcher
boy. I went into the house and viewed
my horrible work,
after committing the murder I washed
tho blood from tho razor and put II back
stains frcm my shirt.
II want to suffer the full penalty Of the
law and do not care for syu,oathy.
don't believe that they will hang me, be-
cause | feel that my mind has gone. 1t Is
the same .ory OF women and wine"
That Ia Gallnher's story. In some OF
tho details he Ia wrong. There Is good
reason to believe that he is lying about
the time the murder was committed. He
says Saturday night. Sunday afternoon
Miss Maggie Astali aud friend visited
Mrs, GallSher, 1t Is said Mrs. Gallaher
attended church at the Sacred Heart yes
terday morning, Neighbors say they saw
her last night.
Mrs. Kate Gallaher, the murdered wom-
an, was one OF the btst-known teachers In
| Galveston. She was a years old. and Tor
the last twelve years had been employed
| IN schools In this city. She was for =
| time In the West l., at another In the
| Avenue X, but lately had been In the TO-
| senberg school She was born on the
island OF Valencia. county Kerry. Ireland.
| Her husband is James e. Gallaher, who
| formerly conducted the Journal Of Com
| mercc. He Is now manufacturers agent
| for builders materials. His office Is Mt
| 2l09 Mechanic stree, Mr.. and Mrs. Gal
| laher did not live together, but neverthe-
less were good friends. They separated
about eighteen months ago, The last time
Mr., Galtaher saw his wife alive was two
weeks ago. She called at his office u few
days since to see him, but he was absent.
The house In which tho murder WIS
committed was occupied not only by Mrs,
Gallaher and her son Virgil, but also by
n family namcd Griffin, The Grinins had
tho east room and the Gallahers the west
Mr. Griffin is employed at the Mexican ca
Bile offior. He and his family are now OF
u visit TO Mexico.
Virgil Gallaher was once assistant bool,
keeper OF the Mexican Cable company an,
studied medicine. He Us remarkabi,
bright young man and a fnc olocutiunist
He read the Declaration OF Independence
at tho Fourth Of July celebration two years
ago, and has taken part In various public
anairs. His mother gave to him the bena-
NJ OF all her talent--and che was an unusu
ally well-educated woman--and expected
him to mske his mark In the world
Mrs, Mary Fitzgerald OF Houston is a sis.
ter OF the murdered woman. she was tel
ephoncd aud telegraphed TO.
policeman guarded the door of tht