The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-06

people. while those to whom she now
pays tribute will languish and decay.
We wish the Union a happy and
prosperous New Year.
JOHN GARY EVANS, Governor.
FLANAGAN A FIEND.
Murders Two Old People and Girl Near
Atlanta Georgia.
ATLANTA, Dec, 31.-Edward 9.
Flanagan, an employe of the Stand
ard Oil company, attempted to exter-
inmate the Allen family at Poplar
Springs, Dekalb county, tonight, and
did kill three mem bers. His victims
were Dixon E. Allen and wife, an old
couple, both more than 70 years old,
and Miss Ruth Slack. Flanagan
seems to have been in love with Leila
Allen, the 11-year-old grand daughter
of Dixon Allen.
The old couples married son, G..
w. Allen, and his wife and two chill
dren lived with them in a neat little
cottage four miles from the city linn
its. Flanagan had been boarding
with them for six months. His &C
tons today were not quite natural,
but he did not cause any alarm. 1t
was noticed though that he was anx-
ious to get the members of the family
to leave the house. Late in the after
noon he returned, and when supper
was announced he ate with the fami'
ly. When he had finished, he asked
Mrs. G.. W. Allen to give him a drink
OF water. She left the room to get it.
Her husband was standing by the
table talking to his father. Flanna-
gan went to his own room, and return
ing in q. moment, thrust a pistol
through a portiere close to the sons
head and fred. Allen lodged and the
ball struck him in the back of the
head. BE fell to the floor. Flanna-
gan stepped over his body and knock.
ed the lamp from the table with q
wave of his pistol. This left the
room in darkness. Old Mrs. Allen, Miss
Slack. who was sister of the young
er Mrs. Allen, and the children ran
into a room in terror. Flanagan
clubbed the elder Allen with his pis-
tol and killed him with a few blows.
Then he strobe quickly to the room
where the women were screaming and
began firing on them. Grandmother
Allen was shot through the body
twice and killed. Miss Slack was shot
through the back and mortally
wounded. At this moment the daugh-
ter-in-law who had gone for the wa
ter, returned and rushed into the
room. where she heard the firing.
She found that Flanagan was trying
to kill Leila, her daughter. She
struck the pistol and then clinched
with the murderer. Hestruggled and
she held to him until he had dragged
her out of doors. There she, by al.
most superhuman strength, threw him
to the ground. Flanagan fought
like mad man and tried his best to
shoot her. She succeeded in keeping
him from doing so for a minute or
more. By this time her husband had
recovered consciousness and he ran
out to his wife's rescue. Together
they were able to hold Flanagan
and disarm him. Mrs. Allen then
called for help, and when neighbors
arrived Allen was holding the muir
derer on the ground. Flanagan was
bound with ropes and held until
Sheriff Austin of Dekalb county ar
rived. In the meantime q large
crowd had assembled and they talked
of lynching Flanagan. The sheriff
did not wait to give opportunity, but
immediately hurried the prisoner off
and brought him into the city, where
he was placed in the county Jail.
Flanagan would not talk, except to
say that he was drunk. A bottle of
whiskey and $535 were found in his
pockets. He had evidently prepared
himself for flight.
Flanagan came to Atlanta from
Louisville, KY, last spring. He was
carpenter by trade, but of late had
some connection with the Standard
Oil company. Miss Slack, who died
about midnight, was from .Birming-
ham. She was to be married next
week. G.. w. Allen, who was not
dangerously wounded, is a contractor.
He thinks that Flanagan was inloVe
with his daughter, Leila, and wanted
to kill the entire family because he
could not marry the child.
Flanagan retained Judge Hillyer
to defend him. The attorney had
an interview with the prisoner at the
Jail tonight, but refused to talk and
asked the jailor not to allow any one
to see Flanagan.