Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-12-01
WOMAN'S BODY FOUND.
Hickey, Alias Ryan, Leads Police
to Where the Remains
We're Buried.

Chicago, ILL.,, Nov 29.-The body Of
murdered Mrs. Merry was found buried
in ditch yesterday afternoon near the
north side of Eighty-seventh street and
Western avenue.
Thomas Hickey, alias Ryan, an employee
of Merry, tie peddler, arrested Friday,
made full confession of his share in the
crime and led the police TO the place
where the body was buried. 1t was taken
to the county mOrgue.
In a voice choking with sobs Hickey, or
Ryan as he is known by many, told Capt.
Wheeler that little "Christy" Merry
spoke the truth when he said, Papa
killed mamma with 4 poker.
Revolving Story of Brutality.
The confession reveals story OF bru,
of seeing Merry with his fingers clutched
about the throat of his wife, and sad
that the peddler, assisted by James
Smith, the other accOmplice, labored
from Z o'clock the evening of Thursday,
November IS, till 3 o'clock the next
morning in an effort to restore the Wom-
an to consciousness. Failing to do this
the husband ended his wife's misery by
beating her brains out with poker.
To part of the tragedy Hickey was an
| eye witness, according to his statement
to the police He began his account of
the affair by stating that Merry had driv-
| en- to No 224 Green street during the
afternoon of the day upon which Mrs.
Merry was murdered, to the home of a
family by the name of Hollip, with whom
| his wife had been stopping for three
weeks, and took her home in the buggy.
| She had left him three weeks before
for fear he would do her violence on ac-
count of a $50 fine which had been i'm
posed upon him in the Maxwell street po-
! lice court at her instigation. She still
| bore marks of the beating which had
| been the cause of his arrest when Mer-
ry returned with his wife about o'clock.
Was Choking His Wife.
| At { o'clock Hickey went to the front
| door of the house, intending to inform
| Merry that there was no feed III the barn
| for the horses. He pushed open the door
with the intention Of entering the house,
| but drew back in horror, he says, at the
| sight before him. Upon her back on a So
ia in a corner of the parlOr lay Mrs. Mer-
~, her husband bending over her, Hickey
says, and grasping her by the throat with
his left hand. She was gasping for
| breath and making a choking sound with
| her throat. AS the door opened, Merry,
| Hickey says, turned wrathfully upon
| him, and to his statement concerning the
| feed he replied with curses. and told
| Hickey to go and order it from the feed
dealer and keep out of the house. Hickey
ulu ue w do lOlI. anu Will lue lieu
| arrived a half hour later went again to
the house to get the money with which
to pay the bill
AT that time the woman was sitting in
an almost upright position against the
back of the sofa with her head bent back
against the wall and her husbands fin
gers still clutching her throat. She was
black in the face, according to Hickey,
and her tongue was protruding from her
| mouth.
When Hickey mentioned the money for
the feed he says he was met with another
volley of Oaths and told to tell the dealer
he would be paid the next day. Of the
| subsequent proceedings in the house
Hickey declared he knew nothing until
the story was related to him the follow
ing morning by Merry and Smith when
he went to the barn. According to the
room at the time of his two visits, out
3-year-old Christy Merry was present
| each time.
Concealed in the Cellar.
Friday morning the lifeless body of the
murdered woman was let down through
the small trap door in the kitchen floor
into the cellar where it lay upon the
ground until 8 o'clock Saturday night,
when it was taken out and carted to the
roadside at Eighty-seyenth street, where
it was covered with few inches of loose
dirt and clay.
During the time that the body was in
the house, the place was kept securely
| locked and no one allowed to enter. Lit
! tie Christy was taken to the home of his
uncle, Cotworthy Cough, at 38 Gurley
| street, and Merry caroused about the
| neighbOrhood and in saloons as if the
| blood of his wife were not upon his
hands.
| Smith and Hickey accompanied him,
more because they feared to do other
wise, than from inclination.
Peoria, Ill, Nov. 29.-James Smith and
| Chris Merry, accused of numbering Mrs.
Merry at Chicago are believed to have
been at Prospect Heights hotel near here
yesterday.