The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-11-22
HUSBAND shot
WRONG WOMAN.
A Wilmington Man Fires
Four Bullets. Inten-
ded to Kill His
Wife, Struck a
NeighbOr. ..

Ts Shot four times and lingering be
tween lite and death, Mrs. Mari
Ryan, 81 years old, of Twenty
sixth street, and Westminster
Avenue, Stockton, lies in the Cooper
Hospital. Camden. The physicians
give no hope of her recovery. Will
her as a patieht was brought ir
from Stockton her husband, Jerry
3s years old. His injury, a pisto
shot in the left arm, near tht
shoulder. is comparatively trifling
Charged with the double shooting
and in the shadow of charge o
murder, James Baxter, 80 years. o
Wilmington, Del. is a prisoner ir
the Camden City Hall
In the presence of City Detective
Hart and Recorders Clerk Welsh
| Baxter. in his cell at the City Hall
made a full statement in regard tc
the matter. although he was warn
| ed that whatever he said now might
be used against him later.
He said that he and his wife
! Annie, whom he married nineteen
years ago. had become estrangcd
| in recent times. She has been
working somewhere in Camden,
where they used to live. and he has
been working in Wilmington. Yes.
terday he bought revolver. for
which he paid s175, and came up
from Wilmington iY the afternoon
on the steamboat City of Chester,
determinedto come to a final set
tlemcnt of affairs with her.
BAXTER'S STATEMENT.
Il meant. he said. .'to kill her
and then myself, if she refused to
live with me. went around to the
mill where she worked, but could
not find her. About ! o'clock |
went to the Rvan's home where |
knew she visited frequently. | went
into a side alley and hid myself. A
little dog. Spot, whom knew when
| used to visit there. recognized me
and jumped up. dancing all around
me. caught him by the throat
and chokcd him to death for fear he
would give an alarm.
''Aftcr Il while my wife appeared
at the door with man. She came
out into the yard alone. | wanted
to shoot her there. but had no
chance. She went back into the
house and came out again with Il
man named Brown. started to-
ward them. meaning to shoot her
Ryan, Mrs. Ryan. 4 man named
Horton and Brown. who all came
out of the house, made rush at
me. All the shots fired at my wife
went wild, All four then knocked
me down.
After the shooting, neighbors
who had heard the shots and as
certafned the cause. ran to Police
man Samuel Paul and notified him
of the affair. Paul immediately
sent in an ambulance and patrol
wagon call, and then placed BaX-
ter under arrest. When the ambu-
lance arrived Ryan and his wife
were conveyed to the Cooper Eospi-
tai. There it was found that she
had four bullet wounds in her body
one on the right side of the neck,
one on the right arm near the
shoulder. and two in the back.
BAXTER WAS EXCITED.
When Baxter was taken to the
City Hall in the patrol wagon he
appeared very much excited. His
forehead WAS bloody, as if he had
been in a fight. After he was lock-
ed in his cell a razor found on him
was taken away.
When Ryan injury had been at
tended to he was taken to the City
Hall with his arm in a sling. To
the police he gave story Of the af-
fair differing very material ly from
that OF Baxter. He said the latter
had come into the back door of his
house and without any warning
fired repeatedly at Mrs. Ryan. who
was standing in the kitchen with
her back toward the door. He at
the~timc was lying on a lounge in
the front room. When he heard his
wife's screams he and Harry Hor-
ton. of Twenty fourth and Federal
Streets, Stockton. who was visiting
his house at the time. rushed into
the kitchen. Baxter fired at him as
he rushed in. He and Horton seiz-
ed him and'held him down and dis
armed him, keeping him prisoner
until Paul came. Ryan emphatic
ally denied that Mrs. Baxter was
at his house last night.
The police were informed that
Baxter had visited the Ryans sey-
eral times recently in search of his
wife. The last time was on Satur-
day last, when he is said to have
made threats against the Ryans
All the parties who were princi-
pals or witnesses to the affair who
could be secured were brought to
the City Hall and closely question
ed by the police. James Brown,
whom Baxter said was with his
wife when he tried to shoot her,
emphatically denied that he had
been present at the time. He said
he was at his lodge.
Mrs. Baxter was found later in
the evening, but nothing could be
learned of her statement to the po-
lice. She was sent home after be-
ing notified to appear again to-day.
Baxter is said to be a veteran of
the recent war with Spain.