Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-18


TO POISON HIS CHILDREN WITH
LAUDANUM LAST TUESDAY
NIGHT, BUT FAILED TO KILL
BUT ONE YESTERDAY He
TOOK A REVOLVER AND SHOT
FOUR OF THE LITTLE ONES
AND HIMSELF.
CHICAGO, November 17.-Carrying
out plot he had apparently planned
with elaboration, Cornelius Corcoran
to-day shot four of his children, killing
two Of them, and then ended his own
life. The tragedy occurred at his home,
5401 Dearborn street.
The dead are:
CORNELIUS CORCORAN, 40 years
old.
MARGARET CORCORAN, 5 years
old; died at Mercy hospital.
JOHN CORCORAN, Z years old, died
at Mercy hospital
The wounded are Kate Corcoran, IA
years old; may die. If she RECEIVERS
will lose her left eye. Lizzie Corcoran,
3 years old; may die.
The police are convinced the man
was insane.
Corcoran had lived with his seven
children in a flat building at 5401 Dear
born street, for a month past To all
outward appearances he was a kind
and considerate parent. For some days
he had plotted for the death of his
children, and he nearly accomplished
his purpose Tuesday night
Hearing the children cough, he arose
and in the dark administered laudanum
to five of them, Clifford, Timothy, John,
Margaret and Lizzie. The first two
were removed to the Mercy hospital,
where Timothy died the next day. Cor
coran exhibited such profound grief
over the affair that the police and the
coroner thought the giving of lauda-
mum was mistake.
Baked in his purpose to end the
lives of the young ones, Corcoran, it
is thought, made deliberate plans for
his act Of to-day.
About ten o'clock the grandmother
of the children, Mrs. Margaret Wrenn,
accompanied by her niece, Mrs. Mamie
Corbett, called at the Corcoran home.
When they rang the bell Corcoran
called out from the inside: who's
there?"
tits Mamie and your mother" re-
piled Mrs. Corbett.
Corcoran thrust his head out of the
door, disclosing the fact that he was
attired in his night gown and closed
the door again, saying:
"Wait just a minute. Mamie"
The two women opened the door and
stepped into the hallway. Just then
three shots were heard, followed by a
succession of screams.
In the panic the two women darted
out the doorway and ran down the
street screaming at the top of their
voices.
cts murder; it's murder!" shouted
Mrs. Corbett, frantically, and hurrying
to an adjacent drug store, word was
sent to the Fifteenth street and Hyde
Park police station.
An appalling sight greeted the eyes
of Lieut.. Clancy, Sergeant Ryan and
the other officers when they entered the
Corcoran fat.
In the first bed room, just off the
parlor, was the body of Margaret, lying
in a mass of blood at the head of the
bed, while at the foot lay John, I'M
conscious and breathing heavily. In
the room to the rear, Corcoran's dead
body was found on the floor, while that
of the baby, Lizzie, reclined on a pill
low. A revolver lay near Corcoran's
right hand. Five of the chambers were
empty.
Every one of the wounds, with the
exception of Hates, was inflicted be-
hind the ear. Kate was shot in the
left temple. The police removed Kate
and John to the Mercy Hospital and
later the baby, Lizzie, who was still
breathing, was taken there. John died
within a half hour after his arrival at
the hospital, and no hopes were held out
for the recovery of the others.
Evidences of Corcoran's intention to
kill his children were seen in the house.
In one room empty whisky and wine
bottles showed he had given the chill
dren literally of the liquor and stupe-
fed them.
Corcoran was injured about three
years ago in a collision with cable
car while driving mail wagon. His
leg was broken and his brain affected,
it Is said. Six months ago Corcoran's
wife, the daughter of Mrs. Wrenn, be-
came insane, and since that time she
has been an inmate of an asylum at
Kankakee. Cornelius has never been
ri chf ciucc his accident caid Rrrc