The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-11-18
SHOTHISFOUR CHILDREN
Terrible Act of an Insane Father
in a Chicago Flat.
KILLED his SON A FEW DAYS AGO

On That Occasion lie Gave All mis-
Children Dose OF Laudanum, But
the Police Believed Ills sons Death
Was an Accident.
Chicago. Nov. is Carrying out
plot he had apparently planned with
deliberation Cornelius Corcoran yes
terday shot four Of his children. kill
ing three Of them, and then ended his
own life. The tragedy occurred at his
home, 540l Dearborn street The dead:
Cornelius Corcoran, 40 years old; Mar.
garet Corcoran, years old; John
Corcoran, years old: Lizzie Corcoran.
3 years old Wounded: Kate Cor
roran, IA years old, will lose her left
eye II she RECEIVERS.
The police are convinced that the
man was insane. Corcoran had lived
with his seven children in a fiat build
ing at 540l Dearboarn street for a
month past. To all outward appear
ances he .yas 2-laa,ia a,iSaa and considerate
parent For some days he had evil
IDENTIFY plotted for the death Of his
children, and he nearly accomplished
his purpose Tuesday night. Hearing
the children cough, he arose and I'm
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 laud-
anum was a mistake.
Baked In his purpose to end the
lives Of the young ones, Corcoran, It
Is thought, made deliberate plans for
his act of yesterday About 10 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?"
Its 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 nightgown, and closed
the door again. saying: Wait just
minute, Mamie"
The two women opened the door
and stepped into the hallway. Just
then shots were heard, followed by a
succession of screams.
In the panic the two women darted
out of the doorway and ran down the
street, screaming at the top of their
voices. The police were promptly no.
tilted.
An appalling sight greeted the eyes
Of the officers when they entered the
CorcOran fiat. In the first bedroom,
just of 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, unconscious and breath
ing 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 pillow. A revolver lay
near Corcoran's right hand. Five of
the chambers were empty.
Every one of the wounds, with the
exception of Kate's, 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 ar
rival at the hospital, Lizzie died at
at any moment.
Evidences of Corcoran's intention to
kill his children were seen in the
house. In one room empty whisky and
wine bottles showed ne had given the
children literally of the liquor and
stupefied them.
Corcoran was injured about three
years ago in a collision with a cable
car while driving a mail wagon. His
leg was broken and his brain was af-
fected, 1t is said. Six months ago Cor
coran's wife, the daughter of Mrs.
Wrenn, became insane and since that
time she has been an inmate of an
asylum in Kankakee.
Cornelius has never been right
since his accident" said Mrs. Wrenn.
HE has always acted queerly and
when my daughter became i'll it af-
| fected him. He never would have done
such dreadful thing if he had been
| in his right mind"
The only child to escape injury was
Marion, 16 years old, who is at the
hospital nursing her brother Clifford.