Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-23
HUSBANDSHOT WRONG WOMAN
Bullets Intended to XIII His
Wife Struck a Nelghbor.
THE VICTIM WILL PROBABLY DIE
She is Suffering From Four
Severe Wounds.
Attempt of James Baxter of This City to
Murder His Yite. Frnin Whom He had
Eccn Separated About u Tsar--Mrs. Jore-
iniah Ryan Struck by the Bullets.
Philadelphia Times. yesterday.

Philadelphia Times. yesterday.
Jealously, that arch enemy of human
happiness, was the cause of a probably
successful attempt at murder last night
in Camden. The intended victim was
not injured, and q woman who was
only remotely connected with the con-
troversy, Mrs. Mary Ryan, 81 years old,
was struck by three bullets. She is
now believed to he dying at the Cooper
Hospital
The principal in the affair was Jamos
Baxter, formerly of Camden, but now
living at Wilmington, Del. He and
Jerry" Ryan, husband of the injured
woman, are locked up ut the City Hall
to await hearing this morning.
Baxter frankly admits that he intended
to commit murder, but says: 1T was
my wife / was AFTER
The stories of the quarrel and the in
cidents leading up to 1t are somewhat
conflicting, Baxter was married 10
years ago, at Stockton, Mass. A child
was born, and for 15 years peace reigned
in the family. That is, there was no
open break. Jeremiah Ryan and his
wife were neighbors of the Baxters fer
many years, and Baxter was always
suspicious of them. But his remon-
strances with his wife about her asso-
Citations with them weie never violent
About year ago Baxter's son, then
grown into a staIu art youth, took a
position in Wilmington. Baxter went
to live with him and urged his wife to
come, too. She refused to leave her
Camden friends. She secured Ilace
in q mill and supported herself.
When the Cuban. war broke out
Baxter enlisted. Returning from a
three months service, he found his
wife more intimate than ever with the
Ryans, and as obdurate in her refusal
TO live with him. Then the hatred
that had long been smoulderine in his
breast burst into flame. Yesterday he
purchased revolver in Wilmington.
and came to Garden on the boat City
of Chester, arriving at 5.30 o'clock in
the afternoon.
Failing to find his wife at the mill,
he went to the Ryan house, where he
found party assembled. Exactly who
composed this party is not definitely
known. Baxter said it consisted of his
wife, Mr.. and Mrs. Ryan, James Brow n,
u ne,ghbor of the Ryans, and Harry
HoughtoE of PAT Federal street. Biowr
says he was not in the house at all.
| Baxter entered by the back gate.
little pet dog his wife owned, and o.
which he used to be very fond in hi.
happier days, ran out to meet him
Fearing that it would bark he PICKED
it up and choked il to death. As b,
stood crouching in the gathering shad
ows the door opened and his wife cam,
out into the yard. Baxter could no
| shoot.
In moment Mr.. and Mrs. Ryan ant
the rest of the party appeared. Their
the demon within the murderer asserted
itself, and raising his revolver he free
four times, blindly. into the crowd
Mrs. Ryan fell TO the ground with
bullet in the back, another in the neck
and two more in the right side.
'Pll fix you, too ~ shouted Baxte
to Ryan, and two more shots were fired
One of the bullets broke Ryan's righ
arm. Baxter said that it was his in
tenton to kill himself, but before b
had time to carry out his purpose tn
other men had overpowered him.
Brown and Houghton were beld a
the City Hall as witnesses.