Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-20
Murder of His Wife Was Pre-
meditated.
ATTENDED THE INQUEST
And Afterwards Kissed the Cold Face
Of His Victim-Mrs. Miller'S
Strong Evidence.

IL lAQucSI OA INS FeIIIdluS VI MIS.
Maggie Dempsey, who was killed by her
husband, Peter Dempsey, Wednesday,
was held last evening at Sherman's I'M
dertaking rooms. The jury fixed the re-
sponsibility of the shooting on the hus-
band and declared that the murder was
premeditated.
Dempsey was present. He was brought
into the room h%andcuffed and in the GUS
tody of Deputy Sheriff Harry Aware. He
sat beside his attorney, n. P. Gilchrist.
and at the conclusion of the inquest
asked to see his wife. AS the face of the
unfortunate woman was uncovered
Dempsey stopped down, d~ry-eyed, and
kissed the face of his victim.
The most important witness, and the
one who connects Dempsey directly with
the crime, is Mrs. Jennie Miller, landlady
of the lodging house in which the Demp-
seys rOomed. She testified hat they en-
gagged a rom in her house a week g
gagged a room in her house a week ago
repeatedly quarreled. A few days ago
they quarreled and Mrs. Dempsey left
the room and did not return that night.
Wednesday afternoon witness heard
Dempsey speak of going to a certain
place, and Mrs. Dempsey objected, saying
that they always a trouble when he
went to the place in question, but Demp-
sey insisted, and yer away. After a
lime Dempsey returned, and his wife,
who had been waiting for him at the
entrance, accompanied him to his room.
Witness heard the sound of quarreling
and went to the door to call a n officer.
Then she heard a violent cOmmOtiOn and
heard Mrs. Dempsey scream several
times. Witness wen to the door and
demonstrated with Dempsey. Almost
Immediately afterwards she heard the
report of the first shot, followed a minute
or two minutes afterwards by a. second
shot. Then Dempsey came out of the
room, locked the door hurriedly and left
the building, going out by way of the
rear stairs.
The witness said about the middle of
last week the Dempseys had a violent
quarrel and Mrs. Dempsey left the house.
She returned Friday and asked if Demp-
sey was in the house. The witness told
her he had slept in the room the night
before and at Mr.. Dempsey's request the
witness accompanied her to the room.
after which Mrs. Dempsey told witness
she had had nothing to eat that day and
on witness invitation she went to wit
ness apartments and ate. She said she
was afraid to stay in the house and wit
ness old her that Dempsey would not
attempt to harm her in her presence.
When she had finished eating she left
the house.
saturday Dempsey came to the witness,
He was accompanied by an old woman
who ne Sc Id was his mother. Witness
had been warned that Dempsey had a
u and when he asked to speak to her
she old him to put away his gun. At
first he denied having the CUR. Then h.
drew it n pointed it at her and de-
manded that she reveal the whereabouts
of his wife. Witness ran out the back
entrance. to get a policeman, but did not
find nn0 ond Vyhor Cho rot,,rnnd D,~,~
sey was gone. The next day Dempsey
came with a friend. Witness told Demp-
sey's friend of his conduct and said she
woul have nothing to do with him or
his friends. Dempsey left a letter for
his wife and went away. Tuesday the
husband wife made up their quarrel.
Joseph Rivet. who lives in the rear of
the Miller lodging house, met Dempsey
in the alley back of the place immedi-
ately after the shooting He was excit-
ed and said, How are you. old MANI"
Alvin d. Sheldon, who broke into thu
titled to the condition of the room and
the position of Mrs. Dempsey, who lived
an instant after he entered the room.
Officer George Matthews told of Demp-
sey's arrest. He said he was enroute to
the city hall when he met a young man
who told him a man just ahead had killed
a Dempsey was running. Wit
ness ran after him and caught him back
of the Armour warehouse. Dempsey
asked him why he was being arrested.
w. r. Hooking, John Donahue and
John l.. Larsen gave corroborative testi-
mony.
The verdict was as follows:
THAT the deceased came to her death
at Butte, Silver Bow county, Montana,
on the 18th day of April, 1900. from the
effects of a gun shot wound inflicted by
a gun held in the hands Of Peter Demp-
sey, and from the evidence, we, the
jury, find the said death to have been
the result of ~premedidated murder"