Amador ledger., 1905-07-28
A DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
James L. Barney Kills his Wife and
Con mits Suicide.

SOA iulLe OulClU
A terrible affair occurred across the
Amador boundary line in the neigh
borhood of Wileys stationn last Sun
day evening, resulting i'll the death
of James l.. Barney aud his wife, Alta
Barney. The parties lived in Ell
Dorado county about SIX miles north
west of Wileys. They had a quarter
section of timber land there, and
spent most OF their time there, both
summer and winter They had also
place in Grapevine school district.
near Forest Home in this county, but
the mountain place was made the
principal family home. Barney was
about 70 years OF age; his wife was
much younger, about 40 to Is years.
They apparently got along we'll to-
gether, and both bad property Thej
were not in Strengthened cIrcum-
stances by any means. Mrs Barney
was a daughter of V. j. Van Doren,
a school teacher OF Amador in early
days, and very estimabIe lady.
They had eight or nine children,
seven of whom ale living. one or two
being married. The unmarried lived
with the parents in their mountain
home, which is three or four miles
from any other human dwelling.
The true cause that leh to the shoot
ing is matter of conjecture Barney
was an accentric man, but the couple
seemed to get along happily together
On the day before the shooting he
had been to Plymouth to get orse
shod, and on Sunday went up To his
home, arriving there not great while
before the trouble began. Rumor
has it that day or two previously
he had made will, giving his pro-
perty or most of 1T to married
daughter. That this brought on the
fatal quarrel is more than probable.
That furious quarrel preceded the
shooting is evident from the condI-
tions of affairs in the house when
neighbOrs reached there after the kill
ing. Potatoes and other articles
were scattered about the roum. The
old man took double barrel shotgun
and fired at clio e range at his wife.
The charge took effect in the right
side of the head, killing her instantly.
He then told the children that he
was going to jackson to give himself
up. He disappeared in the timber
or brush, aud shortly thereafter an
other shot was heard. Search was made
and his body was found about 200
yards from the house. The authori-
ties of Ell Dorado county were notified
of the affair, and al inquest held.
The Ell Dorado Republican of the
9th says: The officers returned to
PlaceIville Tuesday night. They
found the reports substantially cor
rect. Barney had killed his wife at
the house in the presence of two OF
three of their children with a shotgun
at close range, the load entering her
head above the ear without shattel ing
the skull. He remained at the house
for few minutes. The children asked
him why he did it. He replied that
he had to; that his wife was trying
to poison him. He then went into
the woods half mile on the north
side of the canyon where they lived,
placed the muzzle of the gun in his
mouth and blew his head off, Pieces
OF scalp. skull and brains were scat
tered into the brushes for thirty feet.
Barney was evidently insane, but
showed little indication previously
except that he was unduly apprehen-
sive of sickness. He bad just come
up from Plymouth and complained of
fever, ETC., to the children. The
bodies we're taken to Plymouth for
interment. Their mountain home
was log cabin with one room in
which the parents and seven or eight
children had lived, but it is said they
have left some considerable property
that will be an aid to the young
people.