Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1905-11-21
MIDNIGHT
MURDER.
John Cheaney Shoots Maud
Ellis, Alias Mrs. Scott,
to Death.
A BLOODY AFFAIR
Afterwards Shoots and
Dangerously Wounds
Duncan Veach.
BLOODY AFFAIR

Maude Ellis a corpse and Duncan
Veach lying in dangerous condition
from pistol shot through his right
hip and an eight weeks old child left
without mother, is the result of
John Cheaney's loading up on bad
whiskey last Saturday night.
After committing the fendish
deed Cheaney was arrested in front
Of Hotel Latham, on Virginia street,
and is now in Jail awaiting an exam
ining trial.
The particulars of what came near,
and may yet be, a double murder, SO
far as ascertained, point to one of
the most cold-blooded murders
known here.
John Cheaney has fired stationary
engines in the city for a number of
years, and it is said, hardly gets out
of one difficulty before he is into
another. He has never had any real
associates-and belongs to the under
crust sof our population. His wages
have generally been spent in riotous
living, with no regard for dress or
decent appearance. 1t is said that
he has a wife. and probably a child
or two, somewhere.
The particulars are so shocking,
though contradicting, that they
should hardly be repeated or allowed
entrance into the homes of our citi-
zens.
From the testimony Of three wit
nesses of the killing, who were before
the Coroner's jury, Cheaney was in
house just southeast of the city
limits near the L. & N, and not far
from the river. This is one of the
houses of i'll fame in that section,
and is known as the "Red House"
The evidence shows that Cheaner
was in the house with the woman
where some one called her out. His
victim went out to the front gate,
when a man was waiting for her and
engaged her in conversation. This
aroused Cheaney's anger and he fol-
lowed the woman to the gate, and
seizing her by the throat with his
left hand, he said to her: 81 will fix
you," and fired two shots into her
breast. The woman then ran into
the house. One of the witnesses says
that Cheaney followed her into the
house and told her, with an oath, that
he would kill her, and fired the third
shot, when the woman fell to the floor
dead.
A woman who lives next door to
the Red House," hearing the first
two shots, ran to the gate in time to
see the woman go into the house and
went in, when the murderer cursed
her and told her if she interfered
with him he would kill her. This
neighbor testified that she saw the
man fire the fatal shot.
Cheaney then left the house and
walked into town. Somewhere on
Campbell street, near Ninth, he over
took Duncan Veach, who was walk
ing quietly along the street. Cheaney
told Veach to run, when Veach asked
him what he meant. Cheaney told
him it was mo time to be fooling"
and drawing his pistol fired one shot,
the ball entering the back side of his
right hip. Probably striking bone,
it ranged upward. tt
Cheaney then made his way to-
wards the center of town, stopping
at the fruit store of Tony DatillO,
opposite Hotel Latham. 1t is said
that Cheaney told some one that he
first went to police headquarters to
give himself up, but finding no one
there, he then went to Datillo's,
where he was arrested by officer
Clark and special officer Doherty,
who carried him to Jail. Tony Da-
tillo, who had learned Of the muir
der, took the pistol away from