The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-22
MRS,M' M'DONALD KILLS
GUER|N IN OFFICE
Wife of Chicago Millionaire,
Former Democratic LeaGn
u
GOES !NSA@FsFTFE$ : Z DEED
8
euerin Obtained MoneSs From Her
Under Threats of E, sure-Was
Proprietor of /. Harri-
son Art Company.
GOES INSANE~AfTEF$ DEED

Chicago, February 21,=-Webster H.
Guerin, alias Fisher, of 600 West Harrison
street, and proprietor of the Harrison
Art company, was today shot and killed
IN his office in the Omaha building at
LaSalle and Van Buren, streets, by Mrs
Flora Mcdonald, wife of Michael C. Nc
Donald a millionaire, who was for many
years the democratic political boss Of
Chicago.
The motive for the killing is not exact
ly known. Mrs. Mcdonald became hys-
terical Immediately after the shooting
and was unable to make a connected
statement From what she said. however,
it is believed that for some time Guerin
had obtained money from her by the
threat of making disclosures to her hus-
band unless paid for keeping silent
Shortly before noon Mrs. Mcdonald en-
tered Guerins office and the latter, as
soon as she entered. directed his office
boy, Herman Hanson, to leave and re-
turn later.
A quarrel between Mrs. Mcdonald and
Gueria had already commenced when the
boy left the office. Within fifteen minutes
after the departure or Hanson. the re-
port OF a revolver was heard and when
other occupants of the building rushed to
the door OF Guerins Office they found it
locked with Mrs. Mcdonald endeavoring
to escape through a hole she had made
with the butt of her revolver in the glass
which formed the upper half of the door
Her face was covered with blood which
streamed from number of small cuts in
fiicted by the glass.
l III
Ing office to Guerins was the first to
reach the door, and with the help of
others he pulled Mrs. Mcdonald through
ths door, and took the revolver from
he..
Mrs. Mcdonald refused to give her
name or to state what had occurred in
Guerin's office.
In the lower part of the building when
the shooting occurred were two police Of
ticers on their way to Guerin's office to
investigate his business, concerning which
complaints had been made to the police
1t was claimed by several people that
GueriI had been demanding eXorbitant
sums of money for making enlargements
of photographs and threatening legal pro-
ceedings If the amount was not imme-
diately forthcoming. These officers placed
Mrs. Mcdonald under arrest.
Inside the office the furniture was
taken place, and Guerin was lying on the
floor with a bullet wound back of one
ear.
Mrs. Mcdonald, still unidentified, was
taken to Harrison street station and her
identity was not made known until her
uncle, B. NJ. Schaffner, entered the sta
ton. The husband of Mrs. Mcdonald,
who came Immediately to her cell, de-
clared that he knew of no reason why she
should have shot Guerin, except that pos
sibly he endeavored to extort money from
her
Mcdonald declared that some years ago
Guerin had followed his wife to Califor
mia and insisted upon eXacting sums of
money from her.
Mrs. Mcdonald was completely over
come when her husband came to her cell
and was utterly unable to talk in a CO.
herent manner. She made some remarks
to the effect that Guerin had struck her
before the shooting.
Mcdonald informed the police after leav
ing his wife that she and Guerin were
schoolmates and had known each other
for twenty-five years, but that he had
no knowledge that they had met since
Guerin followed her to California some
years ago.
Physicians who attended Mrs. McDon-
aid declare that she had gone hopelessly
insane Mr. Mcdonald spent the night
with his wife at the police station, but
she did not recognize him.