Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-06
SHOT DOWN ON
BROADWAY BY
WOMAN'S HAND
BREAKING OF ENGAGEMENT
LEADS TO TRAGEDY
J. E. MAHAFFEY KILLED BY
MARGARET FINN
Widow Hears Her Brother Plead
VainIy, Draws Revolver from Her
Dress and Fires Twice at
Victim

]. e. Mahaffey, a paperhanger and
painter, who lived at 241 West Forty
seventh street, was shot and almost
instantly killed at Seventh street ami
Broadway shortly after o'clock last
night by Margaret Finn, a magnetic
healer, who lives at 70S15 South Broad
way.
Mahaffey was shot in the back, the
bullet penetrating the pericardium and
causing the mans death within a few
moments.
When the sound of the shot rang out
there were but few people on the street.
but within five minutes crowd of
1000 had gathered at the scene. Lying
on the sidewalk where the tragedy oc-
CURED the man breathed his last while
this mob of people struggled and fought
TO catch a glimpse of his body.
The shooting was the outcome of q
romance which started in January last
and was the elimination of a courtship
between the man and the woman in
which poor Cupid was finally worsted
in a struggle with sordid greed.
Margaret Finn is a woman 20 years
of age. She has been twice a widow,
and both times her husbands died in a
tragic manner.
Her first husband was railroad man
and was killed in wreck east several
years ago.
She then married a man of the name
of j. ]. Finn and came to Los Angeles
to live, Finn being employed as a night
yard man in the Southern Pacific
freight yards.
Two years ago he was caught between
two freight cars and his life crushed
out. Margaret Finn was left a widow
again. with three children and abso-
lutely without penny.
The daily newspapers and the Asso-
ciated Charities raised fund for her.
and later she opened a bath establish
ment and engaged in what she styled
magnetic healing.
She had rooms at 7O3h South Broad
way, and in January last became ac-
quainted with George Mahaffey, who
is employed as waiter in Spring
street restaurant.
Introduced by Brother
This Mahaffey had a brother, ]. g..
i who had Just come from Indiana and
he introduced her to Mrs Finn.
Mrs. Finn became infatuated with
| the brother and threw over her orig
inal lover. She and J. e. became en-
gagged to be married and the wedding
day was set for March 10, the mans
birthday.
When the date came he postponed
the wedding for the reason. he said.
that he did not have money enough,
anu A. was SCb AOA AAclJ o. tAO WOtAdAk
birthday.
On that date he postponed it again.
and from time to time he has been put
ting the marriage off. Finally he an
nounced that he was unable to get
married at all, because of lack of cash.
Yesterday afternoon Mahaffey called
on the woman at her rooms on South
Broadway, at her request, and he finally
separated from her. telling her definite-
ly that he could not marry her.
Mrs. Finn's brother, ]. G. Lang, Of
2540 West Pico street, was present at
the time, and when Mahaffey left the
house she sent Lang after him to plead
for him to come back and fulfill his
promise of marriage!
To Lang Mahaffey definitely refused
to comply with his agreement, and
while the two men were talking on the
street corner Mrs. Finn came down
stairs and walked across the street.
AS she approached the men she
heard Mahaffey distinctly say that he
would not marry her. Mahaffey then
started to walk away and she followed
him few steps. Then, drawing a 32-
caliber revolver from the folds of her
dress, she placed the muzzle to his
back and fired two shots.
One bullet glanced and did no harm
to the man, but the second entered
his body near the center of the back.
plowed its way through the lungs and
heart and lodged beneath the breast
bone.
The man fell to the ground with
cry of pain, and the woman rapidly
made her way out of the gathering
crowd and walked into the Nance drug
store on the corner, where she was ar
rested a short time later by Detectives
Ritch and Roberds and taken to the
city jail There she was booked on
the charge of murder.
An ambulance was called for at
once but before it arrived the man
had died and his body was removed
to Pierce Brothers morgue.
An inquest will be held there by
Coroner Hartwell tomorrow.