The Cairo bulletin., 1908-08-10
BLOODY WORK BY
BR0THER-|N-LAW
HORRIBLE MURDER IN MiSSis-
sipPl COMMITTED THREE
WEEKS AGO.
JUST COME TO LIGHT
Woman Killed BY Relative While At
tempting 10 Save Her Husband
Shot in Rack---Motive
Was Robbery

Aberdeen. Miss, Aug. "a terribis
tragedy which occurred here tsrras
weeks ago was unearthed today for
the first time when an official inauiry
was made into the death OF Mrs.
Wade Riggan of Coxs Store, Miss.
Up to today the circumstances Of
her death wer not known, but sus-
piCion was aroused over the efforts
/ 70 maintain secrecy, and the inquiry
was ordered and ii was found that
Mrs. Rlggan had come TO her death
from pistol shot In the hands OF Tra
Cody. brotherln-law of the deceased
Three weeks aoo Cody. who Is n
widower, wen' to the home Of Wae.
Riggan 70 snemi the night After sur
pc~ Cody requested a drink of water
aud went with Riggan to the pump In
The rear OF the house, When Riggaa
leaned over to work the pump, c fde.
without warning struck him over ia.
head with a hammer which he had
concealed under his coat. Riggan,
with loud cry, sank to the floor.
Mrs. Riggan. who was In the rear
end of the house, heard the noise anil
hastened to the porch. Here she was
horriiied to see Cody leaning over fler
husband, who was I'm an unconscious
condition, beating him I'm the faca
with the hammer.
Realizing that she must act quickly,
Mrs. Riggan finding no available
weapon .sprang upon Cody She seized
the hammer and after a fierce strug-
| gle managed 10 get possession AZ II.
with this weapon In her hands Sic
was complete master of the situation.
Before Cody could defend himself she
rendered him unconscious with one
blow and, leaving him for dead.
hastened TO the side OF her husband.
While she was attempting to reyiyc
him Cody regained consciousn IS,
and staggering TO his feet, he made
his way around to where Mrs. Rigg1n.
who had realized her new danger was
making frantic efforts to ring the
alarm bell. When within a few fee:
OF the woman Cody drew a pistol and
taking deliberate aim. fired. The ball
entered the woman's back and she fei
at the foot OF the bed post. Thc
weapon was so close that her c'otNes
were set on fire by the burning pow
der.
Seeing that he had done away with
both of his victims, Cody turned TO
fee rom the spot. When he reached
the gate he met Mr. and Mrs Both
Lam the next door neighbors. WHO.
hearing the shot. had come 10 make
inquiry into the matter. Lam had.
before leaving home. taken win him
a small hand axe. Seeing Cody hat
less and with blood streaming from a
large cash in his head Lam ordered
him to halt
Cody threatened Lam with the pIr-
tol unless he let him pass. aud ths
latter seeing that an encounter would
endanger his wife. allowed him - go
unmolested.
The couple then FASTENED 10 tEe
rear OF the house. where they found
both OF Cody victims unconscious.
Mrs Riggan was the first attended TO.
as her clothes were burning and it be
plainly seen that she was In dyilg
condition.
Lam aud his wife did all they couli
to relieve them of the sufferines and
were successful ia the case OF Mr.. Rig
gan, who is now getting along nicely.
Mrs. Riggan. however. was beyond
human aid and died a short while
On account OF the relationship ey-
isting between the parties the facts e
the murder were not made public az
that time Popular suspicion was
aroused by the many and varied ex-
planations and the inquiry vas ma c
with the above result
Sheriff T o. Jones. OF Monroe COZ n
Is is making a determined effort to
locate the murderer. and has obtained
a full description of him from AR
Rggan. who has offered a $500 reward
for his arrest or information as to his
v hereabouts.
Sheriff Jones Is OF the opinion tha.
The murder was a deliberately ar
ranged one. with robbery as the pri-
mary motive.