Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-08
PEACEMAKER LIKELY TO DIE
Ray Johnson, Butcher, is Fatally
Wounded While Interfering,
MURDER THREAT MADE GOOD
Husbands Oath Of Blood Fulfilled by
Triple Tragedy.
WOMAN FLEEs AND IS PURSUED
victin, Hunted to Her Refuse at Home
of Mother-strugEle on street In
the Fashionable HhnscOm
Park District.

Wife murder. suicide and probably fatal
assault on a peacemaker ended the rage OF
Walter Osgood. an unemployed neer-do-
we'll In a street tragedy at 1928 Park
avenue. at 10 O'Clock yesterday.
osgood and his wife Trace, were IN
stantly killed. Ray Johnson, butcher'
employed at the market Of George Nradeh-
berg. 1881 Park avenue who struck Os-
good with his fist in an attempt to save
the mans wife, received fatal wound In
the neck He is dying at ST. Joseph
hospital
Osgood shot his wife through the head
and. turning the gun on his own temple
killed himself. The bodies Of both fell in
a death embrace on the pavement
The shooting was a fufillment of
threats made by Osgood. Mrs. Osgood' n
child-wife of but IS years. fled from him
two days ago She sought safety in the
home of John J. Parrott, at the Park
avenue address, where her mother, Mrs
Jennie Florine, was employed as house
keeper. Osgood learned of his wife's
whereabouts and telephoned the home Fri
day evening that he was coming up to Xiii
Mrs. Florlne saturday. If her daughter did
not return to him Immediately.
OsEOOd In IdIenesH.
OsEood had not been working for three
months and his young wife supported both
| by working as housekeeper at the home
OF r. c. Smith at 1918 South Twenty-thrd
street for nine weeks when, firing Of this,
she deserted him two days ago. He had
made his home with his wife at the Smith
residence. Upon the disappearance of his
wife. osgood learned quickly where she
had gone and directed his anger at the
mother calling up and threatening her.
"I'Il sell my life cheap" he said 10 her
over the telephone. I'm kin you for this
and then myself
Frue TO the given promise, osgood APP
peared at the Parrot home Saturday
morning demanding his wife, The young
woman sought safety in a bath room,
locking herself in. While osgood shouted
his demands and flouFished his revolver in
the face of Mrs. Florlne, the mother faced
him and invited him 10 shoot
"I<ill me, II you want to- she told the
man. but you must not take Grace away"
DuNing the brief alteration Bernics Par
rott " years old. ran TO the livery barn
of Theodore steuben, 1895 Park avenue,
and implored Steuben to come and protect
the women. steuben hastened to the Par
rott home and attempted to dlssuade os-
good
osgood thereupon turned on Steuben and
ordered him sruffly away. and as he did
so Mrs. Osgood seized the opportunity to
rush from the bath room out OF the house
She hurried across the street. intending
to reach telephone and call the police.
! Osgood pursued her and was dragging the
young woman back when johnson. the
butcher. interfered. He struck Osgood in
| ~, NH ftef sta him a
half dozen feet, and then turned TO meet
the cement workers attack Osgood fired
at his assaiant bringing him down with
one bullet and firing another shot astrsy.
shoots self and wife.
The raging husband then grasped his
wife with one arm and shot her through
the head. shooting himself with another
bullet.
The husband and wife were probably in
stantly killed. The bodies were taken to
the coroner's morgue.
Osgood met his wife several years ago at
her home in Manson, la. They were mar
ried against the will of Mrs Florine in
Omaha February 70. last.
Osgood figured In a sensation about a
year ago when he tipped Off to the jail
authorities the planned escape OF the Union
Pacific train robbers in the county jail.
He had been taken as a confident in the
plot and feared he would be killed II he
did not help carry out the murders and
escape as the robbers planned.
Osgood suffered arrest previous to that
time. on the charge of impersonating a
federal officer. When deputy sheriffs
went to arrest him at Florence they were
held off from the home OF Mrs. Florlne,
where he was stopping, by Mrs. Florine
and the girl who was afterwards to be-
come his Wife Later the man served a
brief imprisonment and was liberated.