The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-10-10
.ATruth Stranger
Than Fiction
BY ARTHUR W. BREWSTER

Michel Monahan was brought up for
trial for the murder Of his wife. I'VE
shall prove. your honor" said the pros
ecuting attorney in opening the case,
that the prisoner was heard quarrel
ing with his wife by their neighbors
and that he told her In a tone Of ma
lightly that since she couldn't live with
him without Quarreling she had better
get out After this quarrel, which &C.
Cured in the evening, the house where
this couple lived was supposed to be
deserted; at least no sounds were heard
to come from it, and nc person was
seen in or about 1t.
"Three days after the evening when
the prisoner told his wife that she had
better get out some boys who crossed
the back yard Of the Monahan place
found lying among some bushes the
body of Mrs. Monahan. She wore all
her jewels. which. though Of no great
value, are u kind Of property that ev-
cry woman prizes.
1.-THE explanation Ii apparent. The
wife, turned out Of the house by a bru-
tai husband. went to the place where
she kept her jewels, put them on her
person as the easiest way to carry
them and was about to take him at
his word when he followed her ana
killed her with a club or some other
heavy weapon, hitting her on the head
! and face and rendering her almost I'M
recognizable. A part of these facts.
your honor. we shall prove conclusive
ly. and the other parts are so borne
] out by the first that the whole makes q
chain of circumstantial evidence fully
/ as strong as II we had witnesses to
swear that they saw. the prisoner COM
nit the inhuman act"
At the end of this announcement wit
ncsses were brought forward with the
testimony. some to state what they
had heard on the night Of the quarrel.
others to prove that the body found
under the bushes was that Of Mrs.
Monahan. When the state had pro.
duced its evidence the prisoners attor-
ney brought forward witnesses to
prove that up to the evening of the
quarrel the couple had lived on good
terms. that Mrs. Monahan was an ex-
citable person and that her husband
was very patient with her.
This was about all the evidence bear
ing on the case except that which
proved the prisoners good character
and f%orbearing disposition. But there
was the evidence of the quarrel, and
there was the body Of Mrs. Monahan.
' Monahan had not been seen ut the
place since the evening when high
words were heard between him and
his wife. II. ever there vas a strong
case against IN accused person this
one was.
Monahan's story was this: His wife
had recently been more than usually
fretful and his endurance had been
put to a severe test He had resolved
to go away from home for q short
time to recoup his patience. also be-
ieving that n brief separation would
be beneficial to both him and his wife.
He had left her at the house without
saying what he was about to do. he
had gone to his brothers in a neigh
boring town and was about to start
back to his own home when he was
arrested for the murder.
The prosecuting attorney referred to
this statement MS the best the prisoner
could devise under the circumstances,
but no better than any ordinary per-
son could have invented. It could not
be taken seriously in view Of the facts
adduced and, above all, the body of
. the murdered woman The motive for
the murder was especially apparent.
Monahan, who had turned his wife
7ut Of the house. was not willing that
she should take with her her belong
ings. Indeed, 80 Infatuated with her
was be that he did not stop at MUIR
der.
There was nothing for the jury to do
but bring in a verdict Of guilty. which
they did after being out one hour and
ten minutes. They had nled back into
the court from the jury room and had
been asked the formal questions. to
the last Of which the foreman had pro-
nOunced the fatal word:
Guilty" ..
The word had scarcely been spoken
when a woman elbowed her way
through the crowd to the prisoner and
fell into his arms.
The Judge. the lawyers, the jury and
the spectators looked on. unable to In
terpret the scene. Presently the Judge
asked:
who r you7"
I'm Mary M0nahan, Mixes wife,"
For q moment there was a stiffness
In the courtroom like that preceding
a thunderstorm; then all present broke
into a united shout Of sympathy with
one who had been tried and found
guilty to meet with such a vindication.
This, strange as It may seem, -
easier to believe than the explanation.
After Monaban left her she locked
up the house and went to her mother.
who lived in a distant city. There
her nerves broke away entirely, and
It was necessary that she bs kept