The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1914-03-26

TUESDAY MORNING - SEVEN
YEAR.OLD DAUGHTER AN EYE
WITNESS.
Joe M. McPeek, who conducted a
small restaurant near the Great Nor
thern yard office, just north of the
Northwestern hotel, shot and killed
his former wife, Mrs. Bertha McPeek,
at Mrs. E. Shaw's rooming house, 112
Park avenue, few minutes past mid
night, Tuesday morning. McPeek used
a .38 calibre Harrington & Richard
son revolver which he had purchased
but two weeks ago, The woman was
shot once, the bullet entering the body
just below the breast bone, and pass
ing thru the lower. lobe of the heart,
lodging in the back, just beneath the
skin. Mrs. McPeek passed away thirty
minutes later, remaining conscious to
almost the end. She was able to tell
who shot her, corroberating the story
Of her little seven-year-old daughter,
Crystal, who occupied a bed in the
room and who witnessed the tragedy.
Gives Himself Up.
It is quite certain that McPeek in
tended to turn the weapon on himself
after killing his wife, but coward that
he was, he turned into cringing,
trembling being, the moment that he
had ended the poor woman's life, and
couldn't muster up enough nerve. He
escaped from the house moment af-
ter and remained in hiding for two
hours while he contemplated what best
to do. He finally turned up at the
county jail at two o'clock that morn
ing and asked for admission Night
jailor Tom Cloone had heard nothing
Of the tragedy and when McPeek said
that he had gotten into little trouble
and wanted to spend the night in Jail,
Cloone let him in and the man was
soon occupying cell. He turned the
revolver over to the jailor, saying that
he had shot it once and that there was
a remaining bullet in the gun.
Officers Search For Him.
Immediately after the shooting,
James Dwire, desk sergeant at the
police station, was notified and he
hurried to the Shaw residence. All
the police officers available were Sc
cured and the sheriff's Office notified.
Deputies Dougherty and Hovind join
ed in the search and the officers spent
the remainder of the night looking for
McPeek, not knowing that he was in
Jail. The instance was one very easy
to occur. Officers searched every nook
and corner Of the city and about eight
o'clock that morning learned that Nc
Peek had given himself up.
Story of the Tragedy.
McPeek's wife secured divorce
from him about year ago while the
couple were living at Kenmare, on the
grounds of cruel and inhuman treat
n1ent. It is evident that McPeek had
abused his wife during the eighteen
years Of their married life and that
she could put up with him no longer.
It is reported that she had had him ar
rested number Of times and lived in
fear Of him continually The McPeeks
came to Minot several months ago,
Mrs. McPeek securing lodging at Mrs.
Shaw's home and going out to do sew
ing and other work when she could
find anything to do; in order to sup
port her three children, Francis, aged
II; Royal, 9 and Crystal, z. The lit
tie girl had been spending three days
with her father at the restaurant and
that night at II o'clock McPeek took
the child to her mother. As he left the
restaurant, he placed a loaded revolt
yer in his overcoat pocket, telling
Crystal that tramps might molest
them. The father remarked to the
child before leaving that he did not
want to do anything rash, but that
if the mother did not return with him
that night, something serious might
happen. When the father and child
arrived at the Shaw residence, the
child was put in bed and the parents
talked over matters in an adjoining
room. McPeek begged his wife to
return to him but she stated that they
could never get along and it was no
use. When he saw that he could not
persuade her to live with him again,