New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-18
Intruder in Home of Mar
ket Salesman Dies Silent
on Motive for Tragedy.
SHOOTS AS HUSBAND
RUNS TO BRING AID
Brooklyn Police, After Four
Hour Grill, Accept COrnelius's
Story of Crime.

.
at 90 Hopkinson Avenue, Brooklyn,
his wife and George F. McAghon were
found dead, had been questioned for
almost four hours yesterday, Coroner's
Physician Charles Wuest and the
Brooklyn police were satisfied his
story was a logical solution of the
double killing. Cornelius said he was
aroused from his sleep at l o'clock yes
terday morning, when a man entered
his room He ran for and, and return
ing in a short time with two tenants
saw the bodies Of his wife and the in
truder in the bedroom.
For half the day the identity cf the
dead man was a mystery to the police,
hut they learned yesterday afternoon,
through a fellow emrloye, that Mc-
Aghon was thirty-siX years old, assist
ant yard master Of the Penn sylvania
Railroad in Jersey CITY, and the father
of four young daughters.
The explanation for the double trag-
Cdy furnished by the police Is that
McAghon first killed the woman as she
pleaded with him for her life, and then
turned his weapon uDor himself. Four
shots ir all were fred, two into the
right temple of Mrs Barbara Bessie
Cornelius. twenty-five and pretty, one
which buried itself in q wall, and the
fourth which lodged in McAghon's head.
According to DR.. Wuest. no one but the
JERSEY man could have done the shoot
ing, ecauSe Of a powder mark upon ms
hand ard the wound in his temple.
Welded Less Thar Two Years.
Mrs. Cornelius had been married less
than two years, six months after she
had been named as correspondent IN
divorce suit brought by her husbands
first wife
tenants in the four story red brick
apartment house were alarmed by the
shots, and, knowing that $500 had been
stolen from one of their number not
long ago, all believed the intruder had
come to rob. This was soon secuted
by the police when they saw his well
made clothing. At first all they had
TO work upon was a gold signet ring
bearing the initials &C f. NJ" and two
postal cards found in the rooms.
These were addressed to the dead
woman, and each contained short,
peculiarly worded message.
Dear Bessie" read one, mailed Just
before Christmas, 1914. wishing you
many returns to one who loves. That
you may enjoy the present Amas TIDE
Dear Bessie" was on the other,
posted about last Easter. "Wishes OF
the season. A self-made man. If all
were like Lincoln what grand world
this would be-"
Both were signed with the INITIAL
"G."
Detective, with the name Of Nc
Aghons clothier in New Jersey, and
knowing he was a Knight Of Columbus
from the emblem he wore, were trying
to learn his identity, when it was dis
covered in Brooklyn. William j. Nor
ris, also employed by tn Pennsylvania
Railroad, noting the mans absence
from work and seeing the accounts Of
Tho tragedy. in the afternoon lapers,
went TO Brooklyn ID identified the
body at the morgue.
Wife's Scream Aroused Him.
According to the story told to the
police by Cornelius, he and his wife
retired at 1880 o'clock Wednesday
night. leaving one window opened from
the bottom. His wife had Just re-
turned from the home Of her sister,
Mrs. Joseph Gass, $50 Palmetto Street
II was the husbands custom to arse
at l o'clock and leave for his work IN
the market, but yesterday he oyersiep|
81 was awakened" he said, by some
one entering my room. | hrst learned
that a man was climbing through III
window by the shouts of my wife and
the whimpering Of her pet dog. Then
there was q shot, and as | WIS !ot
Robert Jones, motion picture actor,
known as Bob Dawson, and his brother,
Lester. accompanied Cornelius down
stairs. As they started they heard two
shots fired in quick accession, fol-
lowed by pause and a third shot.
They ourst into the room, Lester Jones
approaching McAghon with night
stick and ordering him not to move.
BY the side Of the bed lay the man.
dead, while his victim was crouched
on the bed. Coroner Senior and Ut.
Wuest followed detectives 70 the house
and after an investigation the physl-
clan said: "The powder smudge on the
dead mans hand shows he held the re-
volver when it was discharged. The
wound in his temple is a contact wound,
and he held the pistol against his own
head. His legs were crossed as a man
would do to balance himself before mr.
ing. Mrs. Cornelius apparently crawled
forward in the bed and fought with the
man on her knees"
Mystery in Motive.
Cornelius said after the shooting he
had never heard the name McAghon
mentioned. nor had he ever seen the
man before. Mystery surrounds any
natives the New Jersey man might
have had for killing the woman. II IS
known he had a previous ACQUAINTANCE
with her. but why he should have killed
her when he had ample opportunity 10
escape from the building, or why he
should have taken his own life. the po-
lice last night could not surmise.
AT the Pennsylvania yards, in Jersey
CITY. il was said McAghon had been
emnloyed by the road for almost twenty
Years. and had worked up to his pres
cnt place. He lived only a short dis
tance away, in modest two story
building at 1861 Eric Street, with his
sister. Jennie McAghon, a school tech
er. his four daughters and a house
keeper. His wife has been dead three
Miss McAghon said her brother had
left home early Wednesday evening
He had frequently, she continued vis-
tied relatives in Brooklyn but sne
never knew that he had called on other
persons. She was positive he had never
owned revolver. ..I
In McAghon's clothing was found
nothing by which he could have Deeh
idertified. There were only II GEMS
and two keys neither OF when nVteu
the Cornelius doors-in ms poesetS'
and his Panama bat was bought III
brooklyn,