Valdez daily prospector., 1916-02-22

Thursday morning when death came to the relief of the victim.
 The Gateway's account of the trag- edy follows:
 Trouble arose in the Mclean home early Wednesday evening when Mrs. Mclean was preparing to attend a wedding. Mclean, who is high-tem- pered and vindictive in disposition, suddenly hurled the lighted lamp at the woman. The lamp was smashed when 1t struck her. spraying oil over her which instantly burst into flames. Fearing that the house would be set on fire Mclean threw blanket over her and smothered the fire after her dress had partly burned oil.
 Then knocking the woman down he kneeled upon her hips and with her face downward, he grasped her by the hair and churned her face up and uown on the floor until he was tired. Then calling their little son, Hector, he ordered him to bring him his tobacco, and while seated on the woman's neck and shoulders he cool ly rolled 8 cigarette and smoked it. That done he again began churning the woman's head and breast against the floor.
 While doing this a messenger was sent to the Mclean home from the hall where the wedding was being celebrated to get song books in the custody of Mclean. In answer to the repeated knocking Mclean finally came to the door and getting the books handed them to the messenger and then renewed his assault upon his wife who was lying insensible on the floor.
 The McLeans have four children. three of whom, two boys and a little girl, were in the house in a state of hysterical fear and terror. The old est of these, boy of ten, says that his father rested from time to time and then renewed his assaults upon his wife. The woman Is supposed to have died sometime yesterday morn ing. In the afternoon Mclean sent a message to Rev. B. P. Kassevaroff, priest of the Greek church at this place, who Is the uncle of the dead woman, notifying him that Mrs. Nc Lean was dead. Later Mclean ad- mitted to Rev. Kassevaroff that he had killed the woman, but at the in- quest held here this morning, he de- clared that his wife was killed in runaway of his dog team, the sled overturning and drakeing her body for hundreds of yards. The ,jary brought in a verdict that she came to her death from injuries received at the hands of Mclean. Mclean was arrested by United states Mar shal H. J. Paulsen, and is now in the Dillingham; jail. .,4 Mrs. Mclean was the daughter of Rev. Father Kassevaroff, priest of the Greek church q Kodiak, Alaska, She and Mclean. have been married about twelve years. She was known here as an excellent housekeeper and "a good mother. Mclean is an Australian and has had checkered career. When 1s years of age he ran away from home, coming to San francisco. From that place he came to the Bristol bay. re- zion. marrying here. in 1910 he was one of the census enumerators. cov- ering the Illiamna district. He was of a quarreisome disposition and has had numerous fights.
 He was also known as wife-beat- CT, and last summer served a jail sentence in addition to paying fine for beating his wife. At that time he came near murdering Mrs. Nc Lean.
 Three weeks ago in fight, with c. Wv. Larsen of Dillingham;. Mclean
 was knocked down and beaten.
 L The body of the dead woman ia now being kept In | frozen condi- tion until ,a post-portem examination of her injuries can he made. All the
 bones of her facs arc broken in and also the frontal cranial bones as well as the bones of her' chest.
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