The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-10-27

near Cogin & Johnson's White Front
saloon in the village of West Duluth
a little after 6 o'clock, on the eve.
ming of Tuesday, September 6, 1892
just quarter of century ago.
"Come, Murphy, let's take q
drink" said Haggerty.
Murphy hesitated a bit but finally
consented. In a quarrel in the White
Front saloon the night before he had
been beaten by bartender, Frank
Houck. He did not wish to go back
there until fully ready to take physi'
cal satisfaction of his enemy.
Murphy had suffered with pain
from the blow all night ar' BIC .
over the defeat all day. He was in
belligerent mood.
II am going to get even with
Houck," he frankly had told James
Cogin whom he met in the Little
Diamond saloon after the quarrel.
"You better let Houck alone" re-
piled Cogin. He's quick tempered
and he carries gum"
'T'm going to lick him." persisted
Murphy, land I'm going to do it
with these two fists that God gave
me-"
When Haggerty and Murphy en-
tered the White Front saloon that
fatal Tuesday evening, they were &C.
companies by Timothy Haley, a
husky young carpenter.
Stepping to the middle of the bar,
Haley looked around for his COM
panions. He saw Murphy put his
right hand on the bartender's left
arm and heard him say:
Hello, Frank! Are ycr as good
a man as you were last night"
Houck was not heard to make any
reply.
Murphy raised his right hand and
struck the bartender side blow on
the head, but did not knock him
down. 5000 ,.-.. ... ,.-...,. .-....- ~-
A pistol, shot next greeted young
Haley's ears.
I'm shot" exclaimed Murphy.
The stricken man dropped to his
hands and knees. Haley helped him
to his feet but he could not stand.
Bartender Houck with pistol in his
hand slowly backed towards the rear
of the room.
"Would We shoot down man like
that" exclaimed Haggerty, in anger
and surprise.
Eyes! I'll shoot you if you come
near mel" retorted Houck, accord
ing to one eye witness.
Haggerty started towards Houck.
"Look out! You'll get shot"
shouted both Haley and Cogin.
Keep away" warned Houck.
Haley grabbed his angry compan-
ion by the collar but he broke away.
Reaching Houck, Haggerty took hold
of his clothing at the throat.
Break away" Cogin commanded
Houck.
"I'm trying to br=ak away" re-
piled the bartender.
Haggerty chung to the man who
had just shot his friend.
The two tussled between chairs
and around tables in the saloon.
Houck was seen to brace himself
against table with his hand.
Another shot came from the bar
tenders gun. He pulled backwards
and followed that shot with three
more in quick succession.
Haggerty fell to the floor. Houck
ran behind the bar, troke his re-
volver, reloaded it and then disap-
peared through the back door.
Haggerty was shot through the
left groin. the abdomen and the hip,
cutting the femmoral artery. Any
one of the three wounds was fatal.
In twenty minutes. Mike Haggerty
was dead.
John Murphy fingered until about
3 o'clock the next morning. Before
death came, he stated that he went
into the saloon with the intention of
threshing Houck. r. -.
Murphy's impulsive act cost him
his life, that of a friend and left his
wife and two children without pro-
tector.
Thus came to West Duluth that
terrible double murder. Old John
Barleycorn really was responsible
for it.
West Duluth seethed with excite
ment for the next few days. A few
minutes after the double shooting,
Arthur Briggs, chief of police of the
village, was on the scene. He ar
rested Cogin, proprietor of the White
Front, William King, bartender,
and Leonard F. Kennedy, utility
man around the saloon.
At about $3.50 that same evening,
detective Kenna of the Duluth police
force and Ed Schell, West Duluth
patrolman, started for Duluth with
the three prisoners where, upon ar
rival, they were delivered to Paul
Sharvy, sheriff of St. Louis county.
Houck, the murderer, had effecta-
ally disappeared. After the shoot
ing, he visited Henry Ogden's livery
barn and Robert Chubb's saloon. It