McGinty Murder-Suicide

MCGINTY, CLARK

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/19/2009 at 23:32:52

Maquoketa Sentinel, January 25, 1855.

Most Horrible and Distressing Tragedy

A most thrilling and awful tragedy occurred in the vicinity of Cascade on Friday night. Robert McGinty residing some two miles this side of Cascade went to the house of his father-in-law, Mr. Clark, residing a short distance beyond Cascade and commenced an assault upon his wife, who had gone there to escape his ill treatment, when the father, Mr. Clark, interfered by drawing a pistol from his pocket and informing McGinty that he would shoot him if he did not desist. McGinty seized a flat iron and knocked the old man down and took the pistol from and shot him. During the time that this encounter was going on between McGinty and Clark, the wife escaped to a neighbor’s house, but fearing pursuit from her demon husband, she left the house and went into the woods and there secreted herself. McGinty followed to the house where her wife had retreated and not finding her there swore he would shoot the woman of this house if she did not inform him the place of concealment of the wife. The woman, alarmed for her safety informed McGinty the direction the wife had taken. Bent on blood her pursued and found her concealed in the bushes and horrible to relate, cut her head nearly off. He then went to his own house and placing the muzzle of his pistol under his chin discharged it, the ball passing out of his right cheek. Finding this effort to destroy life ineffectual, he discharged three balls into his abdomen and then attempted to severe his wind pipe by drawing a knife across his throat. He was found some time during Friday night at his own house in bed and still alive, by some men from Cascade, in pursuit of him. As they entered the house he pulled the clothes over his head. They placed him in a wagon and started for Cascade, but before they reached there, life had left the carcass of this desperate wretch. McGinty and his wife are both dead, and it is doubtful whether Clark will survive. McGinty is the same desperado who a short time since bit a man’s nose off in the lower part of the City and was bound over to appear at the next term of the District Court.

We have never been called upon before to record such a horrible tragedy in this vicinity, and we trust we shall not have it to repeat while Iowa is a state.
Express and Herald, 15th inst.