CAREY, Matthew died 1877

CAREY, COGAN

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 5/5/2024 at 17:45:28

For some months past there has been in the employ of the White Bros., proprietors of the south Lansing flouring mill, a young Irishman named Matthew Carey, aged about 22 years old, brother-in-law to John Cogan, and a Swede named Andrew Soderlin, also a young man.

The former was usually engaged in loading flour into the cars and doing other work about the mill, and the latter's work was to haul wood from the yard up to the engine room. They had frequently bandied some unpleasant words back and forth, and the day before the murder they had indulged in quite a quarrel, and finally threatened a continuance of it on the morrow.

On Friday morning about 9 o'clock it was renewed, as we are informed, by Carey, who used language which aroused the passions of Soderlin, who in turn used some very opprobious epithets toward Carey. At this Carey turned and walked demonstratively toward the wagon upon which Soderlin was standing. From what we can learn Carey struck Soderlin twice with his fist about the hips or abdomen, when Soderlin suddenly drew a stake out of the wagon rack and struck Carey one blow over the top of the head with it.

It felled Carey to the ground, but he soon raised up on his hands and knees and started to crawly away. Mr. Sanborn then came out of the mill and assisted him into the office. He remained there a few moments when his brother-in-law, John Cogan, came in and took him home, a short distance from the mill.

Carey walked unaided mostly all of the way, went into the house, sat down a few seconds, then went and washed himself and sat down again. Presently he began to grow faint and medical attendance was immediately sent for, as was also the Catholic Priest, Father Urbany, but before they arrived he was ravingly crawy and failing rapidly. He continued to grow worse until about 10 1/2 o'clock, when death came to his relief.

Soderlin was immediately arrested and locked up in the city jail. A post-mortem examination was held on Friday afternoon, by Drs. Taylor and Craig, before a Coronor's Jury impanneled by W.D. Morgan. The skull was found to be badly cracked in several places.

The following is the verdict rendered by the jury: "The said jurors, upon their oaths, do say that the said Matthew Carey came to his death from the effects of a blow upon the top of his head with a wood rack stake in the hands of one Andrew Soderlin." The jury consisted of Messrs. R.P. Spencer, J.C. Barclay and Chas. Gadsby.

The remains of the murdered man were buried in the Wexford cemetery on Sunday. He has a brother living near Wexford. He was next to the youngest of five brothers in this country, the parents being yet in Ireland, and he was a hard-working, industrous and sober young man.

Andrew Soderlin, the murderer had his examination before Mayor Hemenway on Monday and was bound over for trial at the next term of court, which meets in June. The bail was fixed at $1000 and as it was not procured he has been taken to jail at Waukon. Soderlin is an innocent looking man and has no appearance whatever of viciousness, and has not been considered a quarrelsome or unusually passionate man. He most persistently denies having the remotest intention of killing Carey when he struck him, and feels terribly over the sad and fatal ending of a foolish quarrel. He is an unmarried man and his home has been with his aged parents who reside in South Lansing.
~North Iowa Journal, Wednesday, April 25, 1877; pg 3

Note: a brief accounting of the Carey murder is in the History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, 1882 by W.E. Alexander, chapter 8. According to the history book, Soderlin was indicted for manslaugher in June 1877, but acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.
https://iagenweb.org/allamakee/History/chapter8.htm

Carey's burial in Wexford cemetery is not included in the 'Woodmansee' cemetery book.