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From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: [IAPALOAL] !! Emmetsburg Democrat; Palo Alto Co, IA; "Stabbing Affair"
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 18:32:48 -0500


Emmetsburg Democrat
Palo Alto Co, IA
Wednesday, October 20, 1909

SERIOUS STABBING AFFAIR
Deputy Sheriff McNally Badly Wounded by James Cahill, Jr.
There was a serious stabbing affair in the Hull lunch room just east of the
auto garage in this city Saturday night about 12:50. John Moncrief, Jr., was
en??? the face and arm and Deputy Sheriff W.P. McNally, who was called in to
make an arrest received an ugly gash across the neck. It came within a quarter
of an inch of severing the jugular vein. James Cahill, Jr., who returned to
Emmetsburg a short time ago, did the cutting. Mr. McNally bled very freely and
became so weak that it was feared for some time that he could not live, but he
gained in strength the following day and yesterday he was able to come up town.
Mr. Moncrief was not seriously injured and was able to be about Sunday. However,
he bears a few ugly scars. Cahill was arrested and placed in jail. Yesterday he
was arraigned before Mayor Duffy for a preliminary hearing and was held to await
the action of the grand jury which meets in November.
There are numerous and conflicting stories about the affair, which is
usually the case under circumstances of this kind. John Meyers, who was in
charge of the lunch room at the time, says that he was busy in the back room
when the row began. Bert Ryan, Joe Flood, Will Wells, Frank Brennan, James
Cahill and two others were in the other room. Some of the boys were waiting for
oyster stews and one or two of them were singing and dancing. James Cahill seems
to have been a stranger to most of the others. Moncrief and Cahill got into some
kind of altercation and Meyers ran out for the deputy sheriff. In the row Cahill
cut Moncrief about the head, in the face and on the arm. When Mr. McNally
reached the room, the crowd was outside and in the alley. He ran out and caught
Cahill, who resisted. In the struggle Cahill cut an ugly gash in McNally's neck.
McNally took the knife from him, but when he found he was injured he told others
to take charge of his assailant and not to let him get away. He hurried to the
St. James Hotel, as the blood was gushing from his neck and he feared that he
had been fatally injured. Dr. Cretzmeyer and Van Gordon were called in and after
some time succeeded in stopping the flow of blood. He became very weak and it
was feared that he might not recover. However, he grew stronger the following
day and has since been improving. Cahill escaped during the excitement and went
to his father's house where he was soon after arrested by Marshal Drummy and
Sheriff Cullen. He was brought down town and placed in jail. His clothes were
covered with blood. Mr. Moncrief was not dangerously injured but had his wounds
dressed and was about town the next day. Had it not been for his companions, he
would most likely have been killed. Cahill used an ordinary pocket knife.
Monday, Bert Ryan, Will Wells, John Moncrief, Frank Brennan and Joe Flood
were arrested for complicity in the disturbance. All plead guilty to different
charges and were fined.

Emmetsburg Democrat
Palo Alto County, Iowa
8 Dec 1909

James Cahill Jr. Acquitted.
The case of the state vs. James Cahill, Jr., was tried Wednesday. He was
charged with assault with intent to commit murder. He cut a dangerous gash in
the neck of Deputy Sheriff W.P. McNally the night of the row in the restaurant
near the Paulson harness shop. County Attorney Williams prosecuted and C.E.
Cohoon defended. The defendant is quite deaf. He claimed that the young man who
came into the restaurant while he was there picked on him and tried to use him
roughly. There was also testimony to show that some members of the party had
misused him while he was working in the brick yards some time before. He claimed
that he acted purely self defense in using the knife that he supposed that the
deputy sheriff when he called on duty was one of the boys who had been misusing
him. Some of the witnesses for the state admitted that they had been drinking
and that they had used him roughly and without provocation. They were quite
frank in their statements. The jury returned a verdict acquitting Cahill. Had he
been convicted the sentence would have been a number of years in the
penitentiary.

[Transcriber note: Deputy sheriff William Patrick (W.P.) McNally (1882-1957) was
my first cousin twice removed.]

Cathy Joynt Labath
Palo Alto Co, IA USGenWeb Project
http://www.celticcousins.net/paloalto/
Iowa Old Press
http://www.IowaOldPress.com/


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