The Strange Afterlife of a Murdered Man
Letters from disgruntled ex-wives and rivals surface after a Waterville man is murdered, revealing a long, chaotic trail of failed marriages.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Waterville, Nov. 30: Recent facts that have come to light show that both the late John Dougherty and his murdered wife had a varied experience in the matrimonial line, and if what is written is true, they were well mated. It appears that both had been married twice before, and anything but happiness marked their previous marital experiences. The sheriff has received a letter from the daughter of John Dougherty's first wife, and another from a woman claiming to be wife No. 2. No. 2 claims she married Dougherty in Chicago many years ago and they moved to Arizona, whence the 'gay and festive' John decamped, carrying off $3,000 of her money. Perhaps most interesting is a letter from husband No. 2 of the late Mrs. Dougherty, written to John Dougherty under the presumption that the man was still living. Signed by M. D. Brown of Minnehaha, Minnesota, he writes: 'A friend has just handed me a paper with the account of the murder. I think Mary Phillips Brown Dougherty got what she deserved. I was her second husband and it was three years and a half of hell upon earth. When I slacked up on the $10 bills she said she would put a bullet-hole through me. But I did not drink any of her tea in a long time and generally ate elsewhere.' The various women claiming priority of marriage with Dougherty are now laboring under the impression that the murderer left a large estate, but they are doomed to disappointment: John Dougherty's possessions consisted of a ranch and a small amount of personal property, with a $500 plaster on the farm.
“I did not drink any of her tea in a long time and generally ate elsewhere.”
Historical accounts of 'murdered wife' stories often focused on the sensational personal lives of the victims, treating their private trauma as public fodder. It serves as a reminder of how, even in the 19th century, the press prioritized lurid social drama over the reality of domestic violence.
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