Leonard Carroll |
Posted 2014-07-27 by Judy Wight Branson |
Weekly Arizona Journal Miner, Prescott, Arizona Territory Wednesday, July 24, 1907, page 1 (From Tuesday's Daily) Unrequited Love Is Cause Of Local Crime Leonard Carroll Fires Three Bullets Into Body of Sweetheart. Girl Will Live Crazed with jealousy, and roused to an insane fury at the repeated rejections of his proposals of marriage, Leonard Carroll, aged 30, last night, about 9:10 o'clock, shot Maggie Martin, aged 17, three times with a .41 Colt's revolver, then turned the gun on himself and sent a bullet crashing through his right side, which caused almost instant death. Despite her three wounds, Dr. Southworth stated last night that unless blood poisoning developed, the girl would recover. Five years ago, when J. W. Newbould, stepfather of the victim of last night's tragedy, was living with his family in the Verde Valley, Leonard Carroll was engaged with him in cultivating a farm. 'Len,' as he was known, saw pretty Maggie Martin, his partner's stepdaughter, and fell immediately and desperately in love with the girl, who was then but 12 years old. Despite her youth, Carroll proposed marriage, and was laughingly refused by the girl. As time passed, 'Len' became more insistent that she marry him, but was always rejected. 'If you don't marry me, you'll never live to marry another,' was his oft-repeated threat. Came a time, last January, when Newbould and his wife, mother of Maggie Martin, separated, the husband going to Globe, where he is now working as a miner. Mrs. Newbould and her daughter continued to live on the Verde Valley farm, until about a week ago, when she and her daughter came to Prescott, renting the Merritt place, on North McCormick street. Carroll who had boarded with them in the valley, brought them here, then returned to the farm, but his thoughts were still on his sweetheart, and a day or two later he came here, securing a position with 'Tin Can Johnny' Simpson. He immediately repaired to the new home of the Newboulds, and begged Mrs. Newbould to accept him as a boarder, telling her she seemed like a mother to him. Mrs. Newbould at first refused, knowing of his unrequited love for her daughter, but finally yielded to his pleadings, and he took up his abode with them, renewing his offer of marriage to the girl, and meeting with the same rebuffs. Last night, Miss Martin was called upon by a male friend, and as they sat on the porch and talked the fires of jealousy rekindled in the breast of Carroll who observed them. Only that day, he had, for the hundredth time, asked her to be his wife, and she had again refused, and he had again repeated his threat to kill her and himself unless she consented. Carroll began drinking, and towards evening became slightly intoxicated. He talked with a friend concerning his love affair, and was advised to leave the girl alone. Not heading this advice, he went to 'Tin Can Johnny,' whom he asked to secure a pistol for him, saying he wished to kill a mad dog. Simpson, knowing nothing of the murderous intent of the jealousy-crazed lover, secured the pistol at a second-hand store, which he gave to Carroll who then returned to the Newbould home. Arriving there he had supper, and then sat down in the kitchen, brooding over his troubles. Shortly before 9 o'clock, Miss Martin retired for the night. After getting into bed she remembered that the cow had not been fed, and rising, she slipped on her slippers, and went to look after the cow. This was the opportunity Carroll had been awaiting, and as she walked past the kitchen, returning from the barn, the crazed lover stepped out, and pointing the pistol at her, pulled the trigger three times, each bullet taking effect. With blood streaming from her wounds, the girl turned and fled back to the house, screaming, 'Oh, mama, he has shot me.' Carroll then pressed the pistol against his own side, pulled the trigger, and fell dying. Between 7 and 8 o'clock, last evening, Maggie Martin met an acquaintance in the front yard of the residence occupied by her, her mother, Mrs. J. W. Newbould, the latter's two little children, and also George Merritt and Leonard Carroll. She talked with her friend for some time and when he was leaving accompanied him to the front gate. The fact of her talking with the other man appeared to excite the jealousy of Carroll, who told George Merritt that Maggie was engaged to him, and asked his opinion as to the propriety of her conversing with other possible suitors. Merritt did not give any opinion, and Carroll left for the Dougherty feed and livery stable, immediately south of the residence, where he met Jack Simpson, in whose employ he had been engaged in gathering old iron and tin cans for the past two days. Simpson asked Carroll where he was going, and Carroll answered that he wanted to get a six-shooter to kill a mad dog in the yard. Simpson told Carroll that he did not have any six-shooter, but volunteered to borrow one for him in the second hand store close by. A Colt's pistol of 41 caliber was secured and Carroll returned to the residence occupied by Mrs. Newbould and her daughter. He joined them in the kitchen, and a few minutes before 8 o'clock Mrs. Newbould stated that it was time for him to retire, and informed him that his bed was ready in the next room. Carroll, who appeared morose and downcast, answered that he would retire shortly. Mrs. Newbould and her daughter went into the back part of the place to water their cow, Miss Martin returning to the house first. When she walked by the kitchen Carroll came out, and appearing in the door, said, We might as well die together.' Alarmed at his words, the girl called, 'What have you got in your hand behind your back,' when he suddenly drew the weapon and fired, the bullet passing through the muscles of her right arm, between the elbow and shoulder. She rushed upon him, and called to her mother, when the second shot was fired, passing through her right breast, making and ugly flesh wound. The frantic mother rushed into the kitchen just as the third shot was fired, which entered the left leg, between the knee and the body. At the sight of the mother, Carroll rushed from the place to the outside, where, at the door to the stable, he fired one of the remaining three shots in the weapon through his right side in the direction of his heart, dying instantly. George Merritt, who was in his room in the building, at the time of the shooting, rushed out and seeing what had happened, at once notified the sheriff's office and called Dr. Southworth to the bedside of the wounded girl. Under Sheriff Neagle and Deputies Merritt and Bowdro were promptly on the scene. They came armed to the teeth, as it was reported to them that the girl had been murdered and that the murderer had barricaded himself in the barn. When they reached the barn they found the dead body of Carroll lying face downward, near the door, with the pistol lying about a foot from his head. Coroner McLane was notified, and a coroner's jury was summoned, while Dr. Southworth was dressing the girl's wounds. He cauterized the wounds on her arm and body, and after finding the bullet still in her leg, had her removed to the Mercy hospital. The dead body of Carroll was removed to the undertaking parlors of Maus & Shannon to be prepared for burial. While the girl was being cared for by the physician and her wounds cauterized, she showed remarkable courage and fortitude, never shedding a tear nor groaning from the great pain she was suffering, and refused to take an anesthetic. The only regret she was heard to express during the operation was, 'I am sorry that he shot himself; it was as foolish of him to do it.' When Dr. Southworth walked out of the room where the girl lay suffering, and announced that she would live, a suppressed, but plainly audible cheer went up from those who had gathered around the scene of the tragedy. Carroll was a very illiterate man, being unable to read or write. He was very industrious, however, and aside from his occasional drinking sprees, had no particular bad habits. ------------------------------- Prescott Evening Courier, Prescott, Arizona Territory Wednesday, July 24, 1907, page 3 Funeral services of the late Leonard Carroll will be held at G. C. Ruffner's undertaking parlors Thursday, July 25 at 10:30 a.m. All friends and acquaintance of the family are invited to attend. Transcriber's note: He is buried in plot number C-16-01 at the Citizens Cemetery in Prescott, Arizona. There is no headstone marking the exact place of Leonard's burial |
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