Tazewell County IL Archives News.....Horrid Affair [ Bogar ] October 31, 1839
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com August 25, 2007, 5:23 am

Northern Journal [Lowville NY] October 31, 1839
From the Peoria (Ill.) Register, Oct. 1_th 

The peaceful neighborhood of Washington, Tazewell county, was recently the 
scene of one of the most diabolical acts ever petpetrated. The particulars are 
briefly these, gathered from a gentleman who was on the spot the same day.

On Tuesday morning of last week, a Mr. Bogar, a Frenchman, who had resided 
with his wife in Washington for two years past, and with whom he was known to 
have had several matrimonial quarrels, threatened her so severely as to cause 
her to determine to leave his roof the first opportunity. Bogar having, after 
breakfast, repaired to his work as usual, at a tan-yard in the suburbs. Mrs. 
B. obtained a horse and set out for the house of her brother at Patridge 
Point, intending to claim his protection. On the way she was compelled to pass 
the tan-yard, and was seen by her husband. He instantly returned to his house, 
took two pistols which he had purchased in Peoria the Saturday before, went in 
pursuit of his wife, and overtook her a mile from town. Seizing her with the 
fury of a fiend, he gragged her from the horse to the ground, and deliberately 
drew a pistol and shot her in the head. At that moment a young man approached 
on horseback, when Bogar drew the other pistol and fired another ball into the 
head of his victim. He then proceeded to load his pistols again, as he walked 
away on the prairie. All this was done while the young man was in sight, and 
who passed sufficiently near the sufferer to hear a groan, which he supposed 
was her last. He hastened towards Washington, and the next moment heard 
another discharge from the pistol.

As soon as he could make the horrid circumstances known, several citizens 
repaired to the place and found Bogar weltering in his blood, with the upper 
part of his face blown off by the contents of the pistol, which he had himself 
discharged in his mouth. But his wife was not there! Incredible as it may 
appear, she had survived the two pistol shots, and risen from the ground, and 
ran to the nearest house (Mr. Trimble's) a quarter of a mile distant. She 
remembered and related distinctly what passed until the first pistol was 
fired, but knew nothing more until she found herself at the house spoken of. 
Surgical aid being had, it was ascertained that the first ball did not pass 
through the skull, but was found in the hair, flattened by the resistence it 
had met with. The second ball had penetrated the skull, and was found just 
within it, split in two. The pieces were extracted with some difficulty; and 
in a few days the wound was healed; and Mrs. B., raised as it were from the 
grave, is now in perfect health.

Bogar, as already stated, was a Frenchman. His wife is a native of Germany, 
about 30 ears of age, of sprightly manners and rather handsome person. They 
were married in France about four years ago, had a child still living, 3 years 
old, and had been about that length of time in this country. Jealousy is said 
to have led the wretched man to the perpetration of this act of revenge, which 
through the mysterious agency of Divine Providence, has resulted in his own 
death and escape of his intended victim.

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