Iowa County WI Archives News.....FRED. F. DAVEY OF CHICAGO ACQUITTED OF MURDER CHARGE May 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com January 1, 2007, 5:45 am Dodgeville Chronicle May 1913 "FRED. F. DAVEY OF CHICAGO ACQUITTED OF MURDER CHARGE "Another Case of the Innocent Bystander - Much Excitement at the Trial "Saturday morning, Edward Dougherty, Fred F. Davey and J. W. Kinsella, the trio charged with the murder of Bernard Gannon, were acquitted. The murder occurred May 12, in Chicago where the above named men reside. "Fred F. Davey had Darby for his lawyer, while Day and Eberstein represented Kinsella and Dougherty respectively. The trial took place in Judge Brentano's court, lasting from Monday until Saturday. "The facts in the case were these: "Bernard Gannon, on the night of May 12, 1913, was sent by his employer to change a $10 bill. He entered a saloon, but not being able to secure the desired favor crossed the street, in company with Dougherty, to another place where he expected to secure change for his bill. A quarrel started here, and by the time the men, Gannon and Dougherty reached the corner of Polk and Laflin Streets, Gannon fell pierced with a knife wound. Dougherty fell a few seconds later wounded in a like manner. Kinsella accompanied the two men and was present during the fray. "In a few seconds, a mob of excited pedestrians encircled the two wounded men and Kinsella. "Among this crowd was Fred. F. Davey, a barber in a nearby shop, and a stranger in that section of Chicago. Davey mixed with some man, and was knocked down. Hence the report that Davey was one of the trio who murdered Gannon. "Gannon was taken to a hospital, where he soon died of the wounds. Dougherty and Kinsella were arrested and placed in jail. When told of Gannon's death, as the evidence in court later brought out, they partially acknowledged the crime. Here, they probably implicated Davey. Davey was located and watched until about a week later, when his arrest was made. "The report that reached here, accusing Davey of securing the $10 during the skirmish, was totally incorrect. No such proof was brought up in court. "Fred Davey's wife, mother and child attended the trial, as did relatives of Gannon. "During the pleas for acquittal, Davey's mother [Mary Louise Stephens Davey] fell in a swoon, and was cared for by matrons. "When the verdict of "not guilty" was read, Mrs. Gannon, wife of the deceased cried out! "To think that they should go free. I'll kill one of them sometime myself; that is the law for you. A man is murdered in cold blood, and the guilty ones are allowed to escape." A riot was averted only by the prompt action of the deputy sheriffs, for relatives and friends of both plaintiff and defendants were present, all at a high pitch of excitement. "Mr. Davey is a former Dodgeville boy and it is gratifying to his relatives and friends in this vicinity to know that he was entirely innocent of the crime with which he was charged." File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/iowa/newspapers/fredfdav21gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 3.4 Kb