Obit: Mathias, H. Mrs. (1856? - 1914)

Contact: Marsha Hosfeld
Email: mahosfeld@yahoo.com

Surnames: Hibbard, Murphy, Mathias

----Sources: DORCHESTER HERALD (Dorchester, Clark County, Wis.) Aug. 7, 1914

Mathias, H. Mrs. (1856? - 5 Aug. 1914)

INCENDIARY SHOT ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE

Medford Woman Killed by Watchman When She Refused to Halt.

Mrs. H. Mathias, 58 years old and weighing 230 pounds, while trying to escape after lighting a fire to Mr. Hibbard's barn at Medford Tuesday evening, was shot and instantly killed by Dan Murphy, aged 35, a neighbor who had been employed by Mr. Hibbard as a watchman over his property while he was enjoying a trip to the lakes west of town.

Mr. Murphy is said to have called several times to Mrs. Mathias to stop, but she kept right on running, and at last he fired, hitting her in the hips with a load of buckshot, killing her instantly, death probably being partly due to the shock. She was dressed in a suit of men’s clothes.

This shooting comes as a sequel to a long list of attempts to burn Mr. Hibbard’s buildings at Medford at different times, and other attempted damage to his property, and everyone there is glad that the culprit has at last met her reward.

At the coroner’s inquest held Wednesday forenoon Mr. Murphy, who was arrested early in the morning, was entirely exonerated for the part he played in bringing this party to justice and was immediately given his freedom. Mr. Mathias, husband of the dead woman, is being held by the authorities, however pending an investigation.