FIGHT FOR A BABY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 72, 23 March 1912, Page 17

FIGHT FOR A BABY.

"~__B_S HOUSE FIEED BY MAM-AS. SHOTS AT WIFE AND POMCS, On the last day of January, ** Coilinsville, a small town in Oon_«rtie_t, U.S.A., lohn Kencflck probably mortally injured ■is pretty bride of one year, and, after . .lrlng a do_en shots at his mother-in-law md sister-in-law, he attempted to commit suicide. The shooting was the result of Keneflck's effort to gain possessloo of his three months old baby, whom he bod not yet seen, and, after snatching the infant mt of a cupboard where It had been hidden In a cardboard box, the mad—mi rushed out of the house, only to be confronted by a dozen policemen. Kenefick carefully placed .he box containing the baby In the soft snow, and, using it as a shield, he fired his revolver until hie ammunition was expended. Then the police rushed in, and, after a short but sharp struggle, securely iou_d their man. Kenefick and his yonng wife, aged 21, were married only a year ago, and after three months of happiness, the man deserted his bride. Three monttis ago Mrs. Kenefick, who was living at her mother's house, g«ve birth to a baby boy, but the father made m. effort to see his son. On the afternoon Of the tragedy, however, Kenefick went to the bouse and demanded admittance. At the sound of his voice, the mother and sister of Mrs. Kenefick lied upstairs, but the young mother remained downstairs, declaring that rhe was not afraid, and would talk to her husband through the window. Kenefick, at the sight of bl» wife and baby, became enraged, and, bursting IBs barricaded door, without any preliminaries, drew a revolver and fired tiwlce. The first shot pierced the woman _ arm within an Inch of the child's head, and the second struck her in the back of the nect and lodged In her Jaw. She fell unconscious, and the baby rolled on the floor. At the sound of the firing Mrs. Johnson, the mother-in-law, rushed to her daughters aid, and the enraged man fired four Shots at her, none of them taking effect. By this time the young sister arrived, and she snatched up the baby, despite the hail of lead which greeted her action, and. rushing upstairs, hid the c_ild in a cardboard box. Then she ran out of the house to call the police. Meanwhile Kenefick was searching for the child, which he at last discovered. Sel-tog the infant, he went back to the scene of the shooting. As he entered the room he glared at Mrs. Johnson, who .cowered Into a corner. Under his arm was the box, the cover of which he bad closed, and from it -_c the choking cries of the child. The man tapped the lid with th* umMle ot his revolver, a_d Mrs. Johnson, too horrified lo proUst. swooned. TOLICE CHIEF'S STORY. Mrs. Kenefick. recove:ln_ consciousness, began to groan. The man watched her Intently. Then a devilish impulse moved him. Darting to the open fire, he seized a flaining piece of wood and ran upstairs. The object of his mission soon became apparent by the crackling flames overhead. A moment later he reappeared, still clutching the torch. Then he set fire to the low_r floor, and dashed out of the dooj as flames burst from the windows above. The rest of the story Is graphically told by the Chief of the I'ollce of Colllnsvllle. He sail: "Word of the shooting had been telephoned to m-—i_ fact, half the town had been ala-med, and hundreds of employees from the axe' factories were swarming to the house. I got a dozen men together, and, with twelve of my own offlcerw, hurried to the Johi.son's place. We got there just as Kenefick .led from the sitting-room. We ordered him >o halt. For answer he took the box containing tbe baby and placed it on the snow. As he did so the cover fell off. We didn't know what was In the box till -Jien." "Quick as lightning, Kenefick threw himself flat on the sno-v behind the box containing the baby, ,wihil e the youngster was crying, and clutching the sir .with its little hands. The baby was In a direct line hetwoen us and Kenefick, and was as good a shield as the man would want. We didn't want to fire, fearing to hit the child. We were -Oft away from Kenefick. At our •back was the flame-swept house. i_ o women In the house were in the meantime rescued from the rear and hurried t« doctors. "We were nil puzzled as to what to do, but Iveuefic- decided for us by opening fire over the baby. _ome of ns eogea round a little, and the battle began. More than fifty abets were flred vhm stepped to one side, put the revolver to his fired?' 0 ,' 1 PUUea tte tri « w - Buf ho had Bred his last -hot. Then we closed In onhim, and took him prisoner " flok is i„ a veTJ crltlc _ 1 baby will live, despite the expo- U re