Murder of Mary McGlew

By 1878 20-year-old Mary McGlew worked as a waitress at the Spencer House (a hotel) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her employer was Henry Guetig, and his nephew is 19-year-old Louis Guetig. Louis was known to have a huge crush on Mary making advances on her and getting rejected every time.

On September 19,1878 Louis was drunk and tired of being rejected. At the Spencer House around 9 p.m. Mary, Addie McLaughlin, and Katie Collins were standing near the doorway of the stewards lodging house which faced the court but was at the rear of the main building. Louis approached the girls angrily focusing on Mary. 

"Are you ready to make that promise?" He screamed at her, "I've waited so long!" He pulled a revolver out on the girls. They screamed, but his focus was on Mary. Wanting to save her life she responded with "Yes, I'll promise you anything!" He didn't believe and her and told her that she was only saying that because he was going to shoot her. He empties out the gun with 4 out of 5 bullets hitting Mary and killing her. She was stuck under her left eye, in the cheek, in her abdomen, and right eye. The fifth bullet hit Katie in the thigh.

There were Police Officers in the area and came to the scene. They would arrest Louis and because Mary was still holding onto life they moved her to a room. Unfortunately, when they got to the room she passed.

Louis would state that he was ready to hang for the murder. When Mr. McLaughlin and Henry Guetig came to the jail though Louis feared for his safety.  

On November 18, 1878, the murder trial began. He would be convicted and sentenced to hang on January 29, 1878, but he was able to appeal it. He has then tried again and the same fate was set, except now he was set to hang on September 19th a year exactly from when he killed Mary. 

It was said that Louis was accepting of his fate. This did not mean he wasn't uneasy about his fate though. He had a manuscript to read for his last words. He would say he had no complaints of his deserving fate and asked that his friends and foes to forgive him. At noon he would be hanged and he would be pronounced dead after 16 minutes.  

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri page 54

Executed Today

The Indianapolis News September 20, 1878

The Republic September 20, 1878

The Indiana Sentenial September 25, 1878

The South Bend Tribune September 21, 1878

The Republic November 19, 1878

The Indianapolis News December 31, 1878

The Indiana State Sentenial September 24, 1879