On This Date in Minnesota History: June 5

June 5, 1904 – Ray W. Harrison, the man who was shot by Miss Meda Mahn in a hotel at Donnelly, Minn., last Monday night, died at St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis at 2:30 this afternoon.

Birdseye view of Donnelly, Minn., 1905¹

Mahn, a former employee of the hotel, had claimed that Harrison deceived her. She returned to the hotel, concealed herself in the room across the hall from the one occupied by Harrison and when he was about to enter his room for the night shot him in the back. She then turned the revolver upon herself and fired the bullet into her breast, dying almost instantly.

The bullet fired at Harrison passed through his stomach and liver. He was made as comfortable as possible that night and the next morning was hurried to St. Mary’s Hospital in the hope that a surgical operation might save his life. The operation was performed, and for a time it seemed that recovery was more than probable, but later in the week the patient began to sink and death resulted this afternoon.

Harrison was unmarried, 25 years old, and for five years had been the junior member of the general merchandising firm of Davis & Harrison in Donnelly. He had good standing in the community, and had taken a leading place not only in business but socially as well.

Mahn was the daughter of a farmer near Hector, Minn. She worked in the hotels at Donnelly and Morris for several years. According to Federal Census records, she was 18 years old.

²Main Street, East Side, Hector, Minn., 1910

The remains of Harrison have been turned over to an undertaker for preparation for burial. The girl who did the shooting left a letter giving her reasons for committing the murder and suicide, and expressing a request that she and her victim be buried side by side.

That, however, did not happen. Harrison’s remains were taken to Mable Rock, Ia., by his father and sister, the only surviving relatives of the unfortunate man. Mahn was buried by her family near Hector.

The Minneapolis Tribune; “Girl’s Victim Dies. Ray W. Harrison Succumbs to Wounds. Man Who Was Shot Six Days Ago by Young Woman, Who Then Killed Herself, Fails to Survive His Injury—Bullet Passes Through Stomach and Liver.”; June 6, 1904.

Marble Rock Journal; “Ray Harrison Shot. Miss Meda Mahn Fires Bullet into Ray Harrison and then Kills Herself.”; Marble Rock, Ia.; June 2, 1904.

The Minneapolis Tribune; “Take Remains to Iowa”; June 7, 1904; p. 6.

Hector Mirror; June 10, 1904; p. 4.

¹http://www.lakesnwoods.com/images/Donnel89.jpg

²http://www.lakesnwoods.com/Hector.htm

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