Mabel Mooney Birth unknown
Death March 1892 Omaha, Nebraska
Burial Unknown - Cemetery unknown

Abner N. Gafford Birth unknown
Death March 1892 Omaha, Nebraska
Burial unknown - Cemetery Unknown

SINNED AND DIED
Illicit Love at Omaha Ends in Double Tragedy
The Evening News, Lincoln, Nebraska March 28, 1892
Nellie King's house of ill fame was the scene of a double tragedy Saturday night. The exact hour at which Abner N. Gafford, a young traveling man from Manning, Iowa, shot and killed a girl known as Mabel Stevens and then killed himself, will never be fully ascertained. When discovered they were both lying stiff and cold in bed.
Gafford came to Omaha about one week ago and met the Stevens woman and since that time he has been stopping at the house in company with the woman and spending his money quite freely. It is believed that he wanted Miss Stevens to accompany him to Denver, and as she refused to do so he killed her and then ended his own life.
The dead woman was lying in the back part of the bed, apparently asleep, but upon closer observation a bullet at the base of the skull could be seen. The suicide, after shooting the woman, placed the revolver at his right temple and fired the fatal shot.
Gafford traveled for his brother, a wholesale butter and egg merchant at Manning. His parents, who are prominent and wealthy, live in Des Moines, Iowa. The girl's proper name is Mooney. Her parents live in Denver.

Omaha Evening Bee Omaha, Nebraska March 28, 1892
HOW THE DEAD BODIES WERE FOUND
Terrible Discovery of a Friend of the Dead Girl - Coroner Maul Takes Charge of the Bodies and Notifies the Friends.

About 3:20 Sunday morning a friend and chum of Mabel Stevens, an inmate of Nellie King's establishment on Ninth Street, entered the room occupied by the young woman and Abner N. Gafford, the young Iowa commission man. She wanted to speak to Mabel and being acquainted with both the occupants of the room felt no hesitancy in entering. The gas was burning dimly and she walked directly to the bedside and shook Gafford's arm. One touch of the flesh was enough to alarm her, for the arm was cold and stiff. With a cry for help the girl rushed from the apartment and down the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her. An officer was quickly called who tried to report the matter to police headquarters, but the wires were down and he had to run clear to the Millard Hotel in order to find a telephone that was in working order.

In a moment after the discovery of the awful crime the whole house was is an uproar. The inmates huddled together in the parlors or rushed wildly up and down the hall asking all sorts of questions from the frightened woman who had found the bodies. After a moment or two of intense excitement the women quieted down and hardly spoke above a whisper until the bodies had been removed from the premises.

When the Coroner Came
Owing to the fact that no telephones in the western part of the city were working, a cab had to be called and sent to Coroner Maul's residence in order to get that official on the scene as soon as possible.

After the bodies had been viewed by the coroner a search among the effects of the dead was instituted.

The coroner at first decided to leave the bodies as they were until morning, in order to give the jury an opportunity to view the remains before removal, but this suggestion of Mr. Maul was met with so much opposition from Nellie King and the inmates that the coroner gave up the idea and sent for his wagon and two coffins.

The dead man's satchel was the first thing examined and from books and papers it was found that the murderer's name was Abner N. Gafford and not J.J. Gafford, as was first supposed. Every scrap of paper both in the dead man's clothing and satchel was carefully looked over in hopes of finding a bit of writing which would clear up the mystery of the crime. But the search was fruitless and nothing but a half dozen business memoranda books were found and their contents threw no light on the subject except to establish the name and residence of the dead man. Some letters addressed to Mabel Daniels from Denver arid signed Aggie Mooney were found in the top drawer of the dressing case. These were taken possession of by the coroner, who afterwards learned that the Denver woman was a sister of the dead girl. When the bodies were being prepared for removal it was found that Gafford held tightly clutched in his left hand a crumpled $1 bill, which, when unwrapped, was found to contain 15 cents.

The revolver which lay close to the cold and stiff right hand was one of the latest pattern Smith & Wesson, 38-caliber, hammerless weapons.

A tiny stream of blood had flowed from the wound in Gafford's temple, across his death white face and down onto the snowy pillows and into the bed.

It was found that the bullet which entered the woman's brain had clipped off one little curly lock of jet black hair which lay on the pillow directly below the spot where the bullet had entered.

On Gafford's coat was found the insignia of the Iowa State Traveling Men's Association and in the pockets enough money in silver to make the total amount $2.40 was found. When the room occupied by Gafford and the apartment adjoining were being cleaned the money which it was stated the young man had was found. Scattered under the bed in the next room was a bundle of bills amounting to $240. It is presumed, judging from this fact, that Gafford had opened the folding doors and tossed the money into the room where it was found; that the crime was premeditated and not committed on the spur of the moment, as was first supposed.

Just as the first streaks of dawn were peeping through the windows the bodies were placed in separate coffins and taken to the morgue.

Concerning the Victims
As soon as possible the coroner telegraphed to the sister of the dead woman and received a reply asking him to notify two brothers who were stopping at the Pacific House in Council Bluffs. This was done and the brothers called at the morgue later in the day to learn the full particulars of the affair. One of the brothers said that his sister's name was Mary Mabel Mooney and that she was 16 years old. He also said that their parents were dead and that the girl had lived in the Bluffs until last August, when she left saying she was going to Carroll, Iowa. Since then nothing had been heard from her.

A telegram was also sent to J.J. Gafford, the father of the deceased, at Manning, Iowa, who replied stating that he would arrive this morning.

Notwithstanding notices which were posted in the doors of the morgue denying permission to see the bodies, a small crowd of curious people hung about the front entrance nearly all day.
The inquest will be held this afternoon.

The Macon Telegraph Macon, Georgia April 1, 1892
MURDER AND SUICIDE
He Became Infatuated With Mabel Stevens and Killed Her.
Nellie King's house of ill-fame was the scene of a double tragedy sometime last night. The exact hour at which A.N. Gafford, a young man from Manning, Iowa, shot and killed Mabel Stevens and then killed himself will never be fully ascertained. When discovered by a girl named Cecil they were both lying stiff and cold. The circumstances leading up to the shooting and all the facts surrounding the couple will, for a time, remain unknown. All that could be learned was obtained from the landlady of the house. She said Gafford came to Omaha about one week ago and met the Stevens woman and that since that time he had been stopping at the house in company with the woman and spending his money quite freely.
"It is surmised that as he wanted Miss Stevens to accompany him to Denver, and as she refused to do so, he killed her and them concluded to end his own life. The dead woman was lying in the back part of the bed, apparently, at first sight, asleep. But upon closer observation a bullet wound at the base of the skull could be seen. The suicide, after shooting the woman, placed the revolver at his right temple and fired the fatal shot. The position of the bodies showed that death in both cases were without a struggle. The last time Gafford was seen alive was at 6 o'clock last evening. A $5 bill, crumpled, lay beside the revolver, which had dropped directly at the man's side.
Gafford traveled for Fish Brothers, wholesale butter and egg merchants, at Manning. His parents, who are prominent, live in Des Moines. The girl's proper name was Mooney.
Her parents live in Denver.