The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-14
AN ILI..FATED FARM.
The Strange History of Shipp's
Piace-The Scene Of n Dozen Fa.
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[Chicago Daily News.l

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n GChicago Daily News
Alfred Shipp was farmer, and re-
sided half mile east of Evergreen
Park, and about mile west of Wash
ington Heights, in this county. His farm
consisted of seventy acres. On the
morning Of October LIST Mr.. Shipp was
killed by being impaled upon the horns
of an angry bull, which he had gone to
feed. A nine-year-old daughter was the
first to witness the horrible tragedy and
to give the alarm, but not in time to
save life. The bull. with smothered
roar, thrust his horn through his victims
body and pinned it to an upright post.
Death was almost instan tane0us
People may laugh at the expressions
that a place is haunted; but the Shipp
farm certainly seems a case in point,
during the past ten years seven persons
have met sudden or violent deaths with
in its boundaries, and a dozen or so of
horrible accidents and hairbreadt til escapes
have kept its owners in perpetual state
OF terror.
Yesterday daily news representative,
being in the vicinity Of Ships place,
called upon neighbor, and while talking
about the sorrowful affair, learned the
following strange history of the place:
Three years ago last Sunday the farm
house was the scene of deliberate, cold
blooded murder. Mr.. Shipp wife and
daughter, were absent at church, and the
two hired men were left at home. One,
young man named August Franks, had
been in the employ of Mr.. Shipp for
some time, and was universally liked, the
other, VIM. Orvitt, had been hired but a
short time previous. The day before
Franks had been paid sixty dollars, and
it is believed that Orvitt knew Of it.
Whether he did or not will never be
known, but the general belief is
that he did, and that he
had made up his mind to robbery and
murder. Securing pistol he entered
Franks room, and, taking aim, fired,
just MS his victim had turned TO see who
his intruder was. The bullet entered
his mouth, passed down his throat and
lodged in the spinal column. Franks
fell to the floor paralyzed. Orvitt made
"a quick search for his money, but, fail
ing to find it and becoming alarmed at
his crime, fed, taking a gun with him.
This he soon threw away. He came to
Chicago, admitted the shooting, claimed
it was accidental, and asked to be lodged
in Jail. Franks lived two days, suffering
untold agonies. His dying statement was
that Orvitt was his murderer. The young
man was tried for murder, but pleaded
guilty to manslaughter, and is now serv-
lug out his term in Joliet
A still greater calamity and a sad
der tragedy overlook the place about six
years ago. In small cabin On the north
end of the farm two brothers, laborers,
had taken up quarters, and were keeping
batchel RS hall. One evening they quar-
relied over game of cards. One of the
neighbors, happening to visit the cabin a
few mornings afterward, discovered their
lifeless bodies, one lying across the other,
and an expression of mingled pain and
hatred upon each countenance. The
knife of one was still clutched in his
hand, while the other was sticking in the
floor in pool of blood. The particulars
of the frightful fratricide were never
learned. The dead bodies were the only,
the silent witnesses Of the terrible scene
rage had produced.
The winter prior to the above occur
renee an Irishman, on his way from the
city, had occasion to cross this farm.
The snow was falling at the time and it
was cold. By night he had reached the
grove north of the house, and overcome
with fatigue, laid down at the foot of a
large oak tree. A few days after his
friends looking for his remains discov-
cred them frozen and half buried in
the snow. .. ....
Less than eight years ago this singu-
larly unlucky place was the scene of yet
another fatal accident. Two men had
gone out hunting in the morning. They
had remained together during the day,
and toward night-fall started home.
They had approached the fatal grove,
when one walked on ahead. He had
gone but a short distance when rabbit
sprang from bush in his path and
bounded past him. Turning instantly,
he raised his gun and fired. The charge
missed the game, but lodged in the abdo-
men of the man in the rear. He lived a
short time, suffering intensely, then
died.
If ever farm or a place has been
touched by the fatal Upas tree, this
farm, recently occupied by Mr.. Shipp is
the one. A few years ago a lawyer
named Smith, Of Chicago, purchased ten
acres Of the grove and began building an
elegant country residence. The house
was commenced, and the barn nearly
completed, when Mr. Smith brought his
wife out to see his new home. Size was
to spend a few days at the farm house.
She was prostrated upon sick bed, and, !,
in spite of the best medical attendance;
in a few days was corpse. Smith never
finished his suburban residence, and the
unfinished barn still stands lonely in the
grove, a melancholy evidence Of neglect,
seeming a silent witness to some sad and
mournfui history. "