Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-07-03
A Tragedy at Avoca.

The Omaha Bee Of Monday, June 81, gives
the following account Of y terrible tragedy at
| Avoca, Iowa, on Sunday morning, the Goth
! About 2 o'clock this Sunday morning the
startling announcement was made that Wi.
liam Farrell had shot and killed 3D. Heller
the night Waterman, and then killed himself.
Farrell and his wife lived in the south part of
the city, near the outskirts. re had come
home last night In an intoxicated condition.,
In fact crazed with drink, and began quarrel
ing with his wife. The noise aroused the neigh
bors, and shortly afterwards Mrs. Farrell ran
out OF the house, going to Vim. FrNnz's house.
She was bleeding from come wounds, appar-
emily made from being hit by some OF the
dishes which Farrell had thrown at her, and
from blows received from him. Left alone In
the house Farrell began smashing the furni-
ture and throwing 1t out of doors. Mrs. Par
rell sent word to her son-in-law Chas. Thies,
and the latter called the night Waterman, who
had heard the disturbance and started over on
the south side. o. b. Hill, another citizen,
accompanied them and the three went to Far
rell's house to arrest him. When they reached
the front gate, which was about Is feet from
the front door Of the house, Farrell shouted
to them:
Don't you come inside"
A sound was heard like the cooking Of a
gun, and Heller said to Thies:
Look out, Charley, he's got a gum
Heller then called to Farrell, what is the
matter with you, Uncle Billys'
As he thus spoke the gun was discharged
and Heller fell to the sidewalk.
Thies exclaimed: my God, pap what did
you kill him forln
Farrell replied: 81 told him to keep out, and
by God, he didn't do it,"
Thies tried to persuade him to let him come
up to where Heller lay by the gate and attend
to him, it not being known then that Heller
had been killed outright. Farrell finally said
he would give himself up, and discharged the
other barrel of the gun into the air. 1hies
then went up to where Heller lay, and Farrell
going into the house returned with pillow
and, raising Heller's head, put the pillow under
Ii.
Farrell exclaimed: II nave killed him and
now | will take my own life"
He then went back into the house. Thies
then went to see how badly Mrs. Farrell had
been hurt, as she was bleeding badly when she
went after help. Soon after that he heard
another report of the gun at Farrell's house,
and returning there found that a large crowd
OF citizens and the officers had gathered near
there. Constable J. N. Long crawled up to
the gate and made the discovery that Farrell
was beyond the power Of further murder, he hay
ing killed himself. His lifeless body lay on the
walk, resting across the feet OF his victim.
Farrell had executed his threat to take his
own life. He had evidently, on returning to
the house, reloaded his gun and coming out
had seated himself on the ground near the
body Of his victim, placed the muzzle of his
gun at his forehead and fired. The whole side
of Farrells head was blown of and death
must have been instantaneous. Heller's
wound was found to have been re-
ceived In the top of his left shoulder
and neck, and his death must also
have been almost instantaneous.