The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-02-28
BLOODY DEEDS.


BLOODY DEEDS.
4 Mother and Her Two Daughters slaia
ut Glenville, MInn.. by . Brutal Re.
lativc, Who Afterwards Ends His Own
Life - a Michigan Man Murder. Ifia
Wife and Two Girls, and Fatally shoots
Himself.
GLENvILLE, Mimi, Feb 1s--Joseph Chem
elcck Friday night killed three persons and
then committed suicide by shooting himself
through the head The motive for the
triple murder Is involved in doubt. About
& foclock Friday evening Chemeleck went to
the residence of NJ. L. Chemeleck, his half
brother, to spend the evening. About ii
o'clock he picked up his hat and went
out OF doors. 1t was expected that he
was going to return but instead OF coming
back he went to his fathers home and pro-
cured double barreled shotgun. lie went
back to NJ Il Chemeleck' 's and secreted him
self in grove near the house. About mid
night Mary Chemeleck agedG, and her sister
Rose, aged II, stepped out of doors, and
few minutes later two reports were
heard The father rushed to the door and
and as he opened IT Mary and Rose stood on
the steps, the blood t,ickliny down their
faces I'VE have been shot by Joe Cheme-
leck, )" exclaimed Rose, as she fell fainting
to the floor A half-witted boy was sent
for help, and, not returning, the father
went In search or aid As soon % he had
left the house Joe Chemeleck entered
and going upstairs shot down the
mother Of the girls. Mary. who
was half dead from loss OF blood, managed
to get out Of the door, and barefooted and
half clad, made her way o half mile through
the snow to neighbor's, where she fell to
the floor dead The murderer, after CON-
pleting his bloody work, rushed out of the
house into the yard, where voices from the
road caused him to halt. Seeing that e.
cape was impossible, he placed revolver
to his temple and sent bullet through his
brain.
The girl Rose died shortly after midnight
and the bodies of the two girls and their
mother were taken to an upper room to
await the action of the coroner. The mur-
derer's body lay all day where he had killed
himself and until Saturday evening. when
1t was picked up and taken to his fathers
house.
AWFUL CRIME IN MICHIGAN.
TEcUMsEH, Mich, Feb 1S-One of the
most terrible crimes ever enacted in Michi-
gan took place Saturday night at this place.
Frank Il. Silyers, q prominent horse breeder
and well known citizen, shot his wife, his
two daughters, aged and II years, respect
lively, and ended the awful deed by shoot
ing himself.
The crime was not discovered until Sun
day morning. About 10 o'clock some Of the
neighbors noticed that the curtains of the
5ilvers house were closely drawn and that
there was no sign of life about the place.
Their curiosity was excited, and after wait
Ing for an hour it was decided to inyesti-
gate. An axe was procured and the rear
door was forced open.
The kitchen was deserted The dining
room door stood ajar, however, and, push
Ing it open, the party entered the parlor,
where horrible sight met their gaze.
There upon the floor near the stove,
full dressed and with her CLASSY eyes
staring at the ceiling, lay the body
Of Mrs. Silvers III a pool of blood But II
this was not calculated to terrify, q more
terrible one was III store for the investigat-
ors. After searching the lower part of the
house they wended their way up stairs. En-
tering small bed room, directly above the
parlor, they found the bodies Of the two
little girls only few feet apart, while at
The fsot of the bed lay the form Of Mr.. Sill
vers weltering in blood and with life A.
most extinct. The victims had ali been shot
through the temple, and, with the exception
Df Mr. Silvers. all had died instantly.
The murder was carefully planned and
| coolly and systematically executed. Early
! Saturday evening Mr.. Silvers entered hard
ware store and bought q 3s.-caliber revolver
| Of the Smith 4 Wesson pattern and box Of
| cartridges. He betrayed no agitation, and il
{,<a~ 1ad
weapon in shooting rats He walked around
town awhile after making his purchase and
/ spoke with several Of his friends in his Gus
tomary free hearted, easy manner. He re-
turned home about 5 o'clock, aud Us the
bodies of his victims were cold when found il
is supposed that he shot them before retir.
ing and did not take his own life until sew.
eral hours later. This theory Is strength
ened by the fact that the neighbors were
stirring very early in the morning and
would undoubtedly have heard the shots
had they been fired at that time.
/ Frank Silvers came here about ten year,
ago He belonged to highly respected
family, and was raised on farm about fouI
miles north of here. He married Mis-,
Sheppard in Lynn, n. T.. and had been liv
ing in the house where the tragedy occurred
tor nearly ten years
Those who have known the family say
that Mr.. and Mrs. Silvers were seemingly
happy and atfectionate pair They went
out together frequently aud theil
home seemed bright and cheerful al
ways The little girls were I'M
commonly pretty and attractive. and
taken all in oil, the family seemed to bs
one of the happiest that could be foun.
any where. This being the case, n,
cause can be ascribed for the crime. 4
note was found in Mr.. Silvers' pocke,
requesting his friends to break opel
the safe and find directions for the disposa
/ of his property and keepsakes. The note il
written III bold, steady hand and in it tn,
writer declares that the reason for tha
dreadful crime will never be known. Th
coroner is at work ON the case, but no clev
to the cause of the tragedy has been OBJ
tained and the crime bids fair to prove ont
Of the most mysterious as it is one OF tn
most .tr0ciouR ever committed in Michiran