Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-02-27
BLOODY DEEDS.

BLOODY DEEDS.
A Mother and Her Two Daughters slai,
at Chenille, Minn., by q Brutal Re-
lative, Who Afterwards Ends His OwI
Life - A Michigan Man Murders Hit
Wife and Two Girls, and Fatally Shoot,
Himself,
GLENv1LLE Mimi Feb. 18-Joseph Chem.
eleck Friday night killed three persons and
then committed suicide by shooting himself
through tho head. The motive for the
triple murder Is involved in doubt About
clock Friday evening Chemeleck went to
the residence OF M. L. Chemeleck, his half.
brother, to spend the evening. About II
o'clock he picked up his hat and went
out of doors. It 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. He went
back to M l. Chemeleck's and secreted him.
self in grove near the house. About mid
night Mary Chemeleck, aged 6, and her sister
Rose, aged II, stepped out Of doors, and 9
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 trickling down thei1
faces. I'VE have been shot by Joe Cheme-
leck," exclaimed Rose, us she fell faintinq
to the floor. A half-witted boy was sent
for help, and, not returning, the father
went in search Of aid AS soon as 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 half mile through
the snow to neighbours, where she fell to
the floor dead The murderer, after COM
plotting his bloody work, rushed out Of the
house into the yard, where voices from the
road caused him to halt Seeing that es-
cape was impossible he placed a 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 Mich1-
gan took place Saturday night at this place.
Frank l. Sllvers, prominent horse breeder
and well-known citizen, shot his wife, his
two daughters, aged 8 and IL years, respect
lively, and ended the awful deed by shoot
| Ing himself.
The crime was not discovered until Sum-
| day morning. About 10 o'clock some of tho
| neighbors noticed that the curtains Of the
| 6ilvers house were closely drawn and that
| there was no sign of life about the place.
Their curiosity was excited, and after watt
Ing for an hour it was decided to investi-
| gate An axe was procured and the rear
door was forced open.
| The kitchen was deserted. The dining
loom 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.
! eull-dressed and with her CLASSY eyes
staring at the ceiling, lay the body
of Mrs. Silvers in a pool of blood But II
th1s was not calculated to terrify moro
terrible one was in store for the Investigate
ors. After searching the lower part of the
house they wendell their way upstairs En-
ter1ng small bedroom, directly above the
parlor, they found the bodies of the two
little girls only few feet apart, while at
the foot of the bed lay the form of Mr.. Sill
vers weltering in blood, and with life a.
most extinct The victims had zen shot
oAAOuoA UAAO uCAApAO, duI, W AUu I'LL C0DU1oO
Of Mr.. Silvers. all had died 1nstantl,
The murder was carefully planned and
coolly and systematically executed Early
Saturday evening MI. Silvers entered hard
ware store and bought 32-caliber revolver
OF the Smith Wesson pattern and box o.
cartridges. He betrayed no agitation, and it
was supposed that he intended to use the
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 8 o'clock, and as tho
bodies of his victims were cold when found it
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 Years
ago. He belonged to highly respected
family, and was raised on a farm about four
miles north of here. He married Miss
Sheppard in Lynn, N. Y, and had been liv-
Ing in the house where the tragedy occurred
for nearly ten years.
Those who have known the family saw
that Mr.. and Mrs. Silvers were seemingly
happy and atfectionute pair. They went
out together frequently and their
home seemed bright and cheerful al
ways. The little girls were I'M
commonly pretty and attractive, and,
taken all In all, the family seemed to be
one of the happiest that could be found
any where. This being the case, no
cause can be ascribed for the crime A
note was found in Mr.. Silvers' pocket
requesting his friends to break open
The safe and find directions for the disposal
IT his property and keepsakes. The note is
written in bold, steady hand, and in it tho
writer declares that the reason for the
dreadful crime will never be known The
coroner is at work on tho case, but no clew
to the cause Of the tragedy has been OBJ
tanned, and the crime bids fair to prove one
OF the most mysterious as it is one of the
most atrocious ever committed In Michigan.
AN AWFUL FATE.
"A Mississippi Farmers House Destroyed