The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-02-21
Triple Tragedy In Minnesota.


Philip Chemelk the husband and father OF
the victims, told the coroneTs jury On
Friday evening, Feb Is, Mr.. Chemelik and
his daughter Mary returned from the town
OF Glenville, and found Joseph Chemelik,
half brother of Philip, and u young man by
the name of Lumachak seated at table
playing cards. Joseph left at O'Clock and
about an hour later Lumachak also took his
departure. About II O'Clock the girls pre-
pared to retire ant. .hearng II noise outside
of the house they both went out, and, as
Philip remembers, were gone about twenty
minutes when he heard shot fired anu theh
another. The girls rushed iIsto the house.
and said, "Oh, father, Joe has shot us, and
he is out there now"
The girls went upstairs to their mother,
and Philip, fearing more violence at once
sent his youngest son Reuben out Ofthe back
of the house to n neighhOr for assistance
The boy did not return for 4 long time, ana
Mrs Chemelik becoming alarmed, sent her
husband to look for him aud ut th6same time
/ obtain some assistance if possible. All TINS
ttne the daughters, Mary and Rose, were
bleeding pro usey from horrible wounds Ill
he breast. and the terrified moth
er was doing her best to relieve them The
elder Chemelik had not gone far when he
heard the sharp reports OF pistol shots, ana
upon returning to the house be found that
the assassin had again returned and MADE
his deadly work sure by shooting Mrs. theme
IL,
, reached tae house. Mary, after the old man
had left and upon the second appearance of
the muraerer. had fed to the house of the
neighhpr. some two miles distant, where she
axpiretfin Il Jew moments. And her body
was cCDveycd back to her home.
The shooting Of Mrs. ChemPlik and her
two daughters is the outcome of an old teud
that had existed for some time. On the
night of Dec. 25, Mt a dance which took
place at the house Ot Joseph Raymond,
fight occurred in which Joe ChemeIk and
,lose freind of his named Nildt figured quite
: eouspicuOusly. EIdt was arrested and
brought before Justice Stacy in Albert Lea.
an account OF the trial was published at the
time. Mrs. ChemPllk and both of the
murdered daughters were witnesses in the
/ case, and their testimony was damaging
! to Nildt and Joe Chemelik. At the time of
! the trial. it is said that both Fildt and Joe
made threats against Mrs. ChemPlik and the
, girls. Since the time of the trial 1T Is said
! that the actions of Joe Chenehk have indl-
! .ated that he meant mischief. Joe had
violent temper. and about year ago shotat
| lis father because the latter would not deed
! 'ome property to him. The verdict of the
coroner 5 Jury was that the victims came to
heir death at the hands OF Joseph Chemelik.
and that Chemelik died by
his own hand. His dead body was
ound at n short distance from the house,
with Il revolver cIutched in one hand while ii
| argp shotgun lay under his PROSTATE form.
! rbe murderer had put an end to the further
acts i'll this terrible affair by sending a bull
| .et through his brain, from which it appeared
1eHth was almost instantaneous.
The whole Bohemian settlement is in
state of terrible excitement, and it is we'll for
the cOwardly assassin that he put an end to
the tragedy in the manner in which he did
MOTIVE OF The MURDER.
The inner history Of this unfortunate affair
) Sill probably never he known, but enough
! las already been learned to fully satisfy the
public that it is the sad ending of a tale of
! .ove, jealousy, revenge and murder. Mary
-hemek. the eldest of the daughters killed,
was beautiful and intelligent girl. She was
Known as the belle of the Bohemian settle
ment, and as such was cOurted and admired
3y the Young men of the neiohbOrhoOd
Among her many admirers were Joseph Pell
and Thomas Nidt, and Joe Chemelik, himself
lad Il very warm attachment toward Mary.
Nldt however, was a very close friend OF Joe
Lhemek, and after the serious quarrel on
christmas night, which resulted in Vildt's
arrest and conviction, the two had Datn firm
.r friends than ever, and Joe helped to pay
The casts and fine for Vildt. Mary Chemelk;
who was present al the time the quarrel took
place. testified as to what she knew regarding
he same, and since that time, and even be-
ore trial. Joe made threats that somebody
would have to suffer pretty soon Vitdt has
at the time of the shooting he was working
or neighbOr at n considerable distance
rom Chemeliks Hediscaims all knowledge of
what JOes intentions were and at the con-
2luson of the testimony was discharged
rom custody. The younger girl Rose is
spoken of by all who know her as q
smart and active miss, She had attended
:choQl Friday. and had passed a very salts
actOry examination in her studies. re-
ward of merit card which she had received on
Friday found lying on a tai / at her
home. Sheriff Mitchell is of the opinion that
t was not Joseph's intention at first to
shoot Rose or Mrs. Phillip ChemeIik. But
one shot was fired at first outside of the
house. and that took effect by entering
Marys head and neck, aud Rose who must
have been standing near, received some of
the shot i'll her breast. This shot had evi.
1eptly been fred from
HEAVILY LOADED GUN
to have such deadly effect 1t is the theory
Of the sheriff that Joe fingered about the
house after he fred the first shot and waited
for favorable opportunity to return and
inter the house to COmpletehis bloody work.
The fight of Mary to n neighbours after .Io-
seph had re-entered the house would seem to
. Indicate that he was determined to make
sure OF her. and the supposition is that after
he had Te-entered the house and went up
stairs, Mrs. Chemelik had undertaken to dis
arm him, and, while doing so, was shot and
killed by the villain, and that Rose also re-
.pived another shot, from which death result
ID almost instantly. Had Mary received
pr64ap+ assistance she would undoubtedly
: have rccaveEed, hut her fight i'll he cold aud
chilly storm and 5ha exhaustion from loss of
blood was more thaa sha could endure
A shocking tragedy occurred III the village
I of Tecumseh, Mich, by which O wholefamily
has been wiped out of existence. Frank l..
1, L. 4
wife and two daughters. Edith and Ada,
aged eleven and nine respectively and then
Y ended tis awful act by shooting himself. The
9 bodies we're fo0pd by neighbors who, motto
t ing that the curtains were dGgn, and failing
e to arouse any one. forced open door; IL
! the parlor lay the body of Mrs silvers, fully
dressed. The bodies of the children were
t found up stairs and in the same room on the
= heor lay Silvers welterirg i'll blood and still
. breathing Every one of the victims haC
!, been shot through The temple and with th'
t exception of Silyers himself aaath was prob
: ably instantaneous. He is still alive but up
g conscious and cannot recover. There Is M
II known cause for the deed. Silvers was ap
n parently in prosperous circumstances anC
J. his relations with his family we're pleasant.
g The Chicago jury in the case of Messrs
l. Shaw, Plessner and Corbett, charged will
" completely in the theft of about $1,000
e 9srth of bonds from the firm of Kellogg
~ J0HDbOH - 'RsIlSSg fetuFuPu h bedleu NefulcI
'e Corbett was ACQUITTED; Shaw and Plessne
IL were found guilty and their punishment tixe'
at confinement in the penitentiary, th
Ie former for two years, the latter for one.
a Genka and Winters two noted desperadoe
10 confiied - the state penitentiary at Anamc
l. sa Iowa. FOR robSi2g jewelry store in tina
<, town, made their escape fesn that institution
III aftsf Dvepowerfng and mtajly injuring tn
q jaiieF, whom they assaulteu'with the roun
n ~ = chair md heat into insensibilitT 'Bet
r. ka and winters are professional craeksiper
le and desperate fellows. They were tried j
IS Dubuque not long ago for buFglarizing Jur
ts gels store, but the evidence was not stron
d enough to convict them. A little later the
w. were arrested on the charge of hurglariEin
u. a jeWelgY store at Anamosa and sent over tn
., road They %srs regarded ashard cases an
% tRege GIaga!y watched. No clue to them ha
IL been found: 4 i+egvy reward is offered fc
r. their capture. BofH aFs ala !.genders
John Elsmer, a wealthy farmer, formerly
preacher, residing in Vert county, West W