Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-04-09
Caused by pome.tic Troutles.

Caused by Domestic Troubles.
Domestic infelicities in the family OF
Edward Pollen eliminated Friday after
noon at Clinton, ILL.,, in the murder OF
Mrs. Pollen and her mother, Mrs. William
McMullen, by Pollen. After he had COM
united the crime Pollen ram to the Illinois
Central yards to escape the crowd of ex-
cited pursuers who intended to lynch the
murderer. To avoid this fate he threw
himself in front of train, but was not
fatally injured.
He was removed from the scene of his
attempted suicide without molestation.
Then the crowd collected about the Jail,
and for time it looked as If the lynch
ing would take place. The desperate
nature of the mans injuries delayed the
attempt, and the crowd retired. 1t ap-
pears from the most reliable information
that there has been trouble in the Pollen
household for some time. Mr.. and Mrs.
Pollen had been in Creston, Iowa, for
about six weeks, where Pollen had Sc
cured employment but all did not go well
IN the Iowa home, and Mrs. Pollen left
there and returned to her mothers home
In Clinton a week ago. Friday Pollen re-
turned and met his wife on the street,
and they held an animated discussion.
After leaving his wife Pollen returned to
the home of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Nc
Mullen, where his wife was, and it Is
supposed the discussion of their troubles
was again renewed.
Pollen became frenzied during the dis
cussion, and, rushing to where double
barreled shotgun was standing, he seized
the weapon and turned toward the now
thoroughly frightened and defenseless
women, who attempted to escape. They
were not quick enough, however. They
were within about fifteen feet Of the
house when Pollen threw the gun to his
shoulder and pressed the trigger. Mrs.
Pollen fell on her face without a groan,
dying instantly.
Her mother stopped at the report of the
gun, and, turning, saw her child fan
heavily forward, cold in death. AS the
mother gave a cry of anguish at the ter
rible deed Of her infuriated son-in-law he
again pressed the trigger, and with the
second report the soul of the mother was
ushered into eternity.
The murderer then ran east through the
outskirts of the town; thence along the
railroad track, stopping to reload his
weapon. An alarm was given Immediate
ly by the neighbors, and soon the streets
were thronged with the excited populace,
hurrying to the scene of the tragedy. A
posse was soon formed and started in
pursuit of the murderer.
In the meantime Pollen had been fleeing
east on the railroad track. He got about
a mile and quarter from town when he
saw a freight train approac ching. Turn
ing, he beheld his pursuers following, and
realizing the impossibility of escape, he
waited until the train had approached al
most 10 where he stood and then sudden
" threw himself in front of the engine.
He was doomed to disappointment, how
ever, for the pilot of the engine was too
low. 1t struck and threw him to the side
of the track unconscious. The train was
quickly stopped and the injured man
picked up and brought to the city, where
ne was lodged in Jail. A crowd soon col
lected and the talk became ominous. The
officers feared an attempt to lynch the
murderer would be made, and to quiet the
crowd, the announcement was made from
the porch of the Jail that Pollen was fatal
iy injured and would probably die in a
few minutes. This resulted in the dis
persion of the crowd. Marshal Moffit,
with his prisoner, drove from Clinton to
Maroa in a cab. Pollen apparently is not
badly wounded, as he was able to eat
lunch at Maroa and was sitting up in a
restaurant. He is now in Jail at Decatur.