The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-02-01

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A Apparent Attempt 70 Murder an IN
tire Family Two Deaths
Jefferson. Ia. Jan. 2S.--As a resnlt of
a desperate fight at an early hour Mon
| day morning two men are dead, two
men desperately wounded and q young
| woman seriously injured. The killed
| are: John Brown. Jr.. and John Fleck.
| The injured are John Brown, ST.,
George Fleck and Mary Brown.
| AS John Brown, respected and
| peaceable farmer. was at home about
| nine o'clock there was knock at the
door. Surprising ueighbor had como
! 70 spend an hour he opened the door,
| only TO look into the muzzle of double
barrelcd shotgun leveled by hts neigh
| Dor. John Fleck.
| Quick as fash he knocked aside
| the weapon and jumped upon his MS
sailant. The gun fell without having
| been discharged and the two men
| Erappled and went down. At this juno
| ture George. the l7-year-old son OF
! John Flec,<. who had accompanied his
| fpther upon his murderous errand, APP
| peared upon the scene. George car
| ried six-shooter in eacn hand, and was
| no sooner In the house than he began
| firing.
Brown was shot In the cheek and
Fleck received bullet through the
hand. Scarcely had the echo OF the
shots died away before John. Jr.. the
eldest son of Mr.. Brown. entered the
house. and young Fleck began pumping
lend into him. One bullet took eff
feet In the breast just above the heart
and another carried away a big chunk
OF skin from the forehead. Young
Brown afterwards died.
At this moment Jim. the youngest
Brown boy. a lad of 10 years, attracted
By the firing, entered the room and at
once realizing the situation grabbed
stick OF stoye-wood and knocked the
revolver from Fleck's hands. John
Brown, Jr., although desperately
wounded, reached for one OF the revol-
yers and shot George Fleck In the bnck
just as he started 10 run. Jim followed
and caught him. clubbing him until he
was insensibie.
Meanwhile the fearful struggle be-
| tween the old men continued. and Jim
returned to the house just in time TO
save his father from being choked TO
death. He dealt Fleck a blow on the
head rendering him insensible, and then
turned his attention TO his injured
brother. AS soon as the elder Brown
recovered sufficiently to take hand,
he seized bottle containing powder
that had fallen from Fleck's overcoat
pocket and smashed IL over the lattes's
head. Then aching the jagged bottle
he punched and gouged at The latter's
face and head until it was literally a
mnss OF pulp.
Within n few moments the neighbors
attracted by the shots came to the
scene. They found the old man Flecle
lying In the middle OF the room, his
head on pillow and his feet and arms
chained with n logchain. He was I'M
conscious and frightful sight. Mary
Brown. tile daughter. who had been
milking at the time the ARRAY COM
menced. was found in the cowyard,
where she had l,cen knocked over with
milking stool cy one OF the Flecks be-
fore they came To the house.
The FleclSs will be placed in Jail 10
await the action OF the grand jury. The
younger Brown boy. Jim, who played
the most important part in the bloody
melee and saved his fathers life. was
not inferred. The motive for the con-
spirncy Is not well known. The Flecks
bear q hard name. and II Is asserted
the neighbors, among them the Browns,
have accused them OF chicken. s.e:..ss.,.-.
The evident purpose OF John Flick
and his son wus TO murder the entire
Brown family. John Brown. Jr., and
the elder Flceh both died Monday
night. The elder Brown and George
fieck, although badly used up. will re-
cover, and Mary Browns injuries were
nop serious.