Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-12
MYSTERY IN A DEATH
Chicago Police Puzzled Over George
B, Fearn's Tragic End,
MURDER OR SUICIDE
A Peculiarly Fashioned Mask, tc
Which Chung a Lock of Woman's
Hair, is Found.

Chicago, H., April S.-A mask con.
structed of the black sateen lining of
coat sleeve, a revolver from which the
fatal shot was fired, a cane, and a tangle
of long, light-colored hair, discovered in
side the mask, are the unpromising clues
which the police have to work upon, aside
from the events leading up to the killing
of Mr.. Fern. the merchant who was
found dead in his dry goods store az 1893
West Madison street, yesterday morning.
Out of all this fragile web two theories
have been woven. neither of which is
wholly satisfactory.
Capt. Colleran, chief of the detective
bureau, accepts the theory of robbery az
the most plausible, and his belief is
shared by Lieut.. Stanton, in charge OF
the Warren avenue police station. III,
spector Shea is inclined to give some
weight to the theory Of suicide, but does
not deny that the murder might have
followed IN the carrying out of deilb'
erately-planned robbery. Until some
more tangible evidence is unearthed than
that found yesterday, there will be sup.
porters of both theories.
Mr.. Fern lived at 91S Warren avenue
with his wife, son and daughter The
son is % years of age and is employed
in Marshall Field & Co.'S wholesale
store. The daughter is 20 years old.
The mother and daughter are Frustrated.
According to the sons story, his father
arose. as was his custom, shortly before
6 o'clock and lighted the fire in the
kitchen. A few minutes later he told
Mrs. Fern that a stranger had asked
him to go to the store to sell him some
underclothes, giving as his reason for the
early call that he wanted to catch an
early train. Mr.. Fern told his wife that
he would take ten 81 bills along for
change, and would return a little later
for his breakfast. About 7:3O o clock
the son. Charles, started to his work,
and on his way to the street car called
at the store TO see why his father had
not returned to breakfast.
As he rea ched the store he noticed that
the door was ajar, the blinds down and
the windows had not been raised. Think
ing this strange, he hurried into the store
and found his father lying near the rear
Of the room between the counter and a
revolving stool.
He ran out of the place and east in
Madison street to G.. X. LanfaIrs shoe
store, a few doors away. Mr.. Lanfall
returned with him and on learning what
had happened notified the police at the
Warren avenue station. DR.. Wright,
Warren and Sacramento avenues, was
also sent for, and he said that Mr.. Fern
had been dead at least an hour. An in
vestigation disclosed the fact that the
money Mr.. Fern had taken from home.
his watch and chain had been taken.
About So in change, which was hidden
in a small box among the goods on one Of
the shelves, was also missing.
The coroner was notified and Deputy
Coroner Schaeffer, after viewing the
body, postponed the inquest until April s.
Lieut.. Stanton of the Warren avenue
station detailed a number of his men on
the case, and Detectives McWeeney and
Bailey of the central station were sent
out. In the afternoon Capt Colleran
went over the ground and his investiga-
lions failed TO lessen the mystery sur
rounding the case.
The hair, which was at first supposed
to be that of a man, was pronounced
to be too fine and long for this, and the
detectives are positive that it was torn
from the head of a woman. The mask
was made of farmers satin, which had
evidently once been the lining of coat.
The mask was Of peculiar shape; made
so as to cover the entire head, and this
in addition to the fact that the hair
found inside of it was long and fine,
strengthens the police in the belief that it
was worn by a woman.
Mr.. Fern was 30 years of age and came
to Chicago in 1868, when he engaged in
the dry goods business. He was highly
respected on the west side and was a
member Of a number of clubs and secret
societies. According to the st->ement of
his son, Mr.. Fern carried between S15,-
900 and $4,000 insur nee on his life