Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-08
KILLS HIS son
Fred Hunnell, Of Des Moines, Shoots
His Son, While Himself At
tempting Suicide.
Son Was Trying to Prevent the
Tragedy-Revolver Is Acct
dentally Discharged.
The Father Then Cuts His Throat
With a Pocket Knife
May Live.


cupation, shot and instantly killed his
son, Archie, at the residence of the
family, half mile north Of Forest
avenue and Thirtieth street last eve
ming about 1880 o'clock. The details of
the shooting are not fully known. Hun
nell claims, and the story is generally
credited, that he was attempting to kill
himself with the pistol when Archie
attempted to wresti it from him and that
/ in the struggle the boy was shot. There
had been no quarrel between the two
known. On the other hand, Hunnells
demeanor was cooler after the shoot
! ing and he betrayed no emotion over
his act. Archie Hunnell is dead and
| the only witness to the tragedy was
Fred Hunnell, younger son, who
1 could not tell the story of the tragedy
| last night. His mind appeared to be
completely blurred by the horrible aft.
| fair. Mrs. Hunnel, wife of the slayer,
1 was also unable to talk about the fam
4 lily affairs, being completely prostrat-
led. Hunnell, after attempting TO kill
himself with knife, was brought TO
| the city and confined in the county
/ Jail.
After Hunnell shot his SON he drove
4 everybody away from the house, and
when a number of men living in the
/ vicinity attempted to approach the res
/ idence he put them to flight by Hour
ishing the pisto! with which he had shot
his son. and an ugly looking knife.
1 With the latter he inflicted a deep
wound about three inches in length on
the back of his neck. Being afraid to
close in on him and place him under
4 restraint, the neighbors sent tele-
l phone message to police headquarters,
stating that a man had shot his son
and threatened the lives of others.
AT the moment the message was re-
4 ceived Sheriff Stout, having disern-
4 barked from a car. was entering the
station to confer with Capt. Hayes on
a matter of business. Accompanied BY
4 Officers Mckirsher and Harrgan, the
4 sheriff leaped into the patrol wagon
and hurried to the theater of the trag
edy. The residence of Hunnell is near
ly a mile distant from the nearest
eurbed street, and the progress of the
patrol wagon being slow through the
pitchy darkness and over the muddy
; read, the officers We're delayed nearly
!, Ian hour in their arrival
They found knot Of scared nler
lowering about the road a quarter OF 1
. mile from the house, among them FREQ
Hurnel1. Jr.. youngest son of the mar
they We're after.
II think you will find father dead.
exclaimed Fred. as the officers, follow
r,
. the house.
Look out for yourselves was the
warning admonition of others, las h
has pistol and a knife. and chased
Everybody away from the house after
he shot Archie
The officers went on, driving slowly
toward the house, their weapons in
!, their hands ready for instant use. but
lno hostile demonstration awaited them
!. They drove up close to the house anG
! looking about in the darkness, saw a
!, dark object lying on the ground in tbs
!. front yard, near the front door.
Sheriff Stout jumped out of the wag
! on, followed by Officer McNirsher, ant
!, bending over the dark object, discov
! cred it to be the bodies of father ane
; son. The latter was lying on his back
!, his face upturned to the beating rain
: He had on no coat and his shirt wa
drenched in blood that had poured from
: the wound that resulted in his dealt
and from that of the father, self-in
flcted in an obvious attempt to ent
his own life after the tragedy.
Hunnell was lying face down on TIL
ground at the side of his inanimat
: son, his left arm interlocked with tina
:, of Archie. When told to get up TIL
9 father slowly arosN to a sitting posture
: and dropping his head into his hands
h moaned:
20, / have killed Archie. 1 would no
4 have done it for the world"
He made no resistance to the Off
GERS when they lifted him from tn
. ground and conducted him to the patrc
x wagon. but once in the seat he slippe
n to the bottom and remained in a pros
trate position until the wagon arrive
at the county Jail, to which 1t wa
10 driven under direction of Sheriff Stou
= Hunnell presented frightful pictur,
= Blood streamed from gaping woun
Is on the back of his neck, and towe
[e down over his breast, saturating hi
N shirt and coat, which Were drenche
l. with blood. sIis face was haggard an
IS drawn, and his whole makeup was Ii,
$ tie short of appalling. He refused t
lo talk about the tragedy on the way t
1t the city, and was morose and sulle
l. after his arrival at the Jail.
While the doctor was stitching til
wound In his neck. a press representa-
tive entered the corridor and after tn
d operation was concluded, asked Hume
"a if he desired to make any statemer
N concerning the shooting.
TX mo, l don't" he answered. "Ho
lie does that suit your
s.. Later, however, under questionin,
IN he recanted of his intention not to tai
~ for publication, and said: II want
lie have the affair kept right in the ps
= pers. l tried to shoot the top of m
head off. The boys attempted to wre:
the pistol from me and in the strugg
it was discharged and shot Arch
"a through the heart. Poor boy, I wou
. not have harmed a hair of his hea
not even stepped on his toes. Had "
=. quarreled? No; he had been at wo,
- with me all day. He was a good be
: to work. Why did I wish to kill m,
=. self? Well. things have not been goir
- as they should with me for more tina
- a year, and was tired of life-just e.
tired of living. What does poor dey
want to live for, anyhow. Archie w;