Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-11
August DeSeCk Blows
Out Wife's Brains
and Kills Self.
FOLLOWED A QUARREL
Man Was Intoxicated When
Woman and Daughter Ar
rive Home.

At about l o'clock this morning
August DeSeck blew off the top of his
wife's head with shotgun, and acting
as judge and jury in his own case. in
ficted the death penalty upon himself
with the same instrument. Although
the 13-year-Old daughter was sleeping
at the time. she was not awakened.
and the discovery Of the bloody trag-
edy did not occur until about 6 o'clock
this morning. when neighbors who had
heard the shots in the night went TO
the home, 800 First street. Moline. just
across the line from Rock Island.
Cause Unknown.
The murder and suicide followed a
quarrel, but the provocation is a secret
that viii be buried with the remains of
August and LeOnie DeSeck. Emma,
the little daughter, said she heard them
quarreling before she went to sleep,
but she did not know what it was
about. He came home about 1870 in
a somewhat intoxicated condition, but
the wife and daughter were not at
home, they being at DeWaele's. An
hour later they went home, and the
daughter Immediately went to bed. She
does not know what time her mother
retired, and knew nothing of the trag-
edy until this morning when the neigh
bors entered her room and told her.
,. Brains Blown Out.
At the FoglestrOm & DanielsOn
morgue in Moline lie the remains OF
the dead man and woman. The top of
.her head is completely shattered above
Iher mouth. His features may he more
plainly seen. although his skull is
blown out of shape He was a medium
sized man about - years of age, and
she was smaller. She was SO years
old. He was employed by Deere & Co.
and the parents and daughter had been
in this country only about ten months.
living in Moline all OF this time.
According to the statement of the
daughter, her parents had lived a quar-
relsOme life. The husband had not
only threatened TO kill his wife when
they were residents of Belgium. but
he had made the same threat in the 10
months that they had lived here.
Son for Priesthood.
Emma. the only daughter, came to
this locality with her father and moth
er, but there are two sons who remain
ed in Belgium. One has been given
over to the priesthood, and is preparing
himself for a life of devotion 10 the
church, and the other is a soldier, hav
ing given over his life to his country
They are 1G and IS years of age.
The daughter is a quiet and pretty
maiden. and upon appearing at the in
quest this morning, which was held al
the Moline police station, she had ap-
parently not come 10 the full realiza-
ton of the terrible tragedy that had
happened in her home and within few
seconds had deprived her of both faith
or and mother. Good neighbors and
friends at once took her into their
home. and she will have the best of
care for the present.
Heard No shots.
Emma speaks good English, and was
able 10 tell the cOrOner's jury what
little she knew of the circumstances.
He went away" she said, land return
ed about half past 10. He was drunk
when he came home. We came about
Waele's. / went right to bed. | do
not know what time mother went. |
heard him scolding my mother, but
did not hear anything more. I do not
know what time | got up. There was
a man came in and told me my father
and mother were dead. I did not hear
the shooting. They have quarreled Of
ten, but | do not know what about.
Sometimes he has taken hold of her
and thrown her from one side of the
room To the other. He has threatened
to kill her before since we came here. -
O'Brien Enters House.
A. O'Brien. the first to enter the
house in the morning. was summoned
by Miss Brogan. and upon going in he
saw Mrs. DeSeCk in the bed and the
husband was sitting in a chair a few
feet away. near the wall, the gun hav-
ing fallen down between his legs, and
shells being on the floor.
Mrs Thompson. a neighbOr, heard
the quarTeling. which was followed by
the shots All was still after that, but
she did not 90 over. because she knew
the daughter was there and thought
she would give an alarm if there had
been anything serious. However, a.
about 8 o'clock she went over, and up
on looking in. saw the results. She did
not enter, but notified other neighbors.
Gun Was Cooked.
One of the peculiar circumstances
was with reference to the gun that did
the work. Both barrels had been dis
cbavuaI Iu. h. rrfuuor ~ ono borral
was cooked This might be accounted