The Glenwood post., 1905-03-18
THE DENVER TRAGEDY
DETAILS OF THE AWFUL CRIME
Murdered Man and Murderer Had Been
Bosom Friends-Two Innocent
Families Bereft-Deed Done In an
Insane Passion of Rage.


Denver, Colo, March 14.-Following
are some of the incidents of the terri
| BILE tragedy in Denver Sunday when
George Shissler shot and killed Kay
Sill and his wife and wounded Police
/ Captain William Bohanna, Police Sur
| geon Frank Dulin and Frank Kelly
| driver for Sill.
Shissler and Sill had worked to
gether in the Denver C Rio Grand.
| shops and had been close friends
Some three years ago they jointly pur.
| chased five acres of land in what Is
! known as the Park Hill addition. in
the eastern suburbs of the city. Both
| had been careful and their investments
| had proved to be successful. Two
| small but comfortable brick houses
! were built, two barns were added to
| the joint estate and gardens and COW
pastures contributed to the content.
| ment of the two families.
Sill lived with his family, consist
| ing of wife and two daughters, Fran.
| ces, aged ten, and Josephine, agei
| fourteen. Shissler seemed to be equally
| contented in his new home with his
wife and five children, Spencer, a
| baby of four years: Charles, aged ten
| Blanche, aged thirteen: Frank, aged
| fifteen. and Harry, aged eighteen.
Finally an estrangement grew up be.
| tween the two men. They agreed to
| divide the property and quarreled over
| a division fence, becoming involved in
| law suit in which the decision was
| in favor of Sill.
About 10 O'Clock Sunday morning
| Shissler telephoned to his attorney
| Mr.. Hilliard, and is said to have been
| advised to pay the judgment against
him. He went back home and came
| out into his front yard with shot
! gun.
Sill was talking with David Bald
ridge and William Brannen, who were
| in front of his house with a carriage.
Shissler called out to Sill and i'm
medately shot him. Baldridge's horse
! started to run and Shssler fired al
Baldridge and Brannen. Then he shot
Sill again, infiicting wound that
must have been instantly fatal.
Frank Kelly, who was in Sill's barn
started on horseback to summon help
and Shissler shot at him, inflicting a
flesh wound in his left leg.
Shissier then went to the barn
where he found Charles and John
Lundeen, who live in the neighbor
| hood and who testified for Mr.. Sill in
, the different law suits brought by
| Shissler.
He put the muzzle of his rife agains'
the temple of Charles Lundeen, boy
| of twenty. and made him get dowr
on his knees and beg for mercy.
When the shooting began Mrs. Si
ran around in front of her home anC
| her daughter, Josephine, aged four
| teen, ran diagonally across the stree
to the home of James H. Fitzpatrick
2SS2 Monroe street. 100 yards away
| screaming that Shissler had killed hei
| father.
Josephine Fitzpatrick, a young lady
of twenty-five. who is a teacher IT
Wallace's business college, ran quickly
to the Sill home. Shissler turned his
gun on the woman and said. Get into
the house, you scabs."
Shissler fired into the different
rooms of the house and Miss Fitzpat
rick and Frances Sill crawled under {
bed to hide.
Mrs. Sill tried to run to the Fitzpat
rick home and Shissler ordered her tC
stop.
Dropping on her knees, Mrs. Sill
raised her hands pleadingly toward
Shissler and begged that her life bt
spared.
Spare my life, Please spare it. fol
the sake of my children!" sobbed the
woman pitifully. you have killed my
husband, and they will have no one tt
care for them if you kill me. o, please
| spa"
A bullet punctuated the sentence
Cruelty it sped on its terrible mission
shattering the bone in the woman!
right leg Immediately below the knee
Mrs. Sill staggered few steps ant
dropped to the ground.
Shissler went back and broke int
the room where the two girls were hid
ing Not finding them, though HI
poked his gun under the bed. he car
ried Goals and set the bed on fire. HI
left the room and they ran to the Fitz
patrick house. The fire caused the de
struction of the building.
Shissler went out and shot Mrs. Sill
second time with a revolver, whicl
he placed against her head, killing he
instantly.
Meanwhile Messrs. Baldridge AM
Brannen had driven to where the.
could telephone to police headquarters
Captain Bohanna Immediately ordere
out the police ambulance. DR.. Fran
Dulin, police surgeon, and Patrolmel
John Phillips and Frank Mulligan wer
detailed to go with Captain Bohanna
Patrolman C. T Power, who had beel
on house duty during the forenoon
and who was Just departing for hi
home, volunteered his services. TIL
ambulance was driven by Sydney No
Clanathan, the regular driver.
When they arrived at the scene Q
the tragedy Shissler retreated into hi
yard, placed the rifle barrel on tn
fence, took careful aim and fired at tn
men on the seat. The first bullet GU
a hole across the top of Captain Be
, hanna's felt hat.
About" commanded Captain Be
, hanna.
Before McClanathan could respon
there came fusillade from Shisslel
A dozen shots must have been fire
before the horses were finally turned
The second shot caught Captain Bt
, hanna in the right hip: then anothe
; bullet caught DR.. Dulin in the right lie
, | and another bullet pierced the body c