The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-04
SLEEPING CHILDREN
MURDERED; MOTHER
TELLS QUEER TALE
Mrs. James Brennan Says Strange Man Entered
Her Home at Night and Shot Her and Four
ChiEdren-7hree Are Dead, Woman and
Boy Will Recover.

room, where is the revolver Thomas saw
think that Mrs. Brennan shot herself
while in the back room and then ran
to her own room and lay down on the
bed. The quilt was pulled over her
and the general appearance was that
she had been shot while in bed. There
was 10 trail Of blood from the room in
which the revolver was found to the
room occupied by Mrs. Brennan.
Father crazed by Shock.
Brennan, the father of the murdered
children, was on duty at the salvage
corps when the tragedy occurred. and
when he went to his home and saw the
dead bodies Of the two little girls he
became as one crazed, and it was all
the officers could do to prevent him
from taking his own life, He is COM
pletely unnerved and altho the police
and physicians tried to soothe him, he
trated with grief. He can give the
| officers no answers to their questions
and they are vet in the dark as to
the ownership of tho revolver.
Several months ago there was trouble
in the Brennan family, said to have
been caused by the children: Mrs.
Brennan moved to Chicago last june,
|
divorce from her husband. Early in
August there was a reconciliation and
they were again married in Minneapo-
| lis. T.. r..
During this estrangement the four
children, with Lizzie, the Oldest girl,
acting as the little mother, kept house
all alone at the house in which they
met their death. Even after the sec
ond marriage they lived alone, while
| + boir fof CT af IoI
rooms at 20 Western avenue. Those
who lived near the Brennans there,
fsay they were continually anarrshng,
and that Mrs.. Brennan often said that
she would like to take her own life.
To one Of the neighbors Mr.. Brennan
once said that his wife had attempted
suicide by taking poison, but was not
successful. They never talked of the
childre1. at that time, but Brennan was
furnishing them with money with
which to keep house. -
i Mrs. Brennan Firm.
Mrs. Brennan regained consciousness
at the hospital this forenoon, and sew
eral unsucc essful efforts were made to
get her to tell of family troubles that
i might point to some ,notive,. but she
made no damaging admissions. She
=, talked freely OF the affair and said she
was at a loss to know who would want
to kill her or her family. She said that
she saw q man in the woodshed at IL
i CLOCK, but that he went away and
she went, back to bed. The next thing
she knew was when she woke up te
find strange man by her. bed, who
fred a revolver at her and fed. A
minute later. little Thomas, wounded
|; came and lay down beside her, anG
then she swooned,: remaining uncon
scious until today. = ~ ;:..!.-
The woman processes not to know
that the children are dead, for she
keeps. asking the nurses why they ar,
not allowed to come and see her.
The investigation by the police il
practically at "a standstill. Ordinar,
methods Of dealing with murder case
have been worthless. In spite of th'
: strong circumstantial evidence point
ing toward the guilt Of the woman, tn,
case remains a puzzle. There is n,
evidence that directly points to he
guilt. and even the boy Thomas, VIII,
, was shot while she, was in her room, be
: lieves he was shot by the man Mrs
2 woodshed. The stories Of the two sur
vivors do not agree in any particular
. but because of the weakened condi
I tion of both, no extensive sweatin.
;, process can be employed. AS soon a
they are we'll enough, however, the step
1 mother will be confronted with tn
D story Of the boy, in an effort to max
|, her tell what she knows. Fl
: Brennan was overcome last night. bu
0 recovered sufficiently to talk to tn
e police. He did not tell of any seriou
family trouble, and says he is absolutel
: unable to give any motive for the Grim
or to throw any light on it. He ha
s arranged to have the bodies Of the dea
s children sent to Chicago for interment
t They will leave on the North ester
a line tomorrow At present the bodie
} are at Gill's undertaking rooms, 1872