The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-09-14
A KELLERTON TRAGEDY
Frank MCGuire Kills Himself after
Shooting His Wife. Woman
Will Recover from Wounds.

viii Recover from W0un0S.
The following account of terrible
tragedy which took place at kellerton
last Wednesday afternoon is taken from
the Mt. Ayr News of Friday:
Acting as it is believed under the
impulse OF jealousy, Frank Mcguire,
kelerton Young man, killed himself at
2:45 "Wednesday afternoon, after making
what probably will prove to be an un-
su su;cesstul attempt on the life OF his
wife. The tragedy is the worst of it's
kind that has occurred in Kinggold
county.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Mcclure had parted
about ten days or two weeks ago, fol-
lowing trouble over the presence in
their home of Floyd Fowler, a young
man from st. Joseph, aged about l9
years, who is a relative OF Mrs. Me-
Guire. Since that time Mr.. Mcclure
had been deslrous OF getting his wife to
return to the home, but she apparently
had no desire to do SO.
The shooting took place at the Nc
Guire home, where Mrs. Mcclure had
gone to do some WORK for herself and
husband, and to pack her belongings
preparatory to coming to Mt. Ayr
yesterday to work in the Van Winkle
MOTEL. No one saw the trouble occur,
but several persons heard the shots
fired, and many were at the scene with
in short time.
Mrs. Sam Crees and Mrs. Miles Shan
err, neighbors, heard the three shots and
upon looking in the direction of the
Mcclure house saw Mrs. Mcclure run
out the back door and fall. Clark
Lewis, a farmer, who was coming into
town, also heard the shots. All ran to
Mrs. McGuire's side. 1t is stated that
the first words she said were Frank
shot me- and that soon after she said
''Frank shot me and said he was going
to shoot himself" The people who
gathered were told by someone that Mr..
Mcclure was in the house, prepared to
shoot anyone who entered, so there was
some delay, but soon James Dariel, Abe
Morgan and Mr.. Hankins decided to go
in, and upon kicking the door open saw
Mr.. McGuire's body lying in an easy
position just inside the door. The
revolver was lying short distance
: from his feet. When Marshal Gooding
arrived he found Mr.. McGuires cloth
ing smoking, it having been set atire by
the shot at such close range. Death
had apparently been instantaneous, one
shot entering the stomach and the other
about two or three inches lower and to
the left probably entering the heart,
Jack Scott, who was soon on the
scene, helped Mrs. MCGUIRE to rise, and
she with his assistance walked to the
office of DR.. A. Camp, where her wound
was attended to. The ball had entered
, the lower part of her neck squarely ir
front, and while not exactly located is
i probably lodged against her shoulder
= blade. 1t made a slight aperture in the
wind pipe. Mrs. McGuire was able las
: evening to talk freely at the time of the
: inquest and her recovery is fully ex
: pected unless poisoning should be
;. caused by the bullet. Her symptom.
S continued to be favorable yesterda,
: and today.
Tle fact that the revolver with which
: the shooting was done was found cock
ed after Mr.. McGuire had shot himsel
$ through the heart was the cause O
: rumors unfriendly to Mrs. Mcclure, bu
n the evidence given at the coroner.
: inquest cleared the matter up and con
o vinced everybody, included Mr.. Nc
l. Guire's relatives, that the shooting wa
u done by him. lt is now thought likel
IS that the revolver, self-cocking 81, wa
e cooked by a convulsive movement {
!, the dying mans finger, or by the jar {
u falling to the floor.
10 Mr.. McGuire is slid to have be,
le unusually talkative and pleasant We.
terday, even while on the hunt for
revolver. Great surprise was express
e. ed by acquaintance when the news c
,e the ntspread, as the family relation
g. OF the two had been generally though
N to be unusually pleasant up to the tim
,s Of the separation less than two week
ne ago. However, it is now learned ths
IN there had been occasional trouble fc
r.. several years past, alternating wit
H. pleasant times.
N. Mr.. and Mrs. Mcclure were Marie
.h about ten years ago, and have one chill
ty daughter Hazel, aged eight. Mr.. NJ
ct Guire is the son of j. NJ. McGuire and
1g brother OF Willis and Charles McGuir
a and was aged about 81 years. His wi
of was the daughter of G. Z. Prall, Of Rile
IN township and is few years young
SIS than her husband.
in Mrs. McGuires testimony before I'll
h. coroner's jury was as follows: II a
as the wife OF Frank Mcclure, decease
IT. My husband and have had trouble
re- times for the past five years. | was
our mousse washing uHls dluSfuooH. :
we were getting ready to start up TOW
he suddenly turned and shot me in tt
neck. He then said he was going
lh- ! shoot himself. He shot himself once
ne "a, my knowledge, and ! heard tn repo
NJ of another shot. Ibid not see him n
'e- realize it when he shot me. He was n
~. in the habit OF carrying a gun. dol
Sc know that h, was intoxicated; he b
ch had one drink" Mrs. McGuire has al
ny said that they were engaged in pleasa
vas conversation and that she had just he
sl- her husband on with his coat when t
Fhs shooting began. A general view
kellertCn is that some incidents mi
have occurred which Mrs. Mcclure IA
,. to relate, that she may of given him
understand by word or action that S
ass had no intention of living with again,
per that she aroused his jealousy by sho
1or ing him letter from young Fowl
VII While Mrs. McGuire is not accused
ur- Immoral conduct, she is vivacio
ana company-loving woman, and may ha