The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-04

An entire family shot down in the
night by a craZed assassin.
This is in brief the story Of the ap-
palling tragedy that occurred at the
home Of James Brennan, 1922 Fifth
avenue n, at 1880 am. today, when
three children were murdered in cold
blood, third seriously wounded and
his wife, Mrs. Brennan, stepmother to
the children, stricken by the same hand.
The stepmother, now occupying cot
at the city hospital, accuses q strange
man of the crime, while the police open
ly say that she herself shot the chill.
dren as they lay asleep, and then turned
the weapon on herself. The police
theory is apparently corroborated by
the story of Thomas Brennan, the only
one Of the children to escape death.
Lizzie, aged Is, Alice, aged and Ar
thur, aged 7, are dead, while Thomas,
aged II, has chance for recovery, as
has his stepmother.
Found in Pools Of Blood.
The five victims of the shooting were
found in pools of their own blood by
w. G.. Farmer, who occupies the lower
part of the same house:
When he entered the rooms after
hearing the shooting, he found Alice
and Lizzie dead in one bed, while oe-
side them lay Arthur, the youngest
Cn1lu, mOrCdIY WOuuUSus LII otioNpSN
room was Thomas, also seriously IN IN
;jured, lying beside the stepmother,
a. bullet wound in the left
breast. In fourth room was a re-
volver, thought to belong to the father
of the children. Five Of the cham
bers had been discharged and one un-
used cartridge remained. -,
The three wounded persons were hur-
ried to the city hospital, where Arthur
died shortly after his arrival and W1tn-
out regaining consciousness.
=: T.7l@ Mother Told Of Burglars.
The only word Of explanation that
Farmer could get was the statement or
Thomas that his mother told him that
burglars were trying to get INTO s Tn e :
them. The police were at once not1neo
and as soon as Coroner Kistler had or
dered the little bodies removed from
the scene, detectives commenced Work
on the case They at first believed the
: boys story about the burglars, but
a hasty examination convinced then
that no one had entered the place.
y They were then compelled to rely en-
: tirely on Thomas version, which i:
, meager He said he was awakened by
his stepmother, who was standing be
side his bed with a revolver In he1
hand. He thinks he heard shots before
that, but doesn't know. She told hin
burglars were trying to get in and as NJ
turned to look out of the window there
was crash and his lower jaw was pal!
! alyzed. He placed his hand to hi
chin and found the blood flowing freely
The stepmother left the room ant
there was another loud report followed
by her screams. She staggered to he
own room and little Thomas. tho. veal
from the shock and terrible wound, hur
5ried to her bedside to find her uncon
scious and bleeding. He did not se
the revolver then and could not tell tn
come from. Immediately after Thoma
tried to raise his stepmother, Mr.. Far
: mer came into the room and was sool
: followed by the police.
One Unaccountable Fact.
The position of the revolver whe!
found by the police is the only circum
stance found 50 far that tends to vln
dicate Mrs. Brennan, who, after sh
regained consciousness at the hospita
stuck stoutly to her story about tn
burglars. The detectives have bee
unable to make her change her story
: and she says that all she knows is tha
someone tried to enter the house, an
that later a strange man stepped int
the mouse, ana ran from room TO TOOH
shooting the children. She cannot de
scribe the man, and says she was s
j.; frightened that she could scarcely Sc
him. ~.. - I-. D..
The dead bodies were all badly pow
: der burned. ..
: Thomas thinks it was his father
revolver his mother held when she wa
standing over his bed, but he thought
was always loaded with cartridges. If
strange man did the murder, say the p'
lice and left his revolver in, the bac