The Detroit times., 1908-07-15
FRED CROSS MAY
! HAVE BEEN SLAIN
BY POSSE
--LATEST DEVELOPMENTS TEND TO
SHOW MANAGES BROTHER DID
NOT KILL HIMSELF - TWO
HEARsEs IN coRTEeE.
(From a Special correspondent)

(From Special Correspondent)
BENTON HARBOR. Mich. July Is.
Two hearses. followed by a long line
OF carriages and farm rigs filed from
the yard OF the Gross farmhouse in
Pfpestone township. this afternoon. In
the vehicles leading the cortege lay
the bodies OF August and Fred Gross,
the brothers who lost their lives dur
Ing battle with a sheriff's posse, yes
ferday. following the probable fatal
shooting OF James Kirk, by August
Gross.
In the carriage Immediately behind
the hearses were the remaining mem
bers OF the Gross family-the aged
mother and her daughter Anna-both
crushed and heart-broken by the dual
tragedy.
Three members of the family now
nave gone TO madmen's graves, for
the father died about a year ago. az
ter spending some time in an asylum.
AT least the farmers said the broth
ers were maniacs. Neither August nor
Fred would fraternize with the yokels
and were considered peculiar" which
never fails 10 be the case in rural
communities when a neighbor shows
reserve, or aloofness. Anyway. all
declare the shooting OF old Kirk. the
Sodus meat peddler was wanton and
that Joseph Longyear also had been
Mred upon. August Gross is said TO
have declared he would kill the first
man to put foot on his property. II
was after the shooting OF Kirk that
the sheriff decided to act and collect
ed his posse about the Gross home.
where the brothers barricaded the
shoor and stood OF the officers and
farmers all night, only to be taken
dead after a hot fusillade between the
besieged and the besiegrs.
The large attendance at the funeral
foday, indicates the feeling OF sympa-
thy and sorrow shown for the bereav-
ed mother and daughter. That there
Is feeling OF relief in the neighbor-
hood that the lives of the community
no longer are In danger from mad
mems bullets, however. is undoubted.
Sensational Developments.
Latest developments tend to show
that the death of Fred Gross may
have been unnecessary. At first it
was believed he had committed sui
eide when wounded after he had start
ed to dash across an open field. He
was supposed to have blown out his
brains as he lay on the ground and
the posse was overtaking him. Now.
however, 1t Is asserted that more
strategy should have been used in try
ing to capture Fred. and the belief
Is becoming general that he did not
take his own life, but was killed by a
bullet from a gun In the hands OF one
of the posse.
Both the deputy sheriffs and the
farmers who formed the party which
stormed the Gross homestead are com
ing In for severe criticism, now that
the excitement of the moment is sub
siding.
One physician who examined Fred
Gross body yesterday stated that
where the bullet entered his head.
there were powder marks and burns.
indicating that the weapon had been
held close to the skull, as in suicide.
This morning, however. Undertaken
Harry Exelhorst, who prepared the
bodies for burial and whose examina-
tion OF the corpse of Fred Gross was
minute and consumed much time, de-
clared that there were no signs OF
burns on Fred's face and head--only
D clean, round bullet hole In the skull
This would indicate that Fred
Gross, as well as his brother, was
killed by the posse.