Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-12-23
INSANE FARM HAND
FATALLY SHOOTS HIS
FORMER EMPLOYER
Tragedy Occurs on a Farm Near
Yankton, s. D.-Was Re-
jected Suitor.

Yankton, S. D., Dec. 10. Daniel
Courtney, q farmer living six miles
from this town, and his hired man
George R~ossteuscher, both are lying at
the point of death as the result of n
of the saddest and most sensational
shooting escapades In the history OF
Yankton county.
Courtney discharged R~ossteuscher,
who was enamored of his 1~5-year-old
niece, Bernice Culligan, who lives at
the Courtney home. This angered
Rossteuscher. Monday night he went
to the farmhouse and called his former
employee TO the door and without warm
ing shot him In the abdomen with a
heavy automatic gun. When Courtney
9em dying on his doorstep Rossteuscher
walked over his body, entered his VIC
TINS home and barricaded the doors
holding Mrs. Courtney and Miss Guilt
gan at bay. He still had the revolver
In his hand and insanity cleaned from
his eyes. An 8-year-old son who a
witnessed the shooting Of his father
managed to get out of the house un.
observed, and the brave little fellow
mounted a horse and o two miles
away TO Utica for help.
Posse Reaches the Scene.
Sheriff "Bill" Hickey, States Attorney
Janousek and an armed posse of men
soon were on the scene. The insane
murderer was on the second floor Of
the house, and the officers feared If
they approached too suddenly he would
kill the women and himself. They used
much caution. Father Link, a Catholic
priest, was sent for, and Rossteuscher
allowed him to 9pproach the house and
administer to the farmer who lay .ly-
ing in his dooryard. He also allowed
the priest to take Courtney inside the
house.
But he defed the officers, threaten
ing that If he was molested he would
take h lives of the women. This
is what held the officers in check. Sher-
iff Hickey managed to get into the
first story of the house, but he did
not dare to disturb the insane man,
fearing should he try to go upstairs
the man would shoot the ONE and
kill himself. A truce was finally de-
clared and Ro~ssteuscher allowed
friends to remove his dying victim
from the house, also the niece, Ber-
nice Culligan. Courtney was put in
an ambulance and brought to the hos
pitaI here.
Militia Ordered TO Fire.
When the shadows of evening com
menced to fall the sheriff called out
a detachment of militiamen from Conn
pany M. He stationed them about the
house. They were the pick of the
marksmen from the company, n he
gave them instructions to shoot should
they get an eye on the besieged man.
Time and again Rossteuscher was seen
to pass the windows in the rooms on
the second story. Sheriff Hickey called
on him to surrender, but he was in
an ugly mood and refused.
At about A o'clock the militiamen,
who had been guarding the bedroom
windows In the rooms where Ross
teuscher a been seen. were ordered
to fire. Two volleys were fired. DR..
Charles R~ossteuscher, a half brother,
then entered the house and found his
brother dying. He lay on the AeeE
with a revolver with all the chambers
loaded. 1t is thought R~ossteuscher was
peering through the window. when 2
bullet struck him in the forehead.