The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-09-08
DROVE FAMILY FROM HOME
Man Crazed When Wife Starts Action
For Divorce Causes a Sensation
Among the People of the Town of
Somers.

John Harcus, fifty years of age and
a farmer living IN the town of Somers
northwest of the village of Somers is
in the county Jail awaiting an examina-
ton into his mental condition. marcus
caused CONSERVATION in his home
on Wednesday and drove his wife
and nine children from the house
and forced them to seek refuge at
the home of neighbor Harcus was
later taken into custody by Deputy
Sheriff Nicholas Fonk and while wait
ing to start for Kenosha with the of
fcer Harcus maze an Intellectual at
tempt to commit suicide by slashing his
throat with knife. Inc officer was
quick enough to see the plan of Harcus
and after bitter struggle he disarmed
him before he had injured himself. The
case is in the hands of the district at
torney and as yet no formal charge has
been filed against Harcus Just about
the time that Mrs. Harcus was being
driven from her home her attorney R.
V. Baker filed a suit in the circuit
court for her in which she demands
a divorce from Harcus and the custody
of her children In her action Mrs
Harcus claims that she was married
to Harcus i'll Racine, December 81, 1899
and that for more than seven years he
has treated her cruelty, alleging that
she bad Deen intimate with prominent
man of the town of Somers and declar-
ing that some of the children were il
legitimate. She also charges him with
threatening her life and with the con
tlnued use of intoxicating liquors.
Harcus knew that the action for di-
voree had been started on Wednesday
morning and 1t is alleged that this was
in part to blame for his outbreak. He
had spent part Of the day at Corliss
and returned to his home late in the
afternoon and finding Mrs. Harcus and
the children there drove them from the
house. His actions were such that the
neighbors reached the conclusion that
he had suddenly become violently in
sane and they called upon the sheriff
to send a man to take him and place
him under restraint. Harcus showed
no signs of violence when Omcer Fonk
reached the farm and he prepared to
accompany the officer to Kenosha. Just
as the men were ready to get into the
conveyance to come to Kenosha Har-
Gus pulled jack knife from his pocket
and with an oath jerked away from
Fonk and made lunge at his throat
with the knife. Fonk struck the would
be suicide blow which felled him and
then came battle royal between the
two men. Fonk finally wrenched the
knife from the hand of Harcus and be-
fore the start for Kenosha was made
he searched him to see that he had no
other weapons. 1t is possible that the
man will be examined for his sanity in
the county court but the officials seem
to be of the opinion that he is suffer
ing from the over use of alcohol rather
than from any mental disease. Harcus
has lived in Somers for some time and
the fact that the home relations of the
couple were anything but pleasant has
been known to many people. Harcus
was in a bad condition this morning
and he seemed to have no remembrance
of the attack he had made on the mem
bers of his family or his own attempt
at suicide. Harcus rents the farm on
which he has been living in the town of
Somers but in her complaint for divorce
the wife asserts that he has personal
property valued at not less than $4,000.