Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-08-19
SIX PERSONS SLAIN,
THREE WOUNDED,
BY NEGRO SERVANT
''SOul Mate" of Chicago Architect
One of Victims.
MURDERER IS CAPTURED
Flend Applied Torch to Bungalow at
Spring Green, Wis, and Then
Slew Victims With Hatchet
as They Sought to Flee.


BADGES negro with a handax added the
final crimson chapter to the free love
romance of Frank Lloyd Wright, the
architect and his soulmate, Mrs. Ed
win III Cheney-who since her divorce
from Mr.. Cheney had adopted her
maiden name, Mamah Borthwick.
The negro, maddened perhaps by the
discharge Of himself and his wife as
house servants, locked the doors of
the beautiful Wright bungalow which
OverlOoks the Wisconsin river at
Spring Green, while Mamah Borth-
wick, her two children, and her hus-
bands six employees were at luncheon.
Mr.. Wright was in Chicago.
Sets Bungalow Attire.
The negro then poured a flood Of
gasoline about the place and tossed
a match into the stream. AS fire raced
through the house the negro stood at
a point of vantage guarding a door
and a window. With his handax he
cut his victims down one by one as
they leaped from the burning. struc-
ture Mamah Borthwick was the first
to die. Her two innocent little chill
dren followed.
In all, the negro killed six and in
f1icted injuries on three others. His
wife was permitted to run away I'M
harmed. He himself ran into the
basement of the burning building and
climbed into the unlighted furnace,
which was protected from the fire by
Z I'll &c he
Iieyed he hoped to crawl forth after
the search had been abandoned dur
Ing the night and seek safety.
The Dead.
Mamah Borthwick Cheney.
John Borthwick Cheney, ten years
old. her son.
Martha Cheney, eleven years old,
her daughter.
Emil Brodelle, thirty years old,
craftsman employed by Wright; lived
at 1919 Clark street, Milwaukee.
Thomas Brunker, sixty years old,
farm Iaborer
Emil Weston, thirteen years old,
Chore boy.
The Injured.
William Weston, forty years old, car
penter employed on farm; cuts on
head and shoulders
Herbert Fritz, twenty years old, of
1915 Gladys avenue, Chicago; drafts
man employed by Wright; deep cut in
scalp.
David Lindblum, fifty-five years old,
gardener; wounds on body
Lynching Threatened.
However, after the reused country
side had conducted a three hour search
of the neighborhood with bloodhounds,
some one thought to look into the fur
mace. They pulled the negro forth, he
feigning unconsciousness. He was
bundled into an automobile and
Whisked to DOdgeville, Is miles away.
Sheriff J. T. Williams and his depu-
ties with drawn weapons stood off a
crowd bearing ropes, who pursued in
three automobiles and vowed they
would wrest away the prisoner and
lynch him forthwith.
On November z, 1909, the story of
the spiritual hegira" z frank Lloyd
Wright to Mamah wick was
given to the public. The nome of the
eccentric architect and the Wright
fashioned bungalow of Edwin H.
Cheney, electrical engineer, adjoined
each other in Oak Park.
Leave Their Homes.
Mr.. Wright left his wife and two
sons Mrs. Cheney deserted her hus-
band a son and daughter. After a
year in Germany and Japan the elop-
ers startled everybody by returning to
Chicago. and Wright chose the wild
beautiful place overlooking the Wis
consin river as the home for himself
and his spiritual mate"
Mr.. Cheney divorced his wife. She
took her maiden name, Mamah Borth-
wick. She also took custody of her
children, John, who is nine, and Mar
tina. eleven years old. Mrs. Wright de
cliued to grant the architect a divorce,
maintaining she loved him and sooner
or later he would return to his right
mind
Three months ago Wright, who was
building the Midway Gardens in Chi
cago, told John VOgelsang, the res
taurateur, that he needed a cook and
butler Vogelsang recommended Julian
Carleton, a negro, thirty years old.
and his wife, Gertrude. They had been
employed by VOgelsang at his resi-
dence, 523 Deming place, and were
considered excellent servants.
coroner's Jury Finds Negro Guilty.
Enos Lloyd Jones, an uncle of
Wright, who is justice of the peace.
impaneled a coroner's jury Immediate
III and depositions of the various wit
nesses to the crime were taken Jus
tice Jones was assisted by District
Attorney Thomas O'Neill, who was
summoned from his home in Dodge
vile. The jury returned verdict stat
ing the six victims had met their
deaths cat the hands Of one Julian
Carleton"