The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-09-19
WILSON SHIELDS
BLOWS OFF HEAD
after TRAGEDY
Son Finds Mother Dead in
Kitchen and Sees Father
Blow Out Brains With
Shotgun.
Slayer, Believed Insane by
Family, Declared Sane by
Commission Shortly Be-
fore Awful Crime.

COMMISSION SnOftly BE-
fore Awful Crime.
The peace and serenity Of the pretty
village OF Williamsburg, which for a
quarter Of a century has found no
need Of having a justice of the peace
or a marshal, was tragically disturbed
early this morning when Wilson
Shields, one of the best known resi-
dents Of the town, murdered his wife
with a stick Of kindling wood and a
shotgun and then shot off the top of
his head. Both died almost instan-
taneously.
Shields is believed to have been
insane, although few weeks ago he
was adjudged sane at an inquest in
this city. Mrs. Shields was the daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs Albert Oler, 222
South Ninth street, this city. She
was 43 years old. Shields was SO
years old.
For nearly two months Shields had
shown evidence of being mentally af-
flicted and the son, Clell Shields, aged
21, who Is the only child, said today
that during the last four weeks he
has been living at home at his
mothers request, his father had
threatened at least twenty-five times
to kill Mrs. Shields and himself.
Son Sees Tragedy.
The father went to the circus at
Richmond yesterday afternoon and re-
turned on the evening train. He
seemed to have been drinking but up
to the time he retired he appeared to
be in better spirits than usual, said
young Shields.
II was awakened about $50 this
morning by the discharge of a shot
gun in the lower part of the house. 1
hurried down stairs and nearly
stumbled over the bleeding form OF
my mother, whose body blocked the
door between the kitchen and dining
room.
Il was dazed for a minute then 4
ran out of the house and yelled to-
Sam Chamness, working In his garden
across the street, that my mother had
been killed. Then l went back into
the house. l looked through the dining
room door into the kitchen and l saw
my father sitting on the floor. He
had the butt Of his double-barrel shot
gun between his feet with the muZzle
resting against his head, just above
his nose. l saw him place his finger
on the trigger and l guess l was too
stunned to try to get to him. In
second, however, I turned my back and
as did so the gun went off. 1t was
terrible. He had shot the whole top
of his head off,
Quarrels With Wife.
Clell Shields believes his father had
taken considerable whiskey before the
double tragedy was enacted. He
found an empty pint whiskey bottle
1n the barn this morning and he said
Chamness had seen Shields go to the
barn two or three times before the
Ehastly crime was committed.
Mr.. Chamness says that for nearly
m hour preceding the shooting he
had heard Shields quarreling with his
wife in the kitchen.
Il heard a shot fired about $50 and
in a few seconds Clell ran out of the
house and yelled to me that his
mother had been killed. he said. Il
started to the house but before | got
half way Clell came to the door again
and beckoned me to stop. He disap-
peared and then 1 heard the second
shot. Father has killed himself, now,
Clell told me and we went into the
kitchen. 1t was a terrible sight.
Jealous Disposition.
about three weeks ago l was one
held over Shields in Richmond. I
testified l did not believe him to be
insane but that he might have been
temporarily insane at times l said
] believed he was addicted to hard
drink and that he was a man of in
tensely jealous nature. Mrs. Shields
herself had told me her husband was
Jealous Of her and had made unjust
charges against her. AS neighbor,
however, l knew her to be woman
OF good character"
Coroner Pierce made a thorough
investigation this morning and judg-
ing from the wounds received by the
woman, he believes her husband first
struck her over the head with piece
of wood while she was STOPPING over
to start a fire in the kitchen range,
and that he shot her while she was
unconscious The charge entered the
woman's head behind her right ear.
Mr. Oler said today that the Shields
had been having domestic troubles for
several years but not of an acute
nature 1t was first suspected that
Shields was mentally unbalanced
about two months ago. He was con-
tinually finding fault with his wife
and threatening her. At that time
their son was not at home, working
Tor the 4. q -. railroad at various
places.
Fears Husband.
About August 4. as Mr.. Oler recalls
It, Mrs. Shields came to his home in
this city and reported the strange
actions of her husband and said she
was afraid to stay with him alone in
the house. Her mother returned home
with her that evening and August 6
the son came home, Mrs. Oler went
back to Richmond the next day.
On the morning of August s,
which was Saturday, Shields threaten.
ed to kill his wife and son, and about
noon left town. Mrs. Shields notified
her parents and they came to Will
liamsburg and returned with Mrs
Shields and her son. Before returning
Oler asked Arva Study to notify him
1f Shields returned to Williamsburg
Continued on Page Three.l 49,
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