The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-15
MURDERED BRIGHTON FARMER
Brutal Murder Of John Callahan, an Old
Farmer of the Town of Brighton, Is
Recalled When the Murderer Asks
For His Freedom After Long Service.

George Cloves, sentenced to the
state prison at Waupun for a life term
by Judge Fish in the circuit court of
Kenosha county on March %, 1894,
has appealed to the state board of
control for parole. The hearing is
to be held in Madison on July Goth
and it is said that there is good rea-
son to believe that Cloves will secure
his liberty at that time. For twenty
one years he has been On the honor
roll of the prison and it is declared
that in all the years Of his incarcera-
ton he has cheerfully met every de-
mand of the changing management
of the prison.
Cloves went to prison to pay the
state the debt for taking the life Of
another. Way back on February 9th,
1894, while in drunken frenzy,
Cloves took the life Of John Callahan,
farmer in the town Of Brighton.
The crime was committed at eight
O. CLOCK in the evening Cloves, who
had formerly worked on the Callahan
farm, had gone to the house with the
intention of robbing the old man who
lived alone with his wife at the farm
house. Mrs. Callahan had retired for
the night when Cloves reached the
house, but she heard the struggle be-
tween her husband and Cloves AID
reached the kitchen just in time to see
Cloves draw revolved and shoot her
husband. Before the shooting she
had heard Cloves declare to the old
man, HYou have been boarding up
money long enough Callahan plead.
ed for his life, declaring to Cloves
that he had only very small sum of
money in the house.
Callahan lived less than an hour
after he was shot by Cloves. In the
excitement which followed the shooting
a great crowd gathered at the Callahan
farm, but Cloves managed to escape.
He was captured on the following day
at New Munster by William Murphy,
then deputy sheriff He was brought
to Kenosha and at a preliminary hear
ing before Justice John G. Slater, he
protested his innocence, claiming that
he knew nothing Of the shooting of
Callahan. The widow Of the murdered
man was the principal witness against
Cloves and she positively identified
him and on her testimony he was held
for trial at the March term of the cir
cult court. When the case was called
before Judge Fish, Cloves surprised
every one by pleading "guilty.o He
declared in his confession made in
open court that he had been drinking
heavily in saloons in Burlington on
the day of the shooting. He admit
ted going to the Callahan home with
an intent to rob the old man, but in
sisted that the shooting had been acct
dental. He asserted that he had drawn
his revolver with a view of frighten-
ing Callahan, but that Callahan had
attempted to take the revolver and
was killed by its accidental DISCHARGE
in the scuffle which followed.
Mrs. Callahan died of broken
heart a few years after the murder
of her husband Attorney D. Conway
Lloyd was district attorney at the
time Cloves was sent to prison for
life and Cloves had no attorney to de-
fend him in the hearing The old muir
der case had been all but forgotten
about Kenosha and few of the people
directly connected with the case are
still living. Judge Belden has been
asked to make some recommendation
in the case. Cloves applied for
parole some five years ago, but at that
time the parole was denied. IT Is
claimed that some bitter FEELING
against the murderer still exists among
the older residents of the town Of
Brighton.
Cloves was twenty-one years of ace
when he began the service of his life
term. He has been educated in the
prison and has for some time held
responsible position there. It is said
that the prison officials will strongly
urge the release of Cloves.