Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-09-20
Mother and Son Surrender

| from the Kruger boys.
Mother and Son Surrender
About Z 80 Mrs Kruger came out OF
| the house holding up both hands and
| waving a white cloth, indicating sur
render Robert Water, the nearby
| neighbor, volunteered to go and inter
view Mrs. Kruger. She stated that
she would give herself up, and asked
| for assistance to her son, Frank, WHO
was wounded Mr.. Water accompanied
ner to his home and then went back tC
he house and got Frank out and
lltuhcd Up a buggy and took him down
the automobiles i'll the road, where
was hauled into Owen and lodged
I the jail with medical attention by
| II Williams of Owen.
Frank Kruger was brought to the
;hippewa Falls hospital Sunday noon
III the 500 Line train and is recovering
from his wound, which does not appear
| 20 lie very serious The doctors are
unable to decide whether any bones are
| broken. The other Kruger lads still
| held the fort.
About O'Clock the state guards and
home guards arrived from Neillsville
Greenwood and Colby, the last named
guards being the first on the scene
This added to the posse some 200 men
| 4 Gordon was thrown around the Krue-
ger home before dark to prevent the es
cape of the belligerents.
Kruger Bull Vici0usly Attacks
About II 80 o'clock during the night
one of the home guards lighted a cigar
ette This drew some shots from the
Kruegers, but with no damage 1t was
about 80 O'Clock that the Kruegers
turned loose their big Holstein bull
from the barn and he raced down in the
| field looking for trouble. 1t was at this
time that posse was carrying White
off of that field. The vicious animal
came near and smelling the trail of hui
man blood, he at once charged the
guards. The brute was knocked over
by a dozen shots. He was not killed
and lay wounded until morning. Dur
ing the night some of the guards sat on
his warm body as the air was very
chilly. In the morning he was killed
by bayonet thrust and later in the
day dressed to save his hide and meat,
Krugers Escape i'm Darkness
About 80 a. m. the Kruegers tried
to escape from. the house, but were
driven back by shots from the guards.
There was no more eXcitment during
the night Sunday morning there was
no sign Of anybody about the Kruger
premises. After a consultation at the
home of Robert Water it was decided
that Mrs Kruger and Mr.. Water
should go to the house and plead with
he boys to give UP. They went about
o'clock and after a diligent search of
half an hour failed to find anyone.
The birds had flown during the night.
Fhey had escaped to the heavy timber
about quarter of mile TO the east OF
house and had run the gauntlet of the
GORDON of guards without being discoy-
cred. 1t later transpires that there
were only two Of these boys there in
stead of three. according to statement
made Sunday night by Frank Kruger.
There was the youngest brother, Ennis.
md either Louis or Leslie. as Frank
leclined to state which one was present
at the shooting.
Guards Occupy Hoslle on Sunday
The state guards and the posse were
in1 tn t0 tIn Il
as the danger was over. The guards
SWarmed over the place and made a
thorough search but failed to find a
single Kruger. All day Sunday they
were in quiet possession of the beautiful
Kruger farm home. Marshal Frank
O'Connor had arrived at II o'clock
Saturday night from Eau Claire He
was on the scene until IL O'Clock Sun
day morning. He left the premises in
:harge OF Deputy Joseph CAN'T. and the
Guards to the number of 175 Sheriff
levitt of Clark county and number
Of deputies were also on the scene
There was much consultation among
the officers as to the Whereabouts Of
the Kruger lads.
At II o'clock Sunday forenoon Mar
shall O'Connor left with Mrs Louisa
Kruger for Eau Claire where she was
placed in jail and given sweating to
ind out about the cause of the trouble.
The inhabitants of Withee, Owen.
Thorp and other villages turned out in
great numbers and made the journey
to the Kruger home to look it over.
The guards kept the crowd back for a
distance of 500 feet, allowing no one to
go to the house except representatives
of the press.
Not Pr0-Germanism But Religion
PrO-Germanism is not at the bottom
of the trouble. 1t is the peculiar tenn
permanent of the Kruegers that has been
cultivated through a religious feryor of
some years. Mrs. Kruger and her
sons are deep students of the Bible
They do not believe in war, according
to the teachings of the Bible. They
are sort of Pentecostal disciples, es-
pousing the teachings of the Bible re
lating to the end of the world when
great trouble will be abroad all over the
earth, wars and wars, nations shall
| A a