Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-09-20
ONE MAN is KILLED AND FIVE
WOUNDED ON FARM NEAR
OWEN, WIS.
FOUR BROTHERS RESISTED
Fire on Federal Officers Sent to Ar
rest Them-Three Fueitives Make
Escape From Farmhouse Be-
sieged by 200 Armed Men.


was killed and five wounded during
pitched battle between posse of
armed citizens and state guards and
four alleged draft evaders at the
Kruger farm, two miles west of here.
Harry Jensen, stationmaster at
Withee was instantly killed while re-
loading his rifle 800 feet away from
the farmhouse. Emil Laino, of Withee,
sustained five bullet wounds and near
" died from loss of blood Other in
| jured are Angus Page, Frank White
and Mattson. All are expected to re-
| cover
Two special agents of the depart
ment of justice called at the Kruger
| farm to arrest the four Kruger
brothers, Frank, Louis, Ennis, and
Leslie, on charges of eyading the Sc
lective service, and were fired upon
by two of the young men. The officers
returned to Owen and formed a posse
of 200 armed men who surrounded the
farm house, from which they were inn
mediately fired upon.
After an all night siege, during
which hundreds of shots were ex-
changed, it was discovered at daylight
that there was no one in the beleag
uered house. Frank Kruger, one of
| the men the posse sought to arrest,
surrendered after being shot through
the leg. The other three brothers, En-
| mis-, Lewis and Leslie, who were
| known to be in the house when the
battle began. had disappeared during
| the night 1t is claimed it would be
| the premises through the Gordon of
| guards and it is believed they are still
| in hiding on the farm.
Mrs. Kruger, mother of the four
| boys, was taken to Eau Claire and
| lodged in the county jail, while her
! wounded son, Frank, was taken to a
| hospital at Chippewa Falls. Neither
would say anything Frank is being
| carefully guarded Mrs. Kruger is
near nervous collapse. The whole
| county and neighborhood are at fever
| heat and it will be short shrift for
| the boys when they are caught.
Frank Kruger, who is being held
by the authorities, is So years old.
The other three brothers, who are be-
| ing sought by the authorities, are:
Ennis, 20; Louis, aged %, and Leslie,
aged &c. Frank and Ennis are charged
with having failed to register on Sept.
IL, while Louis and Leslie have failed
to obey summons from the local.
boards and are charged with deser-
ton.
When the attacking party stormed
the house early Sunday they found it
had been struck by many bullets.
There were bullet holes through every
WALL through windows and the roof.
A search of the basement, the only
place where the boys could have hid
! den, brought no clew to their where
abouts. The house was stocked with
| food, ammunition and several high
| powered rifles, indicating that
| the Kruegers had expected a siege
Guiding a huge bull, that had come
within the range of the fire, were
| found in the yard.
The huge barn on the Kruger farm,
| which was set ablaze. after Tornado
| hyde gas had been introduced in an
| effort to drive out the men if they had
| hidden in the loft, proved to be yerl-
table arsenal. Hundreds of cartridges
| popped during the blaze and in one
| corner secret chamber was disclosed
| in which the brothers evidently in
| tended to hide on the approach OF of
| ficers. An accident caused the firing
| of the barn, an explosion resulting
when the air suddenly came into con-
| tact with the strong gas. Destruction
of the barn apparently dissolves the
| theory that the men had hidden on
| the premises.
C. E. Marks, agent of the depart
ment of justice at Madison, Town
| Marshal Peter Rasmussen and Deputy
United States Marshal Joseph Gantz
| barely escaped with their lives when
| they went to arrest the four brothers.
Harry and Frank Kruger were in the
corn field when the officers approach
ed. Marks told Frank he wished to
speak with him, but was warned not
| to approach. A moment later the boys
opened fire on the officers with auto
| matte pistols, it is claimed. bullet
| tore through Marks coat at the
shoulder while others bruised Rasmus-
sen and Gantz. The. officers returned
| the fire and the brothers retreated to
| the house from which they continued
| to fire.
Neenah- Stanley, 2-year-old son Of
tn II
| as the result of choking on sailed
peanut given him by an older brother.
| Kenosha - Sergeant James Martin,
/ the only colored man Kenosha con-
tributed to the army, has been deco
rated for bravery in action, according
| to letters received here.
acknowledgements registered 1902