Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-09-21
BATTLES
DRAFT EvADERS
ONE MAN is KILLED AND rn,-
WOUNDED ON FARM NEAR
OWEN. WIS,
FOUR BROTHERS RESISTED
Fire on Federal Officers s,.,ent to 4.
rest Them-Three Fueitives ASsk.
Escape From Farmhouse Be.
sieged by 200 Armed Men.

Owen, Wis, Sept. II. - Ono mo-
was killed and five wounded dur;a+
a pitched battle between a posse 80
armed citizens and state guards and
four alleged draft evaders NJ ,b1
Kruger farm, two miles west of bero
! Harry Jensen, stationmastar A.
| Withee was instantly killed while -
loading his rifle 800 feet away firm,
the farmhouse. Emil Laino, of WitbAa
sustained five bullet wounds and near,
~ died from loss of blood. Other in.
lured 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 evading the So.
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 i'm.
mediately fired upon.
After an all night siege, dur.ag
| which hundreds of shots were OK.
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 We're
known to be in the house when The
battle began. had disappeared during
the night. 1t is claimed it would be
impossible for them to escape from
the premises through the Gordon OF
guards and it is believed they are still
in hiding on the farm.
Mrs. Kruger, mother Of the tour
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 a nervous collapse. The whole
county and neighborhoOd are at fever
heat and it will be short shritt tor
the boys when they are caught
Frank Kruger, who is beins 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 26. 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 Wild
food, ammunition and several high
powered rifles, indicating that
| the Kruegers had expected siege
and prepared for it. Dead animals IN
Guiding a huge bull, that had come
within the range of the fire. "tIe
found in the yard,
The huge barn on the Kruger farm
which was set ablaze after Tornado
hyde gas had been introduced ID al
effort TO drive out the 1nen If they hau
hidden in the loft. proved - be l'Tl'
wtl lie arsenal. Hundreds OF c2I1flute7
T popped during the blaze ana ia '"5
| corner a secret chamber was d.scioSeu
| in which the brothers evidently III
| tended to hide on the approach OF Vi
ficers. An accident caused the HI'l7
of the barn, an explosion fesu.l'l7
| when the air suddenly came INTO Guar
tact with the strong gas DesL-t'..l
of the barn apparently dlsso!'"s 'IS
| theory that the men had hdo~A Va
the premises. ..~4.
| c. E. Marks, agent OF THE @. .s.l
ment of Justice at Madison te'1
Marshal Peter Rasmussen ana pa.
United States Marshal Joseph N
barely escaped with their lives
| they went 10 arrest the four
| Harry and Frank Kruger Ws-' -
corn field whsn the officers
| ed. Marks told Frank he
speak with him, but was wa" ..+r.
TO approach. A moment later ~. .-,.
opened fire on the officers WIN .-.-
matte pistols. it is claimed. a l .ss
tore through Marks coat
shoulder while others bruised i'7 .t
sen and C-antz. The officers IT. ,-'' -
the fire and the brothers If-is .:-r.4
the house from which they con
| to fire.
Neenah-stanley, 2-year-oId -o2 :.
NJ. ard Mrs William Becatl'