The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-10-07
Willie Smell McCrea Form
erly of Kenosha, Takes
Life in Chicago.
FIRED ON FATHER
Suicide Was Former Kenosha
School Boy and Sang in
Choir of Church Here.

Willie Smell McCrea, SO years of age
and former student at the University
school in Kenosha and former mem
Der of the choir of one of the Kenosha
churches, shot and killed himself IN
the Offices of his father, w. s. McCrea,
former treasurer of the Peoples Gas
& Light company in Chicago, late Sat
urday afternoon. Before young McCrea
fired a bullet into his own brain, he
had fired two shots at his father. The
men had differed over the disposal OF
a piece of real estate and the younger
man had accosted his father in his Off
ces only a second before the shooting
took place.
Pretty Light Haired Boy.
Kenosha people remember Willie
McCrea as a pretty light haired boy
who came to Kenosha back in the late
nineties after his father and mother
had been separated by a divorce de-
cree. He was a grandson of the bank
err, Amos Smell Of Chicago, whose mys-
ferrous murder has never been cleared
up. He was leader among the school
boys at the exclusive University school
in the old days and he became well
known to many of the best known peo-
pie of Kenosha. They were shocked
on Sunday when they heard of the
tragic ending Of his life. McCrea in
former years was a frequent visitor at
Kenosha but for some time he had
lived in the far west and Kenosha
friends had heard little Of him. He
is survived by his widow and several
small children who are now being
cared for by the father.
Fires Twice on Father.
The father, w. S. McCrea, is past go.
The son was 35. Some years ago he
went west, married and bought ranch
in Idaho. When the war broke out,
young McCrea enlisted and served
throughout it. After it was over, &C
cording to the father, the son refused
to go back to his wife and children.
They were without means and the
father sold a piece of property, to
which young McCrea laid claim, in or
der to help them.
Property Basis of Quarrel.
This piece of property was the basis
for the quarrel between father and son.
When the younger man was discharged
from the army he demanded that he
be reimbursed for the property. The
father refused
Recently, according to the father,
young McCrea came to the Office and
threatened to kill the older man unless
he restored the property. To get rid
Of him, Mr.. McCrea referred his son to
the law firm of Castle, Williams &
Long, Chicago attorneys, which had
handled the deal. At noon young Nc
Crea entered the real estate office. The
father was in an inner office. Miss
Vera Danfort, his stenographer, sat
near the door Young McCrea swung
the door open and said: "Well, how
about it?" "Did you see Mr.. Wilt
ans" asked the father. "Well, what
he says about it is final"
Girl Knocks Revolver Aside.
He turned back to his work
The son reached in his pocket. Miss
Danfort saw the motion and jumped up
Just in time to knock aside the re-
volver which McCrea had aimed at his
father. The bullet struck the wall an
inch above the real estate mans head.
But the plucky secretary was not yet
through. Before McCrea could aim
again she had slammed the door Of the
inner office, leaving him on the outside.
AS she did so, the rancher fired sec
ond shot, which shattered the glass and
went wild. There was silence; then
he fired third time. 1t was the best
aimed shot of the three. The bullet
entered the rancher's heart.
An ambulance took the dying man to
st. Luke's hospital. The father waited
around a few minutes, answering the
questions of the police, then hurried
to his sons bedside. He arrived there
Just before the younger man died.
ST don't know what was the matter
with him." said the father. Gle had
been drinking good deal lately, and !
don't suppose he was himself"