The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-01-20
Killing in X. M.
I C. A. in Flat River

Last Monday night in the Y. M, G.
A. building in Flat River, Thomas
Frothenham was shot and killed by
Menry McDourll, at about $50 O'Clock.
Death resulted almost instantaneous.
The causes leading up TO the killing,
it seems, was the outgrowth Of prac-
tical Jokes, in which the dead man
was more or less active. It appears
that such "jokes" had been carried TO
considerable extent, especially among
the roomers there, eliminating in
more or less hard feelings among
some of the participants and victims
Of the "jokes." Nj
Just why such things should have
been permitted to progress to such an
extent is not known. In fact there
have been number of reports Of
"carryings on" there for some time
past that indicates incompetent man
agement Of that institution, which
was built and has been in the main
supported by the great mining COM
panies in that field.
The inquest over the body of Thom-
as Frothenham was held by Coroner
Hill in Benham's undertaking parlors
in Bonne Terre Tuesday afternoon,
where the evidence there given ap-
peared to establish the following
facts:
Henry McDourll, who is charged
with the felonious killing, is a native
of St. Francois county, is 60 years
old, is about 1-2 feet high and
weighs about 130 pounds. F'rothen-
ham was about 80 years old; about 6
feet high, and weighed 215 pounds.
Each of them, together with others,
roomed at the Flat River "Y".
Monday evening, at about o'clock,
Frothenham became very angry and
enraged, because some one or more
of the roomers had, as he believed,
made complaints to T. C. Marsh, Sec
retary Of the "Y", concerning his,
Frothenhm's, conduct at the "Y', and
began to demand of his fellow-room-
ers that he be told who had Switched"
on him. Being unable to get this in
formation, he proceeded to attack
Prof. Ernest Seibert Ga teacher in
the Flat River schools) in the hall,
knocked Prof. Seibert down and drag
ged him into Prof. John Buford's
room, which was just across the hall
from the room Of Henry McDourll;
Prof Buford and others pulled Froth-
enham off Of Seibert, who rushed to
his own room further down the hall,
accompanied by Secretary Marsh and
Prof. <. ], Simms. Secretary Marsh
tried to quiet Frothenham, but he was
in an angry rage, and stated that
there was another man who chad to
Il apologize TO him or he would beat he'll
out of him." The tumult in the hall
and near the room Of McDourll had
awakened him (for he had retired and
was asleep) and he opened the door of
his room and asked Prof. Buford who
it was that was going to 'beat hell
out of him." and, at this time Froth-
enham rushed toward McDourll, and
as he came, with his hands clinched
and arms in a threatening position,
and as he did so, McDourll shot
Frothenham in the region of the
stomach, and in the mix-up, shot him
five times. Before Frothenham was
removed to the st. Joseph hospital at
Bonne Terre, he asked for McDourll
to come in his room, and when ne did
so, Frothenham confessed his wrong
and each forgave the other. The Cor
oner's jury found that Frothenham
came to his death by gun shot wound
inflicted by McDourll. The prelim-
mary hearing will be had before
Judge John l.. Cleveland at Flat River
on Saturday.