The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-12-30
YOUTH ORDERED
OFFLAND SHOOTS
Mankato Student Hunter
Declares He Fired in
Self-defense
SHOT In THE AIR FIRST
Admitted Slayer Confesses;
His Companion Held by
the Police

Mankato, Dec. 27-Two farm
ers, father and son, were killed
by a Mankato high school boy near
here this afternoon when the farm
ers ordered the boy and a party
of squirrel hunters from their land.
Frank Jacobe, "a years old,
died instantly from three bullets.
Henry Jacobe, his father, died to-
night in a hospital here from a bull
let wound.
Harry Fleming, II years old,
admitted the shooting, claiming he
shot in self-defense. He is held by
Mankato police.
Fleming was accompanied on
the vacation squirrel hunting par
ty by Walter Clement, Margaret
Henlein, 18 years old, and Helen
Morris, 16, all high school students
here.
They were resting at a fire they
had built near tree late in the
afternoon after tramping through
the woods, when the Jacobes ap-
peared, according to their story.
"Get off this land" was their
command to the party.
The two boys shot into the air
to scare them off," according to
their version told tonight to Frank
+. Morse, county attorney.
Coming closer, Fleming de-
clared the Jacobes swore at them.
With that, Fleming, sergeant in
the National Guard, shot at them
with a .45 Army revolver he was
carrying, they left the scene with
the other members of his party.
Nick Jacobe, brother of Frank
attracted by the shooting ran to
the scene of the firing. He fol-
lowed tracks of the party, he said.
Seeing him, the quartet stopped.
Taking them in charge, he stopped
car driven by Darwin Lobdell
OF Mankato and brought the party
here where they were taken into
custody by police.
Fleming and Clement are being
held in Jail here without charge
pending a coroner's inquest which
Will be conducted at 4 P. M. Tues
day.
To support his contention tina
ne shot in self-defense, Fleming
declared the two farmers advanc-
ed in threatening manner.
Asserting he had heard that the
Jacobes had reputation for be-
ing "hard" with people who tres
passed on their farm, he became
afraid when the pair continued
moving forward toward them af-
ter the warning shots
From the position at the camp
fire on a small hill, Fleming shot
down at the pair, who were un-
armed, police said tonight.
Frank Jacobe, the younger, fell
dead instantly from three bullets,
one entering his breast and NOV
ing downwards. The father, Hen
ry Jacobe, also was shot in the
breast, the single bullet causing
his death, lodging in the right
side. He was brought to a hospit-
al here soon after from his farm
near Lincolnville, village near
here. He died a few hours later.
Before dying at $3.50 P. M. to-
day, the elder Jacobe identified
Fleming as the person who shot
him, according to Coroner G. A.
Dahl of Blue Earth county.
Jacobe also narrated briefly the
events leading up to the shooting,
agreeing substantially with the
version given by Fleming and his
party.
Delay of the inquest until Tues
day was necessary, the coroner ex-
planned, because of court engage
ments of Mr.. Morse, the county at
torney.,
1t was an innocent picnic hunt
that the group had started about
noon which ended in tragedy, Gle
ment related tonight.
It had been their intention to
shoot squirrels and rabbits, have a
fire and lunch, and then return
home with the coming of sunset.
For Margaret Henlien, who be-
fore today, had known neither of
the youths except as fellow stu
dents, the days party was 'sblind
date.
1t was about a P. M. when the
members of the party agreed they
were tired after tramping over
hills, through brush, and scaling
fences.
They found a high location on
the Jacobe land, found wood and
built fire. 1t was this fire which
the Jacobes noticed and which sent
them to the hunters to demonstrate
against the trespass. ).
Fleming, who. is not large, said
he became afraid of the farmers
when they approached. Then he
fired, he added. After both Jacobes
had dropped, the girls became
frightened. His first thought then
was to get them away, he said.