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Chilton Times - Chilton Times - Saturday - August 22, 1891 - p. 1 - c. 4 & 5
There has been no crime in Calumet County in years that caused so much excitement as the cold-blooded murder in the
Town of Harrison, four miles north of Stockbridge on Monday afternoon last. The news of the murder reached this
city and Sheriff Egerer started for the scene of the crime. The murderer had been arrested in the meantime by
Deputy Sheriff H.W. Schwobe of Stockbridge and was taken to this city. A Times reporter visited Hoersch in the
jail and found him to be morose and untalkative. When asked why he committed the crime, he said he knew nothing of
the shooting. He stated that his wife left him some four weeks ago and went to Kaukauna. He tried to persuade her
to come home but she refused. On Sunday he sent his boy to Kaukauna for his wife, he returned in the evening alone,
saying his mother would not come back. Monday morning he went to Sherwood and drank several glasses of beer and
procured a jug of whiskey. He stopped and talked with Koehn and Koehn walked with him to his home, where they
talked over the matter of his wife�s leaving home. Hoersch says, that he was full and don�t remember anything that
transpired after that until he woke up in jail in this city Tuesday morning. He claims that he had no quarrel with
Koehn. The only witness to the shooting was one of Hoersch�s sons who was pumping water near where the deed was
done. On Tuesday district attorney Reynolds, sheriff Egerer and Dr. Luce went to Harrison to attend the inquest
which was held before justice August Dorn. The verdict of the jury was that Koehn came to his death from a pistol
shot fired from the hands of Hoersch. The prisoner was taken before Squire Fox on Thursday morning, and an
adjournment taken until this (Saturday) morning at nine o�clock.
Another report of the murder is to the effect that there has long been existing between Hoersch and Koehn, a hard
feeling which has manifested itself whenever an opportunity was offered. The former party has also had more or less
family trouble and at time has been on very poor terms with his wife. For the last few weeks Mrs. Hoersch has been
visiting friends at Kaukauna. Monday Mr. Hoersch sent his son after her, but not being ready to come, the son was
compelled to return without her. This afforded Frank Koehn an excellent opportunity to make his neighbor angry,
which he lost no time doing. He stated that his wife had left him for good and made many other remarks calculated
to rouse Mr. Hoersch�s temper. Things soon became so unbearable that Mr. Hoersch, after threatening his neighbor,
drew a revolver and shot him through the heart, killing him instantly. As soon as he saw what he had done, the
murderer fled for his life.
Two Stockbridge boys, Walter Croak and Gabe Sampson were driving cattle by Koehn�s place just previous to the
shooting, and while taking of water at Koehn�s pump, saw the two men together talking. During the conversation
Hoersch said to Koehn, �I will shoot you and then shoot myself.�
The following communication was received from Sherwood under date of Aug. 17, giving a report of the tragedy that
has caused so much excitement: Anton Hoersch, a notoriously bad man, shot and instantly killed Frank Koehn, at the
corners called �Harrison,� about 5 o�clock this afternoon. Hoersch, who has lived in this vicinity for seven or
eight years, has been a terror to the community, and should have been put where he could do no harm long ago.
Scarcely a month has elapsed during his residence here that he has not brutally beaten his wife, or children, or
some of his animals. His wife has had him arrested and taken before Justice Dorn, who gave him a great deal of
friendly and good advice which had no effect on his temper. His family has usually taken refuge among the
neighbors, until his natural ugliness subsided. And a short time since he was determined to kill his wife, but she
succeeded in getting away from him and has remained with her relatives in another town ever since. Hoersch, who
lived in the Bast place, only separated from Mr. Koehn by the highway, got on one of his customary mad fits, and
began to abuse his children, who stay at home some of them calling on Mr. Koehn for assistance. The good friend and
neighbor stepped over there and sought to reason with the vicious Hoersch. The boys say that Koehn was telling
their father that if he would govern his temper and treat his family well, he might lead a happy life, that he had
a good home and enough to make them all comfortable and contented, if he would allow his wife and children to live
in peace. This so enraged Hoersch that he drew a revolver and shot Koehn, killing him instantly. The ball
penetrated the right suspender in front and doubtless passed through the body and entered the heart. A little son
of Mr. Koehn says he heard the body of his father strike the board walk when he fell. Great excitement prevails
and a great crowd of people have gathered around the tragic scene where the sight of Mrs. Koehn and little family
sitting beside the murdered husband and father, is heartrending. About three months ago her oldest child, an
unusually bright and promising girl of 14 years, and the hope and pride of her parents, was taken away by sickness,
and this sudden and violent death of her husband seems almost too much for reason to endure.
As were write, news comes that deputy sheriff Schwobe, of Stockbridge, captured Hoersch in the woods south of his
house on the opposite side of the road, secured him with hand cuffs and he is on his way to Chilton. The excitement
and indignation is so intense that had he been found by the neighbors who tracked him through his cornfield, it is
very doubtful if the villain would ever have seen our county seat. Mr. Koehn, who located here several years ago,
engaged in the grocery and saloon business, but afterwards gave up the saloon, saying that it was a bad business to
raise a family in and he was too peace loving a man to run such a place. He was a kind and obliging neighbor with
a host of friends and not a known enemy. His death, in any event, would have been a great loss and keenly felt by
all, and is now doubly so. His family have the sympathy of everyone, and if needed, it will be put in substantial
form by voluntary subscription. Hoersch formerly lived in Marshfield and engaged in the furniture business, but
his abuse to his family and general ugliness caused the people of that place to extend a forcible invitation to him
to go where there was more room, thereby saving themselves from the tragedy we now witness. He has always been a
vicious, unsocial, unneighborly crank, who, it is now hoped by all who know him, will be imprisoned for life. His
own children declared their hopes that he may never be released again, and well they may, for they have been
horribly beaten, and one little boy laid for three days in a stupid condition and suffered a long sickness in
consequence of his father�s abuse.
A Desperate Man
A Chilton dispatch says: The cause of the murder of Koehn, Monday night was the Hoersh was quarreling with his
children, and whipping them in a brutal manner, when one of the boys went overt Koehn�s grocery story, and summoned
him for assistance. Mr. Koehn went over to Hoersh�s place, and began talking to him in a quiet peaceable manner,
trying to get him quieted down, by telling him that he had everything to make his home pleasant and his family
happy. This enraged Hoersh so much that he threatened to shoot Koehn. Mr. Koehn tried to quiet him. This made
Hoersh so angry that he fired four shots at Koehn, one striking the left breast and going through the heart. Those
hearing the shooting rushed into the house to see what had happened, when they were terror-stricken to see the dead
body of Mr. Koehn lying on the floor. The murderer escaped, and hid in a cornfield. There he fired three shots
fro some unknown cause. He then strolled from the cornfield toward Stockbridge, and there was captured by Deputy
Sheriff Schwobe, and brought to Chilton. About a month ago his wife left him. After he shot Mr. Koehn he said he
was going to shoot his wife. He is now in the county jail there.
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