The Carthage Republican
Carthage, Illinois
Wednesday
May 18, 1932
Pages 1 & 8Shooting Tragedy Ends
Lives of Two Prominent
People at Middle CreekFred Gillenwater Shot Miss
Ella Cox and Later Took
Own Life Late Sunday.Middle Creek community in Carthage township was the scene Sunday night of a double tragedy which will go down in the history of the county as the most shocking and pathetic on record.
Miss Ella Cox, 56, was shot from ambush while taking care of her chickens Sunday evening about seven o'clock, and died later at St. Joseph's hospital in Keokuk. She named no one in her dying statement, but suspicion rested on her rejected suitor, Fred Gillenwater, and when Sheriff Mosley was on the road to locate Gillenwater Monday morning, Fred’s neighbors apprised the sheriff, that Gillenwater had been found, a suicide.
Leaves Note.
A note was found lying beside Gillenwater's body that declared his intention to shoot Miss Cox, and gave directions for his own funeral.
The Story of a Faithful Love.
Miss Ella Cox was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Cox and was born and reared in the locality where the tragic scene was enacted.
In her girlhood she knew and loved Ed Larson of the Colchester neighborhood. Ed went west and was located at Yellowstone Park as a Federal employee. The marriage of Ed and Ella was deferred from time to time, because she was unable to leave her aged parents to go so far from home, and Ed could not relinquish his work to return to a Middle Creek farm.
As years enfeebled the venerable father, it was thought best to have a man to look after the chores. Fred Gillenwater was employed and took up his residence in the Cox home. Fred honored Ella with his love and wished her to marry him, but true to her girlhood love she refused his persistent proposals.
After the death of her father, plans for the long deferred marriage with Larson were perfected, and the wedding was set for this fall. Ella so informed Gillenwater. Fred stricken with unrequitted love, left the Cox home and employment and went to live with his sister, Mrs. Ralph Johnson. He brooded over his unhappiness, talked to different people about it, and to a few he talked menaceingly of killing Ella so "no other man could have her."
To the knowledge of the Cox's Fred had not been on the place since he left in anger.
Shot From Ambush.
Sunday night between 7:00 and 7:30 Ella went out to take care of her chickens. She was about ten or fifteen feet from the hen house adjusting a watering pan when the discharge of shot from a gun struck her in the abdomen. She screamed to her mother that she had been shot, but walked to the house and to the telephone, called Dr. Sheets of Carthage and some neighbors, and then called to her mother to bring some bedding to the dooryard, went outside where the blood from her wound would not stain the floor.
Dr. Sheets found her condition desperate. Sheriff Mosley got there about the time the doctor did, and she talked to them and told them just what happened. She blamed no one, but said while she did not see who fired the gun, she thought it was one who was jealous of her.
She was taken to St. Joseph's hospital where she died a little after midnight on the operating table while the surgeons were attempting to save her.
Gillenwater Walks Through the Night.
Fred Gillenwater, who by his own written confession, had fatally wounded the woman he loved, started to his old home place, five miles distance, alone on foot, carrying his gun. A rain came on, but unmindful of its downpour, he plodded on over the slippery roads, stumbling over the ruts, struggling through the brambles and brush until he came to the old Gillenwater home now unoccupied, and the tracks he left in the rain-soaked earth showed his desperate restlessness and finally led to the smoke house which he chose in which to end the misery of his heart.
Setting his gun with the muzzle directed at his heart, he used a stick to work the trigger. Seeing that his note of confession and funeral instructions, were beside him in plain sight, like poor Hamlet, unable to face the sea of troubles, cast his all on the mercies of God and fared forth to meet his Maker.
Monday morning early C. W. Johnson and his nephew, Steve Johnson, were building fence on the old Gillenwater place. Curtis went to the smoke house where the small tools were kept to get some tools, and there discovered the body of Gillenwater. He called his nephew who took a look and then went for help.
Coroner's Inquest.
The body of Miss Cox was brought
(please turn to page eight)
Middle Creek
Folk Dead In
Tragic Affair(continued from page one)
to Hearne's Undertaking Establishment for preparation. No inquest was necessary.
The body of Fred Gillenwater was also brought to this establishment where the inquest was conducted by Dr. Frazee. The jury was comprised of M. R. Mosley, Ray Mosley, D. F. Mabry, W. C. Strong and R. C. Galloway who rendered a verdict of death from gunshot wound self-inflicted.
Both Well Known.
Both the parties to this tragedy are well known. Ella Cox was the daughter of the late Floyd Cox, who died March 18, 1931. She was born April 11, 1875. She is survived by her mother aged 82, and her sister, Mrs. Krueger and Mrs. Krueger’s sons and daughters, to whom Ella was devotedly fond.
She acted as the correspondent for The Carthage Republican from Middle Creek, signing her letters, "Sunbeam." for many years and was valued and faithful to this work for her community and to this paper which hereby acknowledges a great appreciation of her faithful service and mourns the loss of her able pen.
The shock and loss to her family cannot be measured. They have the sincere sympathy of the whole community.
The funeral will be held at the Primitive Baptist church near Middle Creek at 11:00 o'clock, this Wednesday, Elder Webb to officiate. Interment in Moss Ridge.
Fred Gillenwater was the son of Dave Gillenwater. He has never been rugged, and had a tendancy to tuberculosis. He was well and favorably known, was a quiet and inoffensive citizen and no one dreamed that he would play such a role in a tragedy of this kind. He is survived by two brothers, Jesse and Everett, and two sisters, Mrs. Ralph Johnson of Oak Grove and Mrs. John L. Cludary of Plymouth.
The funeral will be held at Oak Grove church this Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 with the Rev. H. C. Reichel of Carthage, to officiate. Interment in Oak Grove.
The Carthage Republican
Carthage, Illinois
Wednesday
May 25, 1932
Pages 4
Columns 4 & 5W. B. F. GILLENWATER.
The funeral of Fred Gillenwater, who committed suicide after fatally wounding Miss Ella Cox last Sunday night, was held at Oak Grove church Wednesday.
A great company was present to bear testimony of the friendship and esteem in which the family of this unhappy man and he himself was held.
Rev. H. C. Reichel preached a powerful sermon from the text "Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way"
The burial was at Oak Grove, among the graves of the happy dead of that neighborhood, who no doubt have received this child of the community with tender commiseration for the heart anguish that was his undoing.
Great sympathy is felt for this stricken family, who are bearing the double burden, of a great bereavement, and an anguish of regret for an act for which they were in no wise responsible.
May the memory of this gentle, amiable friendly unselfish lad of their hearts dwell with them, and heal the bruise that the present tragedy has dealt.
William B. Frederick, youngest son of David and Sarah Riggens Gillenwater, was born Jan. 1, 1875, and passed away May 16, 1932, being at the time of his death, 57 years, 4 months and 16 days.
Fred, as he was familiarly known, was a kind neighbor, a true friend, and a great lover of children. He was always ready to visit the sick and lend a helping hand. He will be sadly missed in the community in which he spent his entire life.
He leaves to mourn his departure two brothers, Jesse of this place and Everett of Ewing, Mo., also two sisters, Mrs. Ralph Johnson of this vicinity, and Mrs. Leslie Cludary of Plymouth, Ill. His father and mother, one brother, Manford, and a sister, Belle, preceded him in death.
May our Father in heaven comfort the sorrowing noes in their sad bereavement.
"If any little word of mine
May make a life the brighter;
If any little song of mine
May make a heart the lighter,
God help me speak the little word,
And take my bit of singing,
And drop it in some lonely vale
To set the echoes ringing.If any little love of mine
May make a life the sweeter;
If any little care of mine
May make a friend's the fleeter;
If any little lift may ease
The burden of another,
God give me love and care and
strength
To help my toiling brother."
