Will Sleezer Goes Insane

SLEEZER, JENKINS, MULVANEY, WOOD, WATSON, BUTTERFIELD, GATES, WHEELER

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 3/23/2006 at 16:48:50

Cherokee Democrat, July 3, 1895

JILTED BY HIS SWEETHEART

Wm. D. Sleezer Becomes Crazy and Tries to Kill his Brother

Cherokee Cor. Sioux City Journal: A desperate struggle ensued in Rock township between William D. Sleezer, a maniac, and J. Jenkins, Charles Mulvaney, of Rock township, and Wm. Mulvaney of Cherokee. William Sleezer, called at his brother’s home, Martin Sleezer, of Rock township, and began kicking and pounding the door, when his brother came to let him in he struck at him with a hoe, saying at the same time that he was going to kill him. The brother ran to the home of Jenkins, where horses were secured, and a wild race of four miles ensued before the maniac was overtaken. As his pursuers approached he drew a dagger and made a rush for Jenkins. Now came a struggle for the knife, which was secured after the party had received several slight cuts. The crazy man was brought to Cherokee. The unfortunate man was to have been married in a short time, but when he called on his sweetheart, a Cherokee girl, day before yesterday, she informed him that she had changed her mind and would not marry him. This preyed upon his mind until he lost his reason and became a raving maniac.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT

Aurelia Sentinel: Will Sleezer, a young man who has been making his home at Pomeroy and traveling in the interest of the Walter A. Wood company, came to Aurelia Thursday, last week, and hired a team of Watson & Butterfield to go into the county to do some work. He has a brother living in Rock township and he also intended visiting with him while out with the team, but told the liverymen he would return that night. Nothing was heard of him until Saturday when he telephoned that the team was all right and that he wished to keep them another day. That was the last heard of the team until Tuesday night and the owners began to get anxious. Early Wednesday morning they investigated the matter and found that the follow had gone violently insane and was in the jail at Cherokee, and team was found at Gates’ barn at that place. Mr. Sleezer was at Cherokee Monday night was told the liveryman upon leaving the barn that he was going to Aurelia, and talked very rational. He drove direct to his brother’s place in Rock township. Upon arrival he hitched his team to the fence, picked up a hoe which was lying in the yard, and went to the front door and almost kicked the door in. His brother opened the door and was at once attached with the hoe. The first time the insane man struck at him the hoe caught on the porch or it might have resulted fatally. The brother jumped inside of the house and closed the door. The crazy man then went out into the road, took off his coat ad started down the road as fast as he could run. The brother, after getting two men to assist him, took the team and started in pursuit which was a chase of over four miles before he was overtaken. He showed fight with a knife at being caught, but he was finally overpowered and taken to Cherokee, from which pace he was taken to the asylum at Independence by Deputy Sheriff Wheeler Wednesday. Tuesday the sheriff of Calhoun county was here with a warrant for the arrest of Sleezer for forgery. It seems he had forged a check on one of the banks at Pomeroy. Sleezer was to have been married to a lady at Cherokee Tuesday, but the prospective bride had heard of the crooked business, through friends at Pomeroy, it is said, and broke the match. This together with the forgery is supposed to be the cause of the follow going insane. After his capture the crazy man’s arms were tied, and even them it took three men to hold him. The poor fellow chewed his tongue until it was raw, and bit his fingers until they bled. Mr. Butterfield went over to Cherokee and brought the team home Wednesday.