CRANDALL, Fred 1885-1933

CRANDALL

Posted By: Diane M Scott (email)
Date: 8/3/2012 at 10:35:01

Fred Crandall – September 10, 1885 – January 17, 1933

#1

FRED CRANDALL SHOT TO DEATH BY BROTHER WILL
QUARRELED OVER GOODS WORTH LESS THAN TWENTY DOLLARS – CLAIMS SHOT FIRED IN SELF DEFENSE.

Fred Crandall is dead and his brother Will R. Crandall is in jail at Charles City, charged with murder in the first degree, because of a quarrel over the possession of a wagon, six pigs and a calf, at the Joe Hecht farm, about eight miles west of Nashua, last Saturday morning. The killing was witnessed by George Crandall, a third brother.

The Crandall family were former residents of Nashua, living on what is now known as the Fred Moine place at the west edge of town.
Details of the crime as related to the authorities at Charles City are as follows:
William Crandall, who had been sold out as a tenant on the frm under landlord’s lien, fatally wounded his brother, Fred, of Charles City, with the charge fom a 12 gauge shotgun when the latter defied order to leave the place.

Fred died shortly after arrival of officers and a physician, called by William, who was obliged to walk three-quarters of a mile to a telephone. The full charge had entered his left breast, from a distance of eight or ten feet.

Fred Crandall and his brother, George, a partner with William in operation of the farm until a short time ago, had informed the landlord, Joe Hecht, that William had hidden six pigs, a calf and a wagon before the sale of his equipment to satisfy claims for rent. Hecht, on their representation that George was penniless had orally given them the wagon and stock and they went to the farm to claim it, officers said after investigation.
The wagon had been fastened to the rear of Fred Crandall’s automobile, when William came from the house across the road and ordered the two brothers to untie the wagon and leave the premises. According to William’s story to officers, Fred jumped from the automobile and cried at him to shoot. He said he instinctively pulled the trigger without meaning to injure his brother.

Charge of murder in the first degree was placed against William Crandall Saturday afternoon by Sheriff Bernard Atherton in justice court of John McGeeney in Charles City. Crandall is in custody in the county jail.

In a statement taken in the jail late Saturday by the sheriff, county attorney and a court reporter, William Crandall declared he fired in self-defense.
He said that when Fred came to the farm to take the property, he, William, went out to warn him off the place. He took his shotgun with him because he was afraid of Fred, William declared.
The statement went on to say that Fred advanced toward William, the latter backing away until Fred was nearly up to him, then William fired to avoid an imminent assault by Fred.
Saturday night William had not yet obtained an attorney.

Fred Crandall, who was 47 years old, had been residing in Charles City the last few years.

He is survived by his widow and several children. It is reported to officers that had feeling between the brothers began some weeks ago, when Fred asked William to allow Fred’s family to live with him on the farm and William refused. Fred Crandall had been employed in Waterloo recently.

Private funeral services were to be conducted Tuesday afternoon at the Hauser Funeral Home, with burial in the Greenwood Cemetery at Nashua, where parents of the men are buried.
Officers learned that William Ccrandall had permission from Hecht to occupy the farm rent free until March 1st.

Nashua Reporter, Wednesday January 11, 1933

#2

AVERS WILL CRANDALL TO BLAME FOR ALL TROUBLE WIFE AND BROTHER OF MURDERED MAN MAKE STATEMENT TO REPRESENTATIVE OF PRESS

In a lengthy statement to a Charles City Press representative Mrs. Fred Crandall, wife of the man slain by his brother, Will, recently and who is now serving an eight year sentence at Ft. Madison, gives her side of the story as related to the trouble within the family. The statement which would take several columns, is too long for publication but in it she avers, that Will, the man who shot his brother and her husband, was to blame for all the trouble.

She claims that Will took advantage of his brother George, at every opportunity and that Fred was forced to stand up for him. She also claims that the father, A. B. Crandall, who died in 1923, could not get along with Will and only took him on the farm when he lost his job in Charles City in order to take care of his family. She says Fred worked for Will several times but never received his pay in full, that George, who worked on the farm with will, did not receive enough to buy clothes and that he worked at ice cutting for this money.

Mrs. Fred Crandall in her statement say that when Fred and she returned from Tennessee it was not with the purpose of moving in on Will as Will had claimed but that they merely came out to see him.

She then tells about Will keeping out six pigs, a calf, a wagon and 100 bushels of oats from dissolution sale and the order given by the landlord to George to get them for his share.

A statement by George, who was present at the slaying follows;
“Fred was never mad on that fatal day, and Will did not back away from Fred, he met him with the gun directly, or he met the car just after Fred and George drove into the gate in the yard and after Fred had driven the car with the wagon attached to it up near the house. He told George he would get out and talk to Will and got out of the car and walked toward Will who deliberately took aim and fired point blank at Fred. After killing him he then went across to the neighbor’s phone and called the doctor and the sheriff’s office telling them that there had been a terrible automobile accident out at his place.

“In June 1932 Fred and Will were in the barn at Will’s place and he and Fred were talking about the way matters were and Will told him that if he ever undertook to sell anything there he would shoot him, and in a recent letter since the tragedy a sister states that Will’s temper was very ungovernable at times and that she was very sorry under conditions that my family ever moved where they would be close to Will as he was very hard to get along with.”

Nashua Reporter, Wednesday January 25, 1933

#3

WWI Draft Registration: September 12, 1918

Fred Crandal 33, living at 926 Nash AVe Se, MInneapolis, Minnesots; born September 10, 1885; Assembler Emerson Broughin Co; nearest relatibe A. b. Crandall, Charles City, Iowa; short, stout, blue eyes, brown hair