BRUNEY, John F.

BRUNEY, PERKS, MANCHESTER, LEEPER, KENDALL, BARRY, JOHNSON, STEWART, WAILES, ROGERS, HOWELL, REED, MCKERN, SEARS, FULTON, NAYLOR, UMPHRESS, HINDS, DOBBS, HARTMAN, VANSANT

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/10/2015 at 05:09:03

Leon Journal-Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, January 16, 1931

Double Murder – Suicide
(Obituary of John F. BRUNEY)

Three local people, MORT PERKS, 30, his wife, 24, and her step-father, JOHN BRUNEY, 64, are dead as the result of one of the most terrible tragedies that has occurred in the section of the state in many years. MORT PERKS first shot BRUNEY, next he ended the life of his wife, and then turned the gun upon himself. All of them apparently had died instantly.

Martial difficulties leading to a quarrel at the BRUNEY home on the evening of Jan. 3, led to the arrest of MORT PERKS who was giving a six day county jail sentence. Apparently has had brooded upon his family affairs during his imprisonment. He was released from jail last Sunday afternoon about 1:30 o’clock after completing his sentence. Some time after six o’clock that evening he went to the BRUNEY home and asked for his clothes. A bundle was given him and he went away. In about five minutes he returned an asked for his axe, Mr. BRUNEY went to the tool house north of the residence and secured PERK’s axe and set it outside the fence on the west of the house next to the road. As he came around the house apparently expecting to enter the house on the east PERKS met him, and Mrs. BRUNEY and Mrs. PERKS and little daughter inside the house, heard a shot fired. They extinguished the light and fastened the door. PERKS came to the rear door and demanded admittance. He then came around to the front of the house and as he forced in the door Mrs. BRUNEY ran north toward the MANCHESTER home for help. PERKS grabbed Mrs. PERKS and pulled her out into the yard. DARLENE, the six year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. PERKS, was the only witness to the tragedy. She testified that she saw her father fire the shot from his gun, .410 gauge shot gun, that ended her mother’s life. She then saw PERKS fire a shot into his own head that killed him instantly. He did not have the gun in his hands when he first came to the house evidently having left it near.

It was about seven o’clock Sunday evening when Sheriff LEEPER was called frantically over the telephone by Mrs. BRUNEY who had reached the MANCHESTER home, informing him that Mr. BRUNEY had been shot and that she did not know what else had happened. Sheriff LEEPER and his deputy, FRANK KENDALL, hurried to the BRUNEY home at once. They saw the house was in darkness so they went around the house on the south to the east door and knocked. They received no response. No light was burning only a flicker of the fire from the hearth of the kitchen stove. They found a lamp which they lighted and the proceeded to go through the house. They found no one. Then they found the body of BRUNEY lying almost north of the house with his head to the east. They found that he was dead. Just a few feet away slightly to the northwest they came upon the body of MORT PERKS, his head to the north and west. Out near the fence west and north of the house they found the body of Mrs. PERKS lying with her head to the south. Within a few minutes ANDREW BARRY and ALVIN JOHNSON arrived and soon others were at the scene of the crime including the Journal-Reporter representative.

More lights were obtained and a hasty examination showed that all three were dead, BRUNEY having been shot through the heart, Mrs. PERKS in the side of the head and MORT PERKS had shot away the top of his head.

The FRANK S. STEWART ambulance was summoned and the bodies taken to the Stewart funeral home after the officials had completed a hasty examination.

The coroner’s inquest slated for ten o’clock Monday morning was not held at that time when it was found that Dr. J. W. WAILES, recently elected coroner, had not been qualified owing to the fact that his bond had not arrived. Dr. M. W. ROGERS, retiring coroner, was not able to serve because his bond had expired. Later in the afternoon Justice W. F. HOWELL was called to act as coroner in the case and the inquest was held. A jury composed of W. A. REED, BERT MCKERN and S. W. SEARS was empaneled and the evidence of a number of witnesses taken, including Mrs. BRUNEY, who escaped from the BRUENY home. DARLENE, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. MORT PERKS, MILTON MANCHESTER, ALF FULTON, CHARLES MANCHESTER, Sheriff LEEPER, Deputy KENDAL, RED NAYLOR, SI PERKS, Dr. WAILES and Dr. ROGERS.

DARLENE, the daughter of the slain couple, gave her evidence bravely. Her testimony in substance stated that her father came to the house and asked for his clothes and a few minutes later asked for his axe. She said her grandfather left the house and went to the barn for the axe and while he was out all heard a shot and her grandfather did not come back. It was not long, she continued, until her father came to the back door and tried to get in but the door had been fastened after her grandfather had left then her father went around to the front of the house and tried to get in that way. Her mother (Mrs. PERKS) ran to the front door to be sure it was locked so that her father could not get in. She then told how her grandmother, Mrs. BRUNEY, had blown out the light so that no one could see through the window to sight a gun. Her mother and her father were scuffling at the front door and she heard her mother plead with her father not to kill her mother, Mrs. BRUNEY. While they were scuffling Mrs. BRUNEY ran out the back door and down the tracks. PERKS saw Mrs. BRUNEY getting away but his wife held him and the grandmother got away. DARLENE said that her father got her mother by the arm and pulled her out on the porch. The little girl said that her mother broke loose and started to run and then she said her father loaded the gun and shot her mother. He came back and told the child to run on home (meaning his home) and not to cry. But she said she was frightened and did not go and last of all she saw her father raise the gun and shoot himself. She called for her grandmother, but she did not come and the then ran down the dark road north to the ALF FULTON home a quarter of a mile away.

The coroner’s verdict returned after the inquest stated:

That JOHN BRUNEY was murdered by MORT PERKS by means of a .410 gauge shot gun which was discharged into his body. That Mrs. GRACE PERKS was murdered by MORT PERKS by a .410 guage shot gun. That MORT PERKS came to his death at his own hands, committing suicide by discharging the same gun, a .410 guage weapon , into his own head.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday morning at the Stewart funeral home for Mrs. PERKS and Mr. BRUNEY. The body of Mrs. PERKS was taken to Sioux City for burial and the body of Mr. BRUNEY was taken to Des Moines for interment [at Glendale Cemetery].

The funeral of MORT PERKS was held at the funeral home that same afternoon and burial followed in Leon cemetery. Rev. GEORGE LAMB conducted all of the services.

It is a most deplorable affair and the families have the sympathy of all.

NOTES From Umphress Scrapbook: John F. Bruney was born October 3, 1866, in Switzerland, and came to America at the age of twelve years with his parents, settling in Nodaway IA. On April 1, 1899, he married Mrs. Polly Ann (Evans) Hinds at Cresent IA. Polly Ann preceeded him in death August 23, 1913, Des Moines IA. He farmed near Leon and met Mrs. Martha Umphress whom he married. He left, besides his wife Martha, four step-children from his first marriage, Orval Lester Hinds, Mrs. Ella Anna Hartmand and Everett Ernest Hinds, of Des Moines, and Mrs. Harriet B. Dobbs of Hollywood CA. He was interred at Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines, beside his first wife, Polly Ann.

Grace Lucille (Umphress) Perks was born December 31, 1906, the daughter of William R. & Martha E. (VanSant) Umphress, and died January 11, 1931. She married Mort Perks in April of 1923. She left a daughter, Eula "Darlene"; her father; her mother; two sisters, Mrs. Bertha Green of Glendale CA and Mrs. Bertha Glenn of Sioux City IA; and a brother, Harry VanSant Umphress of Burlington IA.

William Morton "Mort" Perks' obituary appears on this website, see "P" obituaries.

Leon Journal-Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, January 16, 1931

JOHN F. BRUNEY was born in Thunn, Switzerland, October 3, 1866, and departed this life January 11, 1931, at the age of 64 years, 4 months and 8 days. At the age of 12 years he came with some friends to the United States where every opportunity seemed so golden to his parents. They made their home near Nodaway, Iowa.

He was united in marriage to Mrs. POLLY ANN EVANS HINDS on April 1, 1899, at Creston, Iowa.

In 1911, he with his wife and two step-children, went to Switzerland, thus fulfilling a longing he had since his childhood. Mrs. BUNEY preceded him in death on August 24, 1913, at Des Moines, Iowa. he then engaged in farming near Leon, Iowa, where he met and married Mrs. MARTHA UMPHRESS some years later. Mr. BRUNEY became a citizen of the United States of which he was very proud. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, and while in Nodaway, Iowa, he became a member of the I.O.O.F. order, which membership he dropped after coming to Decatur county.

He leaves to mourn his tragic going, his wife, Mrs. MARTHA BRUNEY, and four step-children by his first marriage, namely, ORVAL HINDS, Mrs. ELLA HARTMAN and EVERETT HINDS of Des Moines, Iowa, and Mrs. HARRIET DOBBS of Hollywood, Calif., and a host of other relatives and friends.

To know Mr. BRUNEY was to love him and want to be his friend.

Funeral services were held at the Stewart funeral home January 13, conducted by Mr. GEO. R. LAMB, pastor of the Pentecostal church. interment was made in the Glendale cemetery at Des Moines, Iowa, beside the mother of his four step-children.

Transcription and submission by Sara Rose Joan LeFleur