Gunnar Overland (1892-1941)

OVERLAND

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 10/2/2016 at 20:25:34

From Nevada Evening Journal October 21, 1941 (front page and page 1)

Front page headline is:

Sheriff McGriff Slain, Deputy Wounded

Charles V. McGriff, 59, popular sheriff of Story county, is dead to day, victim of a shot from a gun in the hands of Gunnar Overland, 50, crazed shell-shocked World War veteran, in a gun battle in the Overland farm house four miles south of Ames Monday night at about 8 o'clock.

Overland, recently escaped from the insane ward at the veterans' hospital at Knoxville, died a moment later when his body was riddled with bullets from the guns of the wounded sheriff, his deputy, Harry Mills, Officer Orvhille Erickson of the Ames police force, and possibly other members of the officer's posse.

Deputy Sheriff Harry Mills is at Mary Greeley hospital at Ames, with a gunshot wound in the calf of his right leg, but it is believed not to be a serious wound.

Complaines had come from the family that Overland, who had escaped from the hospital where he had been a mental patient, the middle of last week, was at home, armed and had been terrorizing the family, threatening to kill any officer who attempted to take him.

Late Monday afternoon, Sheriff McGriff began to lay plans for the capture of the crazed man and returning him to the confinement of the hospital.

Leaving word here for Deputy Mills and City Marshal Dickinson to be on hand at an appointed time, he drove to Ames and arranged with Chief "Bill" Cure for a party of officers to be at the Overland home at 8 o'clock for the purpose of taking the man "if possible without trouble."

It was realized that the man was desperate and has a mania for guns. Several times he had been confined to state institutions either as a mental or inebriate patient and invariably had made his escape and had violently resisted arrest.

The posse consisting of eight men, including the sheriff, Deputy Harry Mills, Chief of Police Cure of the Ames department, Orville Erickson, Lester Donelson, E. M. Jones, also of the Ames police department, G. B. Swicher of the public safety department in Des Moines and Art Johnson, newspaper reporter.

The sheriff had outlined his plans to the members of the posse, indicating where each man should be indicating where each man should be stationed to guard the various exits from the house, as McGriff, Mills and Officer Erickson were to enter the house at a pre-arranged signal from Overland's wife. Loaded into two automobiles, the posse drove down Highway 69 to a large white farmhouse which stands off the highway to the east on a side road.

Arriving, the sheriff was advised by Marie, 18-year-old daughter of Overland, that the father was in the house, armed and sullenly dictating a letter to his wife, who was thus unable to leave the house.

After the men stationed themselves as had been planned, with Officer Donelson at the window of the room in which Overland was lying on a davenport, where he was to jim his gun through the window pane to distract the attention of the man, as the others opened the door to the kitchen.

In relating the story, Chief Cure of Ames said:

"We all walked across the yard together, and stopped at the front steps.

"I had warned the sheriff that we had better drive Overland out with tear gas. When I asked if he had it ready, he said, 'Yes.'

"I slipped up to a corner of the house and saw Overland lying on a couch, reading something. Donelson and Jones were spreading into position beside me. The sheriff, Mills and Erickson walked upon the back porch. Swisher was behind them.

"Soon I heard some glass breaking, and I thought it was McGriff throwing in a tear gas bomb. But it wasn't, and the shooting started."

Swisher said later that the plan was for Donelson at the window to break a window and "cover" the three officers who were to go into the house.

However, the sheriff had given strict orders for no one to shoot "unless you have to." He wanted to protect Mrs. Overland and her daughter, Marie, who were cooperating with the officers.

Deputy Sheriff Mills, at the hospital this morning, where he was resting easily after the bullet had been removed and his wound dressed, related the story of the happenings after he, with McGriff and Erickson entered the house.

"The sheriff expected Mrs. Overland to open the door, but she didn't. So the sheriff opened it and we all three stepped in. The sheriff knew Overland and thought he could take him without any trouble.

"Overland jumped from his cot and it a crouching position drew his gun. I made a dive for him and he shot twice, one practically grazing my cheek and as I wrestled with him he shoved the gun down, and on bullet wnet into my leg. He then jerked away and dodged into a nearby darkened room and from that vantage point he shot "Mac" and sent the fifth of the six gun loads in his 38-calibre gun toward the sheriff, as he crumpled down under the fusilade of shots from our guns.

The sheriff had managed to empty his gun before collapsing and Erickson had fired several shots.

The wounded deputy continued, "I've never heard the like of it. The room was pretty dark and you could see the guns spit fire for two or three feet. And I could feel it against my cheeks.

"All of a sudden, I felt a pain in my leg. By that time, Overland was on the floor dead. The sheriff took a step or two and said, "He's got me, Harry."

"I said, 'He got me too.' By that time the sheriff was swaying. Erickson took hold of him and helped him sink into a chair. He looked me right straight in the eye for just a second. Then he was dead."

Erickson gave a similar version.

The sheriff was shot in the chest. The bullet ranged toward the heart and emerged through his side. A second slug nicked his side.

A mortician said Overland was shot "at least six times, in the face, chest and arm."

"Blood was pouring from Mills' leg in a steady stream." said Swisher. "I took my tie off and applied a tourniquet to stop the flow."

The bodies of the two men were retained at the Overland home for two hours, awaiting Coroner Guy Mills. After he had viewed them, both were taken to the Adams mortuary in Ames.

In the meantime, the wounded deputy Mills had been hurried to Mary Greeley hospital in Ames, where he was given surgical attention, the bullet extracted and the wound dressed.

Overland, who came to this country in 1915, had held the Norwegian ski jumping (distance) championship in 1913.

After the World War, he was observed constantly for shell-shock. Six years ago, he was adjudged insane and committed to the Mt. Pleasant hospital. Four times he escaped and each time was returned.

Overland was a former Ames contractor and for some time operated a tourist court and golf course on the east side of Highway 69 on a rolling piece of land on his farm.

Surviving Overland besides the widow and Marie, about 18, are the other daughters, Gladys and Karine, and two sons, Ormand and Gunnar, Jr.

Also surviving are a brother, Ole Overland of Huxley and a sister, Mrs. Ed Erickson of Marshalltown.

McGriff had been Story county sheriff since 1937. Born in Trenton, Mo., he was sheriff of Dallas county, Iowa, from 1917 to 1919. he was active in the American Legion.

Before being elected sheriff, McGriff operated a barber shop in Ames, but moved to Nevada after being elected.

The sheriff was of medium height and stocky weighing in the neighborhood of 200 pounds. He was an avid follower of high school athletics, a member of the Elks and the Masons.

Although born in Missouri, he moved to Iowa with his parents when still a boy and was graduated from the Redfield high school. He was a barber there before coming to Ames.

During the World War he served as chairman of the Dallas county draft board. He also had been a member of the city council at Adel.

Surviving are a wife and four children, Vernon McGriff of Boone; Howard McGriff, Ames gas company employee; Harry McGriff of Chicago and Mrs. Ethel McKee of Bozeman, Mont.