Gross, John 1852 - 1898

GROSS

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 12/27/2013 at 16:08:03

Elgin Echo, Thursday, 8 December 1898.

John Gross lives about 3 miles northeast of Decorah. His daughter Tillie intended to leave her home to accept a position. The evening of November 30, Mr. Gross told her that if she left home the whole family and himself would be dead in a short time. The next morning about 10 o'clock he called her upstairs into a bedroom and coaxed her to write a will for him, which she did, and at his request signed her share over to her mother. Then he began to strike her with a club and she cried for help. Her brother Fred ran upstairs and opened the door, but Mr. Gross rushed at him and he turned back and shot through the door with a 22 revolver. Then he went downstairs and ran out of doors, but heard the report of a gun and rushed back, finding his sister Tillie lying on the stairs, having been shot through the stomach and head by Mr. Gross. He had also broken the stock of the gun over her head and had secured his sons shotgun and shot himself in the head, blowing the top of his head off and scattering his brains about the room. Mrs. Gross saved her life by running into a field out of sight of her husband. Immediately a messenger was dispatched to Decorah and Sheriff Christen and Marshall's Mizener and Olsoen went out, finding the girl still alive and conscious, but her pulse was then beating very slowly and life was nearly extinct. They also found in the bedroom a kettle in which Mr. Gross had burned the will written by the girl before he shot himself.

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Submitter is not related.

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Added by Joy Moore Nov. 16, 1898

Source: Decorah Republican Dec. 1, 1898 P 1 C 4

MURDER & SUICIDE
J. J. Gross, living three miles from Decorah, horribly wounds his daughter and then kills himself.
He beat her with a club, shot her through the abdomen and broke the gun over her.
SHOOTS HIMSELF WITH ANOTHER GUN.
Son Attempts to Shoot the Father in Endeavoring to help His Sister, but fails.
One of the most Blood-curdling deeds Ever Perpetrated in the County.
We hope that never again will such a deed as was enacted on the Barthell farm, three miles northeast of town, yesterday morning, be recorded against the fair name of Winnesheik county.
John J. Gross, in a fit of temporary insanity, beat and shot his daughter Tillie, a girl about eighteen years old, inflicting wounds from which it seems impossible for her to recover. He then took another gun and blew the top of his own head off. The story of the affair as related to us by Sheriff Christen is as follows:
Gross has been subject to fits of insanity and during Tuesday night was up and about the house creating considerable disturbance. The daughter had threatened to leave because of inhuman treatment, and he had threatened to kill her if she did. In the morning he called her upstairs, apparently in the best of humor, and asked her to make her will. This she did to appease him, signing over the interest which he imagined she possessed in the farm to her mother.
Then trouble began in which he proceeded to beat her over the head with a club, inflicting ugly scalp wounds. She called to her brother to help her and the lad went upstairs with a revolver or rifle, firing two shots through the door, both of which went wide of their mark. After beating the girl Gross shot her through the abdomen with a gun and then broke the gun stock over her head.
Having done this he opened the door and was confronted by the son and his wife, but he drove them out of the house. A few minutes later another shot was heard. Returning to the house the mother and son found that Gross had taken another gun and blown the top of his head off. Blood and brains were scattered everywhere, presenting an awful sight.
Through all of this the girl had never lost consciousness, and after her father left the room she crawled out and into another room. The boy came to town at once and going to the court house told Sheriff Christen of his father’s deed. Coroner Gibson was also notified and went out to hold an inquest. Drs. Swezey and Barfoot were called to attend the girl, and did everything possible for her, but her condition is such that very little hope is entertained for her recovery.
Those who visited the house say they never saw such a horrible sight as there presented. Blood was scattered in every direction, and the mangled corpse of Gross lying on the floor was hideous to look at. Only the strong could view it without turning sick.
LATER—Miss Gross died last night between 12 and 1 o'clock.
Since the above was put in type we learn that the news of the affair was brought to town by neighbors, and not by young Gross.

Transcriber's Note: Find a Grave shows he was born Sept. 10, 1852 and is buried in Phelps Cemetery.

Phelps Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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