Longwood Township

Clark County, Wisconsin

Follow the River.......

Historical Recollections by Lula Mae Stewart

Contributed by the Greenwood Public Library, Transcribed by Janet Schwarze

 

After the firing was almost over the other two boys stayed in the house refusing to surrender. They made their way from the Krueger place that night under the cover of darkness. While some on the other side sought to force, them out into the open, where they thought they might be hiding by burning the barn. Leslie was captured in Minnesota, and Ennis came to his death as a volley of gunfire probed a haystack in which he had crawled for refuge. As a sidelight the suspicion at the time was that the death of the depot agent Harry Jensen might not have been accidental, because earlier in the summer the Kruegers had ordered a quantity of high powered ammunition and a large revolver. This shipment reached the depot in July and someone call- ed Jensen's attention to the ammunition label on the box. Jensen contacted the Sheriff at Neillsville, and he went to the depot in Withee and confiscated the ammunition and the revolver. The suspicion was that the Kruegers might of sought revenge for having their supplies confiscated. A powerful set of field glasses were in the house at the time of the war and they could have shot him deliberately.

The Krueger war was the topic of conversation through out Clark County for many months after it took place. Where ever two or more people gathered that was the focal point of conversation. In the days following the war people came from miles around and put up picnic lunches and made trips to the Krueger farm to see the bullet holes in the north side of the house and in the walls inside. Because of the intense interest, attorneys for the Kruegers filed a petition for a change of venue expressing the conviction that their clients could not get a fair trial in Clark County. They presented many affidavits from the residents of the County supporting their contentions, But the prosecution countered with many more petitions in which the conviction stated that they could get justice here. Altogether there were about twenty affidavits for a change of venue and fifty f our against it. Witnesses were excluded from the courtroom during the early part of the trial, but later that order was rescinded and the trial was thrown open for all who cared to bear.

On April 8, 1919 a circuit court convicted Leslie and Frank of murder, but Mrs. Krueger was acquitted on that charge. The two boys spent 13 years in prison, then they were paroled by Governor Schmedeman. After their parole the Kruegers returned to their farm, but they remained much to themselves. The house in which two couples lived while they were away was left unkempt. A roof was thrown over the foundation of the barn which remained after the barn was destroyed by fire that fateful night. The, barn wall is still there. Louis Krueger last of the Krueger brothers died in a car mishap. near Thorp. He was 72 years of age.

This is the end of the Krueger story... what a terrible tragedy. I was about four and one half years when this happened, but the memory of that night is still clear in my mind, as if it had happened yesterday. My father was there. along with other neighbors who were called to join the posse. A touring car stopped at our house and called father to come with them and to bring his gun. This must have been a nightmare for the men who were called upon to join the posse as the Kruegers were friends and neighbors. The women stayed at home with the children crying and worrying for no one knew what would happen before this dreadful night was over. What a long wait they had until the men came home safe. I didn't exactly know what was going on as the women talked in whispers not wanting to frighten the children but I remember being frightened. We could hear a blast of guns being fired. At first our parents tried to keep the worst part of the story from the smaller children, but with all the talk that was going around it wasn't long before we had heard all the details.

For years after the war we were afraid to walk past the Krueger farm. It was almost like we were afraid we would see a ghost. This is a tragic story, but it was part of life in the Longwood area maybe in these days things might have turned out differently. It was about this time or shortly after, a terrible epidemic of influenza swept the country Few people escaped the disease. Many died and those who lived had complications and it took a long time for them to get their health back.

Louis Krueger, 72, Passenger, Crushed Beneath Wheels of Another Vehicle at Reseburg Corners

The photo above (left) shows the car and Louis Krueger,72, blanket covered body near front of car in which he was thrown from and then crushed under the wheels of another car driven by James Votava, Greenwood, at Reseburg Corners early Monday morning. Photo at right is Coroner Robert Lulloff examining the body before it was taken to the Owen Funeral Horne. Mrs. Vivian Duce drove the car in which Krueger was a passenger. It is reported Mrs. Duce failed to stop for the county trunk highway.

 

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