INSTANTLY KILLED
An Old Feud Between Two
Prominent Families Ends
With Fatal Results.
ONE KILLED, ANOTHER WOUNDED.
C. E. Brock, the Man Who Did
the Shooting, Now in the
Clinton Jail.
A REALLY DEPLORABLE AFFAIR.
The Final Ending of a Feud of Twenty Years' Duration--The Son Instantly
Killed and the Father Dangerously Wounded.
Tuesday afternoon Sheriff Murphy was notified by telephone from Heyworth
that a terrible crime had been committed in this county, about four miles
southwest of Heyworth. The Sheriff, his deputy, Geo. Gambrel and States
Attorney W. H. Booth hastily left for the scene of the tragedy. Arriving
at Heyworth they learned that C. E. Brock, who committed the deed, with his
father, had left for Clinton a few minutes previous, on a freight train, to
give himself up. The sheriff telephoned to William Fruit to meet them at
the depot and take Brock in charge until his arrival.
TO THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING
The sheriff, his deputy and the state’s attorney then went to the scene of
the shooting. Arriving at the home of Alexander Halsey they found a sad
scene. Alex Halsey was suffering from a dangerous wound and his son,
Luther, aged 14 years, was cold in death.
RESULT OF AN OLD FEUD
The death of young Halsey and the wounding of his father was the result of
an old quarrel between the Halsey and Brock families. About twenty years
ago the trouble commenced, and has never died entirely out. The origin of
the quarrel that had such a sad ending was about a two acre piece of land
which Alex Halsey bought of Mr. Buck. Mr. Elias Brock has a claim on the
land and a dispute arose over it. From that time there has been lawsuits
between the families in the courts of this and McLean counties. Last fall
one of the cases was heard by Squire McHenry of this city and he remembers
the deep hatred that existed. As he expressed it: "I could almost see
blood in their eyes." In November there was a big slander suit in the
McLean county court between them. The whole tendency of the trouble seemed
toward such a termination as came Tuesday.
THE PARTIES
The Halsey and Brock families live in this and McLean counties. Alex
Halsey and Elias Brock live in McLean county, about half a mile apart. C.
E. Brock, who fired the shots, lives in this county, a few rods from the
line. He is about 32 years old; has a wife and two children. Alex Halsey
and Elias Brock are each about 60 years old and are both well preserved
men for that age.
STORY OF THE SHOOTING
Tuesday afternoon between 1 and 2 o’clock Brock was alone building fence
along the road a short distance south of his house, when Alex Halsey and
two of his sons, Luther and Oscar, came alone each with a wagon going to
haul corn to Heyworth. The quarrel between them was revived, and resulted
as before stated. Brock claims Alex Halsey began the quarrel and the
Halseys claim Brock commenced it. Brock’s story as reported, is that the
Halseys were after him with clubs and that he shot in self defense. The
Halseys claim Brock shot at Alex Halsey while he was in the wagon, and that
the boys started back to their father, who had jumped from the wagon, and
that Brock fired at them killing Luther, and then shooting his father twice.
Brock claimed he shot at Alex Halsey and the boy jumped in the way to save
his father. The bullet struck the boy just below the right shoulder and
entered the heart, causing instant death, only a shriek escaping his lips
after the shot was fired. A shot at the other boy missed him. Alex Halsey
was shot through the end of the nose, and in the head just back of the right
ear, the ball lodging in the throat. As no preliminary hearing has been
held it is not known what evidence will be given. Coroner Cyrus Jones went
to the Halsey home Tuesday night, the verdict being in accordance with the
facts as given above, and charging Brock with murder.
PUBLIC OPINION