Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1896 — SHOT IN COLD BLOOD. [ARTICLE]

SHOT IN COLD BLOOD.

FEARFUL CRIME COMMITTED AT CLINTON, ILL. Ed Polen Kills His Wife and Mother-in-Law Women Slaughtered While Fleeing Frenzied Man Then Attempts Suicide to Escape Lrnching. Caused by Domestic Tronbles. Domestic infelicities in the family oi Edward Polen culminated Friday afternoon at Clinton, 111., in the murder of Mrs. Polen and her mother, Mrs. William McMullen;'by Polen. After he had committed'the crime Polen ran to the Illinois Oentml yards to escape the crowd of excited pursuers who intended to lynch the murderer. To avoid this fata he ■threw himself in front of a train, btil was not fatally injured. He was removed from the scene of his attempted suicide without molestation. Then the crowd collected about the jail, and for a time it looked as if the lynching would take piac?. The desperate nature of the man’s injuries delayed the attempt, and thb crowd retired. It appears from the most reliable information tfliat there has been trouble in the Polen household for some time. Mr. and Mrs. Polen had been in Creston, lowa, for about six weeks, where Polen had secured employment, but all did not go well in the lowa home, and Mrs. -polen left there and returned to her mother’s homo in Clinton a week ago. Friday Polen returned and met his wife on the street, and they held an animated discussion. After leaving his wife Polen returned to the home of his mother-in-law, Mrs. McMullen, where his wife was, and it is supposed the discussion of their troubles was again renewed. Polen became frenzied during the discussion, and, rushing to where a doublebarreled shotgun was standing, he seized the weapon and turned toward the now thoroughly frightened and defenseless women, who attempted to escape. They were not quick enough, however. They were within about fifteen feet of the house when Polen threw the gun to his shoulder and pressed the trigger. Mrs. Polen fell on her face without a groan, dying instantly. Her mother stopped nt the report of the gun, and, turning, saw her child fail heavily forward, cold in death. As the mother gave a cry of anguish at the terrible deed of her infuriated son-in-law he Again pressed the trigger, and with the second report the sou] of the mother was ushered into eternity. The murderer then ran cast through the outskirts of the town; thence along the railroad track, stopping to reload Ms weapon. An alarm was given immediately by the neighbors, and soon the streets were thronged with the excited populace, hurrying to the scene of the tragedy. A posse was soon formed and started in pursuit of the murderer. In the meantime Polen had been fleeing east on tho railroad track. He got about a mile nnd a quarter from town when he saw a freight train approaching. Turning, ho beheld his pursuers following, and realizing the impossibility of escape, he waited until tho train had approached almost to where he stood and then suddenly threw himself in front of the engine. Ho was doomed to disappointment, however, for the pilot of tftio engine was too low. It struck and threw him to the side of tho track unconscious. The train was quickly stopped and the injured man picked up and brought to the city, where he was lodged in jail. A crowd soon collected nnd the talk became ominous. Tito officers feared an attempt to lynch the murderer would be made, and to quiet tho crowd, the announcement was made from the porch of the jail that Polen was fatally Injured and would probably die In a few minutes. This resulted in the dispersion of the crowd. Marshal Mofflt. with Ms prisoner, drove from Clinton to Maroa in a cab. Polen apparently is not badly wounded, as he was able to eat lunch at Maroa and was sitting up in a restaurant, He is now in jail at Decatur.