Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1917 — Murder and Suicide Follow Fight in Resort [ARTICLE]

Murder and Suicide Follow Fight in Resort

Henry Bruns, Proprietor of Resort Near Kankakee River and “Babe” Harker, Daughter of Underworld, Found Dead Friday Evening Near Conrad. Terrific Battle Waged in Resort Prior to Death of Pair. Probable that Bruns Killed Girl and then Suicided.

No Witnesses To Crime.

Crime One of the Worst In the History of the Kankakee CountryHead of Man Is Almost Blown Off and Body Fearfully Lacerated By Knife—Girl is Shot Through Abdomen—Motive for Crime Unknown —. j ■ i-v ' The climax of crimes in the history of the Kankakee river country was reached this week when the lifeless bodies of Henry Bruns, a noted resort owner in that section, and Gertrude Harker, better known in the underworld as “Babe,” were found in the resort owned by Bruns, about four miles west of Conrad, Indiana, and fifteen miles north of Morocco. The house in which the pair lived was known as a blind tiger and was situated about four miles from the river. The body of Miss Harker is now in the Wright undertaking morgue in this city, where it was placed Friday night. Bruns was taken to Momence, 111. Undertaker Wnght received a call early Friday evening telling him of the crime and asking him to come at once to prepare the bodies for burial. For a number of years Bruns and the girl haV£ been familiar charactersin the Kankakee district and have given the authorities unlimited trouble. They were only recently forced to leave the state of Illinois. Following this they took up their abode in this state at the place named above, where they operate a blind tiger and a house of ill fame. The resort has been the, scene of njany wild orgies and has proven to be of considerable menace to the law abiding people of that section and the crime of this week is the last chapter in the lives of the pair. Whether it was a suicide pact between the pair or a double murder, or a murder and a suicide is not known for certain, but it is probable that th% latter supposition is the correct one and the one that will probably be returned by the coroner, as indications prove almost conclusively that the latter belief is the correct one. The scene of the crime was one of wild disorder and following the announcement of the grewsome crime Scores of people for miles around visited the place during the night and little sleep was indulged in by anyone. The coroner was on the scene early and the bodies were soon able to be removed. A decision has not been rendered as yet by the official, who will be here today, but it is probable he will render a decision shortly. The interior of the building where the bodies were found was one of wild disorder and showed that a terrific struggle had been waged prior to the death of the two. Practically every piece of furniture in the home was turned over and beer bottles were strewn over the place. A packed suitcase was lying near the bodies of the pair, who were clasped m each other’s arms. A shoe and stocking belonging to Bruns was also on the floor near him; A revolver wrapped in a bloody handkerchief with .the chambers partly emptied and a knife in the hands of the girl indicated that her death was caused by Bruns. Tne battle ended in a clothes closet, where

the body of Bruns was found lying on that of the girl. , The body of the mah was fearfully lacerated with knife wounds, which evidently had been inflicted by the girl in her last desperate effort to save her life and make her getaway. The girl was shot thro,ugh the abdomen and evidently the muzzle of the gun was placed against her when fired. Her hair was streaming down her back and face and her clothes were tom. Presenting a terrible, grewsome aspect was the lifeless form of Bruns. His head was almost entirely blown off his body and his clothes were saturated with blood. A shotgun had been used in his death. His brains were splattered about the walls and ceiling. A shoe and stocking missing from the dead man’s left foot led to the belief that the trigger of the shotgun had been pulled by Bruns with his toe while in a sitting position. The motive for the crime has not been learned for certain, but the indications prove without a doubt that the girl was attempting to leave Bruns and it was probably due to a quarrel which ensued over this matter, which caused the tragedy. The girl was clothed in a traveling suit and the packed suitcase substantiates the belief that she was preparing to leave. Just when the tragedy occurred is not known and it is probable that they have been deadsiiKe S«Ke“time last Thursday. The last seen of the pair, was when they were entering the resort^togeth^abdutll o’clock on Thursday. The bodies were found by a fellow, whose name we have not learned, who worked about the place and had gone inside to get some water. The crime related above is one of the most terrible in the history of the Kankakee section, a section which has had many of them from the time of the earliest settlers in the state. This I county is famed throughout the land as one of the really bad spots left and the unsavory reputation has been gained through operations of some of the greatest crooks in the middle west. Much of the country about the river remains in the same state as it did before the coming of the white man. Of late, however, there has been more progress and the section is gradually being cleaned up, some of the. most famous characters are passing out, and with the passing of the saloons within the next year and the work of the temperance people, it is to be hoped that crime and corruption may be stamped out forever, and the bad men forced to hunt another rendezvous. “Babe” Harker and Henry Bruns have passed to the beyond, but the memory of this terrible tragedy will linger and should serve as a warning to the young men and women of today that the Straight and narrow path is the only one to follow. It is not known as yet what disposition will be made of the 'bodies. As the deaths of the two happened in Newton county, it will be up to the authorities of that county to say what disposition will be made of them unless relatives of the two should put in an appearance.