STRUCK A FATAL BLOW - 1902

FERGUSON, SHELGREN

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 2/15/2017 at 18:13:20

Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Jan. 6, 1902

STRUCK A FATAL BLOW
~
While Protesting a Child From
Father’s Abuse the Latter
Is Killed
~
Sioux City, Jan. 6 .- With three blows of his fist Frank B. Ferguson, a carpenter formerly of Chicago, almost instantly killed Leonard Shelgren of Cherokee, Iowa, during a quarrel at a Sioux City boarding house early this morning. The blows broke Shelgren’s nose and caused concussion of the brain, from which he died forty-five minutes later.

Ferguson and Shelgren quarreled over the latter’s three year old child, which was being cared for in the boarding house. Shelgren, who is a widower, handled the child so roughly that Ferguson took it from him and placed it in another room. On his return Shelgren showed fight, and made a vicious lunge at Ferguson, who then dealt the fatal blows in return. He himself notified the police of the affair, not knowing his victim was likely to die.

It was discovered today that Ferguson served two terms in the penitentiary, the last time for ten years for robbery of a rich farmer near Oto, Iowa. During his first term at Anamosa prison, he was concerned in an insurrection against the prisoners.