John Martin, 70, Town of Seneca farmer, after becoming despondent and without hope in this life, shot and killed his son and self at day break at his farm home after arising and feeding a team of horses. It is believed that Martin had intended to kill his wife, but finding her awake when he returned to the house limited his job to his son and himself.
Taxes were not paid, Martin had lost his job at Bowler, and he could not get the new position he was promised at Appleton. But that is not believed to be the only reason why the crime was committed. About a year ago Mrs. Martin hid the old rusty Iver Johnson 38 which Martin had purchased and laid up on the shelf. He told her that it was no use hiding it, as he would only purchase another one. With this statement Mrs. Martin returned the old gun to its former place of keeping. There it lay for one year, until last Monday morning.

About 5:30, just as day was breaking, John Martin arose and fed old dobbin. He returned to the house and entered the room where his wife was supposedly sleeping. She moved somewhat at which the old man left the room. Just a minute later, she heard three shots which she thought were on the outside of the house. She ran to her 38 year old son's room just in time to see the father fall to the floor. Reinhold, the son, she found had also been shot and killed.

Although 3 bullets had been fired, only two were to be accounted for one through the skull of each of the men. Immediately Mrs. Martin hastened to the nearest neighbor, John Dahl, who lives three quarters of a mile from the Martin home and summoned help. From there she and Dahl went to Claude Felts, hardware man in Tilleda, who called the County Coroner, Garfield. The Martin farm is three quarters of a mile off the main road, and had the old man shot Mrs. Martin, the three probably would not have been found for several weeks. The Martin family seldom mixed with the neighbors, and Dahl admits that sometimes he did not see them for several weeks at a time.

Louis Cattau, who accompanied the coroner to the scene of the murder and suicide, states that although the home was clean, signs of poverty were very evident. Mrs. Martin related how the taxes had not been paid and how Mr. Martin lost his job at Bowler and too, he could not get the Job in Appleton which he was promised, so he ended the thing. Just why he killed the able bodied son is not known.

The county poor officers were called and will have charge of the funeral and burial.

Miss Laura Amundson died at the home of her stepfather Bernt Anderson 
April 14, 1929. She was born April 30, 1863 at Eidsvold, Norway. Her mother died when Laura was a little child. Her father Guldbrand Amundson then decided to come to America. Laura was confirmed in the Waukechon Lutheran church. She had been ailing for about 6 months and for the last weeks was down in bed. She leaves her sick stepfather Bernt Anderson and three sisters, Inga Amundson, Mrs. Anton Peterson, and Mrs. Christ Christianson, and other relatives. The funeral was held Thursday afternoon, at the Norway Luth. Church, Rev. E. N. Halvorson officiating. The pall bearers were A. Knutson, A. Johnson, J. Olson, J. Lindsten, Nels I. Nelson and H. Kittleson. 

When little Doris Bartelme, Bowler, informed her parents that Grandpa did not talk to her, Christian Frederick Bartelme, better known as Fred Bartelme and founder of the township of Bartelme, was found dead Monday afternoon at 2:45 in his room where he had retired after shovelling some snow. 

Fred Bartelme was 83 years of age, and for some years has been bothered with heart trouble. The old gentleman, feeling able to do so, shovelled a few walks about the home of his son. After considerable exercise in this manner, he retired to his room for a short rest, and it was there that the small granddaughter found him. He had passed on to his final resting place after a life filled with service to his fellow man. 

Christian Frederick Bartelme was born in Steinwehr, Pommern, Germany, Sept. 28, 1845 and was married to Amelia Buckmann, Nov. 4, 1872 and in 1887 came to America with his wife and four children. Two children were born to them in this country. They came to what was then known as Town Almon, but Almon being a double town- ship, the town in which he lived, has in recent years been called Bartelme, being named in his honor. The Bartelme’s settled and built up the farm now known as the Frank Matz farm, Mrs. Matz being his only daughter. The children are Ernst and Herman, both of whom served in the Spanish American war, Herman having died and been buried in Cuba; Louise, Mrs. Frank Matz; Fred, who died at the age of 15; William, who died about) years ago; and a child who passed away in infancy. Thus the only surviving children are Ernst and Mrs. F. Matz, of Bowler. Mrs. Bartelme died 21 years ago. Hard working, honest, trusted by all who knew him, mason by trade, Christian Frederick Bartelme was highly respected in his community. He held many offices of public trust, was treasurer of Town of Bartelme for 20 years and was trustee of St. Peter's church until his health began to fail. 

Funeral services will be held from St. Peter's church this afternoon. 

Alexander Peterson, one of the most prominent and surely one of the most widely known pioneers of Shawano county, died at his home in the town of Belle Plaine, at about half past four, Monday evening. He was 87 years old. That day he had worked around the yard doing the little odd jobs as was his usual wont, and had just finished assisting in the task of bringing in the evening's wood. He sat down in his comfortable chair, the one given him a few weeks ago by his many admiring neighbors on the occasion of the celebration of his birthday. One of the little boys of the home suddenly called out, "Look at Grandpa," and the older members of the family saw that he was slowly sinking in his chair. He gasped once or twice, softly, and was gone.

By his death, there now remains in this county only one soldier of the Civil War, Milo Porter, of the town of Navarino, who is about the same age of Mr. Peterson. There has been no man with more picturesque life in this entire community than that lived by Alex Peterson.

He was born in the state of Maine on October 2nd, 1842. His father, Abraham Peterson, came to the United States from Sweden in 1812, just as the war of 1812 between England and the United States was beginning. On landing at Boston he was taken prisoner and was held for several months by the British, although he was only a poor orphan boy, 12 years old.

The father went to work at an early age in the Maine woods and after a while married Miss Clarissa Davis. The children were born in Maine. When they were old enough to make the trip safe, the family came west to Wisconsin in a covered wagon. This was in 1847. They settled in Omro where they lived for six years and then came to Bella Plaine, Alex and all the other children with them. One brother, Alias, built the first saw mill in Bella Plaine and ran it for four years.

When the war of the rebellion broke out, Alex and his brothers entered the Union Army. Alex and Charles saw some of the hardest fighting of the war, and Alex came through without a wound, although he was laid up with sickness and had to take an honorable leave to regain health.

He served first with General Thomas and spent one whole winter on Lookout Mountain with Col. Fitch, James Stewart, who was postmaster in Chicago for many years, was his Captain.

Ha was honorably discharged under General Thomas because of Illness and lay in the hospital at Atlanta for several months. After he recovered he re-enlisted, this time under General Sherman, was raised to the rank of Lieutenant and went with Sherman on the famous march to the sea.

It was in North Carolina that he found the little Negro boy who was known in this country for the rest of his life as "Pete". The little fellow went with Alex and the brother Charley on the march to the sea. After the war, Alex, being an officer, was allowed to bring Pete home with him after they had mustered out at Washington. The boy was taken into the family and was known as Pete Peterson. He grew up to manhood, and married Miss Emma Buchels, of Leopolis. The children of this couple now live on farms near Leopolis and hare families of their own. The children always referred to Alex as "Grandpa".

After the war, Mr. Peterson returned to Belle Plaine and was married to Miss Mary Bonette, a graduate of Oberlin college, who was teaching in the Shawano
schools. She was a wonderfully capable and talented woman and the sunshine of her life reflected brightly upon the lives of those early pioneers whose lot was fraught with pleasure as well as hardship.

Mr. Peterson started the first store in the town of Belle Plains soon after his marriage. The original building with its shelving still stands on the Peterson farm. He ran store, lumbered, farmed and was postmaster in those early years. Later he devoted all his time to farming.

When the Republican party came into being at the Ripen nesting, Mr. Peterson was impressed with the rightness of the cause. He voted for Lincoln while in the army and has been a Republican all his lifetime since. He was County treasurer for one tern, town treasurer 18 years, school treasurer of his district for 25 years, and for 23 years was postmaster at Belle Plaine.

Mr. Peterson Joined the Shawano lodge of Masons in 1876 when the lodge was 3 years old. He is number 33 on the roster.

In the last 6 or 7 years the people of this section have honored him on the occasions of his birthdays with a big party, often numbering 500 guests. Each time the friends have given him some token of affection. This year, on October 2nd, the party numbered more than 500 and the guests gave the venerable neighbor a beautiful easy chair. It was in this chair teat he quietly died Monday evening. His life went out with the day, softly and unheralded, just as the sun sets without pretension and changes the day of labor into the night of rest.

The funeral was held this afternoon at the Peterson home. The sermon was preached by Rev. Damp, pastor of tee Presbyterian church. A quartette, all male friends of the deceased, sang. The honorary pall-bearers were Dr. V. R. Cantwell, Sr., Charles Brooks, Ed Hill, Frank Perry, Antone Kuckuk, and George Klosterman. The active pall-bearers were Frank Schweers, King Weeman, 0. B. Morgan, Robert Upham, Ira Weeks and Caspar Wallrich.

The American Legion attended in a body and at the grave gave full military honors. The burial service was under the auspices of the Masons and were in the words of that impressive ritual.

Seven children were born to Mr. & Mrs. Peterson. Two of them died in infancy. A son A. Russell Peterson died three years ago in Laona. The living children are; Mrs. Nellie Darling, who has been living with her father for the past 5 –years; Ward B., a farmer near the old homestead; Roy (Pat) who lives on the home farm; Mayme, Mrs. George Jeans, of Seattle. There are eight living grandchildren and six great grandchildren.