William Delbert (Bert) Fear

  General Notes:

Story of Murder-Wabash, IN, October 6-
"August Bion, a farmer, shot and killed his tenant, Bert Fear, and shot and probably fatally injured Mrs. Fear and her two daughters today. A son, Harry, was shot but not fatally injured. Bion was angered when he saw Fear's children picking apples on the farm rented by Fear. Bion was driving past the orchard of the farm which he had rented to Fear. He saw Fear's three children, Harry, 15; Dorothy, 7; and Goldie,14, gathering apples. Bion took a shotgun, left his wagon, in which were two of his own children, and fired on the Fear children at close range. Goldie was hit and Dorothy was the next victim. Dorothy was shot in the chest. Seeing that his aim was bad, Bion then attacked the girl with the smoking weapon, brutally pounding her over the head, probably destroying the sight of one of her eyes. Bion was armed with a revolver and a shotgun and had a belt full of ammunition. When Bion first approached Fear, he shot the latter with the revolver .He then went back to his wagon and started away. He returned, however, according to the story told by Goldie Fear, and pressed the muzzle of his shotgun against Fear's body. The charge tore a wide hole through Fear's body.
Fear died and his wife is believed to be dying. The farmer then returned to his wagon and drove down the road several rods. He abandoned his wagon and disappeared in a deep wood. His children, Morris, 14, and Reva, drove on home. A posse of farmers was at once formed and serious talk of a lynching is heard in case Bion is captured alive. The region was searched without avail until 2 o'clock, when members of the searching party found Bion's body within 1,000 feet of his home, lying beneath a tree in a cornfield. Apparently he had leaned over the end of his shotgun and pulled the trigger with his foot. The shot tore away the greater part of his chest. One eye was missing and there were several gashes in his head. How these wounds were inflicted is a mystery."
"Goldie Fear's story was that her father rented the farm with the agreement that the Fears should have half of the apple crop. This detail is denied by the Bion children.
"The condition of Mrs. Bert Fear is very critical and death is almost hourly expected. The brightest hopes are extended for the recovery of the Fear children are the only new developments to the dreadful tragedy of Wednesday."
"The condition of Goldie and Dorothy Fear was not so serious as was first thought, and both will , unless unforeseen complications develop, recover." Dorothy, 12 years old, will lose the sight of one of her eyes as the shots and beating of the assassin."

William married Mollie (Mary) Jones about 1897. (Mollie (Mary) Jones was born in Jun 1861 in Indiana, died on 10 Oct 1915 in Lagro, Wabash County, IN and was buried on 12 Oct 1915 in Nichols Cemetery, Franklin Township, Mentone, Kosciusko County, IN.)