Anna Belle Strieby^[1]

1877 - 1915  (38 years)

• Gender	Female
  Cemetery	North Webster Cemetery
  Death Notice	Syracuse-Wawasee Journal, December 30, 1915, p. 4 MURDERS WOMAN AND KILLS SELF Wm. Brower and Anna Gilbert Victims of Double Tragedy A sordid tragedy culminating in the death of Mrs. John E. Gilbert who was shot with a revolver in the hands of William Brower who afterwards turned the weapon on himself, was enacted at the Gilbert home, midway between North Webster and Syracuse, about seven o’clock, Tuesday evening. The thirteen-year-old son of Mrs. Gilbert who was present when his mother was shot and the only witness to the deed, ran barefoot to the Garrison home about eighty rods away and gave the alarm. Soon after, the father of the dead woman, Wm. Strieby, and Zac LeCount and Wm. Longacre entered the kitchen, stumbling over the body of Brower who had evidently blown out the light before calmly proceeding with his own destruction. Mrs. Gilbert was found sitting in the chair she had occupied when the murderer entered the room. She had her feet resting in the open oven and undoubtedly the first of the four shots fired in to her body had caused instantaneous death as was evidenced by thte fact that she remained in a sitting posture with her head resting on the back of the chair. Brower probably fired the first shot into the woman’s breast, another more poorly aimed bullet, grazed the knee, and he then more than likely walked around the table and to make sure, fired the two additional missles into her back. By the condition of the chambers of the revolver, which contained, when found, three loaded cartridges, one empty shell and an empty chamber, it is presumed that he reloaded the gun, blew out the light, and places the barrel of the weapon in his mouth and pulled the trigger. Acccording to the facts that the Journal reporter was able to secure, the crime had been contemplated for some time. Brower had informed a friend, Shurl Longacre, that he inteded to kill the woman and threatened the friend’s life if he mentioned the matter to anyone. He further informed the acquantance of his intention to take his own life and named the pall-bearers he desired. Brower and Shurl Longacre came to Syracuse on the afternoon of the tragedy in the latter’s machine and just before leaving for home, the former purchased a 38 caliber revolver at the Lackey Hardware store. After arriving at his cottage on the Stiffler farm, where he kept house alone, he proceeded to the Gilbert home not far distant, but John Gilbert, who was helping to butcher at the Wm. Longacre farm a half-mile away came upon the scene and Brower and he returned to Longacre’s where they sat side by side at the supper table. Upon finishing supper, Brower left the house, and as subsequent events show, proceeded directly to the Gilbert home where he found the doomed woman alone with her young son Tom. According to the boy’s story, he entered the kitchen door and sat down, remarking, “Anna, we’ll settle our troubles now!” and with these words started to shoot. The boy, as narrated above, therupon broke from the house to a neighbor’s. The husband was on the way home when apprised of the matter, and seeing no light and fearing that the murderer was lying in wait, he returned to Longacre’s, but Shurl also hesitated on account of the warnings he had received, and the father, Wm. Longacre, finally formed one of the party that entered the fatal kitchen. The motive for the deed is not exactly understood although it is known that Brower had been paying attentions to the woman, and the theory is advanced that she refused to leave her home to go with him. He has been a hard frinker but so far as we can learn he was not intoxicated at the time of the the crime as is indicated by the fact that he was believed to be sober when in Syracuse in the afternoon and that no trace of the smell of liquor was detected upon him by the coroner who was called from Warsaw immediately. Wm. Brower was about 45 years of age. He was stone mason and since the death of his wife at Leesburg, two years ago, had been living in the vicinity of where he died. He is survived by one brother, Floyd, of Syracuse, and two sisters who live in Pierceton, His body was removed to the Rothenberger undertaking parlors in North Webster, Tuesday night, and the funeral was held there, Thursday afternoon, burial being made in Leesburg. Mrs. Anna Gilbert was 39 years of age and is survived by the husband, one son, two daughters, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Strieby, a sister, Mrs. Edith Miller, and a brother, Arthur Strieby. The funeral was held from the home Thursday morning at 10 o’clock, and burial was made at North Webster.
  Residence(s)	1880: Turkey Creek twp, Kosciusko Co., IN 1900: Van Buren , Kosciusko Co., Indiana 1910: Benton , Elkhart Co., Indiana  [2, 3, 4]
  Birth	May 1877	Indiana, USA
  Death	28 November 1915	Turkey Creek Twp., Kosciusko Co., Indiana, USA
  Burial	North Webster, Kosciusko Co., Indiana, USA
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I9051	Angus Saline's Genealogy
  Last Modified	22 October 2011

  
  

  Father	William J. Strieby           b. 12 November 1851, Ohio, USA           d. 6 July 1934, Koscuisko Co., Indiana (Age 82 years)
  Mother	Rebecca J. Swank           b. 16 July 1854, Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, USA           d. 1 February 1921, Koscuisko Co., Indiana (Age 66 years)
  Marriage	27 August 1874	Koscuisko Co., Indiana   [1]
  Wedding Details	E:242  [1]
  Family ID	F6380	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family/Spouse	John Henry Gilbert           b. 2 July 1875, Indiana, USA           d. 9 December 1945 (Age 70 years)
  Marriage	21 March 1897	Koscuisko Co., Indiana   [1]
  Children	1. Gilbert           b. 28 December 1897, Koscuisko Co., Indiana + 2. Lula May Gilbert           b. 28 December 1897, Kosciusko Co., Indiana           d. 14 February 1972, Elkhart, Elkhart Co., Indiana, USA (Age 74 years)   3. Treva Marie Gilbert           b. 15 March 1900, Indiana, USA           d. 13 January 1990 (Age 89 years)   4. Thomas Edward Gilbert           b. 30 January 1903, Syracuse, Kosciusko co., Indiana, USA           d. February 1975 (Age 72 years)
  Family ID	F6300	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  A Lulu Belle Strieby was housed in the Department of Correction’s-Girl’s School from Jul 9, 1884 to Aug 6, 1891. She was born around 1873. She was from Kosciusko county. Acc Num, Micro, Record Book: 2001201; Record Book Film Number 1; Accession Number, Packet 1975001, Packet Location 26-H-1, Packet Aais 104617, Box 6.

  
  

• Sources

  [S2319] Kosciusko County Indiana Genweb. [S2325] . [S2355] . [S2352] .