Obit: Kippenhan, John (???? - 1942)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Kippenhan, Haslow, Dickenson, Iwaoka, Ellis, Franz, Kemmis, Mueller, Atkinson, Decker, Bauman

----Source: Spencer Record, Spencer, Wis.) 11/05/1942

Kippenhan, John (???? - 1942)


Former Resident Is Murdered In West
John Kippenhan Formerly Resided in Town of Sherman; Was Married to Sister of Residents of Spencer.

The following was taken from the Sidney, Mont. Herald. Mr. Kippenhan was married in Spencer to the sister of Mrs. Chas. Haslow and Mrs. V. M. Dickenson, and formerly lived in the town of Sherman:

“John Kippenhan, 63 years old pioneer of the Girard district, was shot dead at his farm 16 miles west of Sidney Friday night, Oct. 9, and Bob Ellis, who had worked for him since 1911
as a sheepherder and farm hand, is in the county jail charged with the murder. Mr. and Mrs. Kippenhan and their Japanese houseboy, Thos. Iwaoka, had been in Sidney during the afternoon and leaving to return to the farm shortly after 6 o’clock, arrived there about 7 o’clock to find Ellis standing at the side of his Ford car waiting for them. Testimony at the coroner’s inquest was to the effect that they all said “Hello Bob” when they got out of their car and he approached them to quarrel with Mr. Kippenhan momentarily, when he backed away and pulling a .38 calibre revolver shot him three times. The first shot hit him in the front left shoulder and Kippenhan turned to escape when Ellis is alleged to have fired twice more, one bullet passing through his upper body from the back and the other stopping half exposed in his chest. When the shooting started the Japanese, Iwaoka, ran from the scene and a spurt of dust in front of him caused him to think he had been shot at. Reaching the August Bauman farm, about a mile from the scene, he told that couple excitedly of the shooting and accompanied by Iwaoka, they drove to the Kippenhan farm, stopping a short distance from the house, which was dark, and a few minutes later drove back to the highway to direct the officers who had been notified of the shooting to the premises. Mrs. Kippenhan, when the shooting started, took refuge in the cellar of the house and Ellis, with a flashlight, sought to find her, finally going back to his car and leaving the farm. When she heard him leave Mrs. Kippenhan left the basement and drove their own car to the Fred Franz home and Mr. Franz brought her to Sidney. Coming down town he met Night Officer Earl Kemmis at the corner and turning saw Ellis crossing the street and pointed him out to the officer who immediately took him into custody.

The coroner’s jury found that Mr. Kippenhan had been shot to death by Ellis. No cause for the crime was advanced. Funeral services were held at the Trinity Lutheran church in Sidney with Rev. Mueller presiding and burial was made in the Sidney cemetery. Carrol Kippenhan, only son, and wife of Seattle, and Mrs. Alvera Atkingson, only daughter of Kent, Wn., and two sisters of Mrs. Kippenhan, Mrs. Chas. Haslow of Spencer, Wis. and Mrs. V. M. Dickenson of Minneapolis, and Mr. and Mrs. Louie Decker of Polson, Mont., she a sister of Mr. Kippenhan, were here for the funeral and the son and daughter will remain for a while.”