Kane County, IL Crime News

Death of Mrs. Gilbert Sutphen

Gilbert Sutphen, who once dispensed drugs in Pool’s Drug Store, has for sometime been mailing clerk in the office of the Burlington (Iowa) Daily Hawkeye. Will Sutphen was boarding with him, and clerking in a provision store. Last Monday after the young men had gone to business, Mrs. Sutphen went to the house adjoining the one where they had previously lived, about one mile from the present one, to visit friends. A rather lively young man of the family, Joseph Hardy, by name, knowing her timidity, sought to frighten Mrs. Sutphen. To do this he struck the casing of the door through which she was passing, at which she jumped, and exclaimed: “Oh! My God! I thought it was a pistol!” Hardy said, Oh no; that was not a pistol. But he could show her one, and stepping to a bureau, took out a large Colt’s revolver, which he knew to be loaded, pointed it at her to frighten her. An attempt had been made to draw the load, but unsuccessfully; while pointing at her, the weapon was discharged, the bullet passing through her head above the ears. She was not conscious afterward, and expired at 3 o’clock the same day.

Gilbert sent a dispatch to her mother, living at Harding (Illinois), who went out, only in time to return with him and the remains of her child, whose checkerd (sic) life was so early closed. The sad return passed through Earlville on Wednesday morning. Sermon at Harding by Rev. Stoddard. [Earlville Gazette, 15 May 1874. (Earlville, LaSalle County, IL).

Background info added by Charles Brummel [Source #4] : (John) Gilbert Sutphen married Hattie J. Shetters in LaSalle County, IL on 5 June 1872 and then moved to Burlington, IA, where the tragedy described below occurred. Joseph Hardy was eventually found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to one year hard labor in the Iowa State penitentiary. On 1 February 1880 in Burlington, IA, Gilbert Sutphen married Mary Ellen Bartruff. In 1891 or 1892 Gilbert and Mary Ellen moved to Aurora, Kane County, IL where they raised their children and where they are buried.


Albert COOK, who two years ago lived in Chicago, has been arrested at Minneapolis for the murder of his wife and mother-in-law at Compton, Kane County, this State, October 6, 1885. The Newton Press, Jasper County, IL July 27, 1887


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