Flannery Family History & Genealogy

My great-grandfather Allie Singleton Flannery shot and killed Robert Lee Nickels in self-defense. This was in November 1932. If anybody would have any info on this, contact me.
Thanks!

Little bit of Family Tree
Grandfather Cecil Ward Flannery
Great-Grandfather Allie Singleton Flannery
G-G-Grandfather John Hampton Flannery
ggg Grandfather Wilburn Henderson Flannery
gggg Grandfather John William "Jack" Flannery

This story involving my great grandfather was told over the years in various versions. Following is a merging of most of the facts.

William R. "Willie" Flannery was born Sept. 10, 1881 in Carter Co. KY. He was the son of William Riley Flannery (1845-1919) and Nancy A. Davidson (1846-1910). Sometime around 1906 he married Frances "Fannie" Skeens (1882-1915) . Fannie was the daughter of Lewis P. "Luke" Skeens
(see story under the surname Skeens) and Amanda Susan Rabb.

 Willie Flannery was the father of two sons Elmer Marion b. 1907 Morgan Co. KY and Ernest "Ox" b. 1910. In 1915, Willie relocated to Oneida Co. Wi to work in the logging industry. He had 2 brothers, Wade and Marion, that were already established in the area. For some reason or other his wife Fannie remained behind in KY.
One evening, Willie went to a dance in Pelican Lake, taking his gun along.( against the wishes of his brother Wade). There was an intense rivalry between the Polish and Irish in the area at the time. While at the dance Willie became involved in an argument with a group of Poles. He decided to leave the dance to avoid trouble, but was followed by the men. He asked them to leave him alone, but they kept after him. He said he would shoot them, and they said that he did not have the guts. Wllie fired and hit one of the men.

Willie Flannery went into hiding in the woods surrounding Pelican Lake, even going up into Canada for a brief period. His brother Wade took food and clothes to him and cared for his sons. Federal agents would come around from time to time in search of Willie. He remained in hiding until contracting pulmonary tuberculosis .

The FEDS came to Wade's house to arrest him, and in their haste to capture the fugitive, shot a hole in the floorboard of the car when getting out. When they entered the house and saw the dying Willie they left without making the arrest. Willie was taken back to KY to die.

Fannie Skeens Flannery died suddenly (supposed heart trouble) July 11, 1915 while Willie was hiding out. After Willie's death their 2 sons were raised by relatives. Elmer stayed with Isome and Lizzie Flannery in KY. He returned to WI as a young man for several years to work as a lumberjack, before finally settling in KY. Ox was adopted by John Milt and Josie Flannery. (John Milt Flannery was the Sheriff of Carter Co. KY from 1918-1922.)

This version of the story is from accounts by family members. The following account is the newspaper version.

from microfilm copies in WI:


  Rhinelander News April 25, 1915
Rhinelander WI
  
                         
" KENTUCKIAN USES GUN AND MAKES
ESCAPE
                                                                             
ASSAILANT KNOWN
                         
                    Coroner's Jury Charges Wm. Flannery With Crime.
               A victim of mistaken identity, Conrad Truntz was shot and fatally wounded by a man said to be William Flannery at a Pelican Lake dance early Sunday morning.                According to witnesses and to a dying statement made by Truntz, the victim of the shooting had had no trouble with anyone during the evening. It was the deceased man's opinion, as expressed to his sister a few minutes before his death, that he had been mistaken for some other person.                A dance was in progress at Pelican during the evening and one of the young men from Jennings (a local, very small, town-Craig) had engaged in a verbal battle with Flannery in front of the hall. Truntz, it is alleged, had gone to the depot to see Flannery about the matter and had no sooner stepped up on the platform than the latter opened fire on him, shooting four times. Two of the shots took effect, one in the thigh, and the other in the stomach.                Flannery took refuge in flight and Truntz was brought to St. Mary's Hospital in this city (Rhinelander) where an operation was performed. He failed to rally, however and died Monday at noon.
               Sheriff Chas. Crofoot and Undersheriff Hans Rodd spent the fore part of the week at Pelican, looking up the case but as yet have not located the fugitive.   
                               
                   CORONER HOLDS INQUEST

               A coroner's jury was empaneled by Coroner Charles DeCanter and met at the courthouse Wednesday afternoon to take testimony on the case. Nine witnesses were heard. The jury consisted of Chas. Bellile, Jas. Baker, Wm. Averill, L. Dietrich, P. J. Gaston, and John DeCanter.
               Dr. I. E. Schiek of this city told of being called to the train Sunday morning and of operating on the wounded man in hopes of saving his life. According to the doctor there were two bullet wounds which caused death. One bullet entered the thigh and the other the abdomen. The bullet of the former was found in the thigh. The other passed completely through the body, entering the abdomen and passing out at the back. Dr. Schiek gave as the cause of death, the shock arising from the wounds, hemorrhage, and the effects of the operation.
               Five young men of Polish descent who reside at Jennings, told of being at the Pelican Lake dance on the evening of the shooting. Each told in essence the same story. They declared that they had passed the interior of the dance hall to the street and that in passing one of them stepped on Flannery's foot. Flannery, it is alleged began to chase him and asked the young man if he wanted to die, at the same time putting his hand into his coat pocket as though it contained a revolver. Words were passed and the young man not wanting to have a row went to the Hank Miner Saloon next door to the dance hall, Flannery and a companion named George Carter going over to the depot.
                                 
               TRUNTZ ACTS AS PEACEMAKER

               Truntz was not in the party that participated in this trouble but was informed of it a short time later. It is alleged that he went over to the depot to remonstrate with the men, that Frank Poltz and Peter Polubitski followed him. The latter two testified that upon coming around the corner of the depot, Truntz saw the two men walking south on the platform and called to them to wait, that he wanted to speak to them.
               It is charged that Flannery turned on Truntz and fired four shots at him, one taking effect in the thigh and the other in the abdomen. Flannery then ran from the village in a southerly direction.
               Polubitski and Poltz upon hearing the shots turned and ran back to the dance hall where they made the shooting known and the wounded man was taken to the Beach Hotel where he was cared for until train time when he was brought to this city.
                                 
                      CARTER SEES SHOOTING

               George Carter, Flannery's companion on the night of the murder testified to the trouble in front of the dance hall. He asserted that he took the latter from the scene with the idea of taking him home and that they were followed by the three young men of which party Truntz was a member. He admitted that the latter was shot by Flannery and said that he did not know where Flannery had secreted himself since the shooting.
                                 
                  FLANNERY FROM KENTUCKY

               Both Flannery and Carter are residents of Kentucky and have been in this state but a short time. Both were employed at a logging camp about one mile north of Pelican. Carter claims that he had known the accused man but a short time and that he did not know much about him.
               Truntz was deputy

 Willie Flannery was the father of two sons Elmer Marion b. 1907 Morgan Co. KY and Ernest "Ox" b. 1910. In 1915, Willie relocated to Oneida Co. Wi to work in the logging industry. For some reason or other his wife Fannie remained behind in KY.

Willie went to a dance in Pelican Lake, taking his gun along. There was an intense rivalry between the Polish and Irish in the area at the time. While at the dance Willie became involved in an argument with a group of Poles. He decided to leave the dance to avoid trouble, but was followed by the men. He asked them to leave him alone, but they kept after him. He said he would shoot them, and they said that he did not have the guts. Wllie fired and hit one of the men.

Willie Flannery went into hiding in the woods surrounding Pelican Lake, even going up into Canada for a brief period. His brother Wade took food and clothes to him and cared for his sons. Federal agents would come around from time to time in search of Willie. He remained in hiding until contracting pulmonary tuberculosis .

The FEDS came to Wade's house to arrest him, and in their haste to capture the fugitive, shot a hole in the floorboard of the car when getting out. When they entered the house and saw the dying Willie they left without making the arrest. Willie was taken back to KY to die.

Fannie Skeens Flannery died suddenly (supposed heart trouble) July 11, 1915 while Willie was hiding out. After Willie's death their 2 sons were raised by relatives. Elmer stayed with Isome and Lizzie Flannery in KY. He returned to WI as a young man for several years to work as a lumberjack, before finally settling in KY. Ox was adopted by John Milt and Josie Flannery. (John Milt Flannery was the Sheriff of Carter Co. KY from 1918-1922.)

This version of the story is from accounts by family members. The following account is the newspaper version.

from microfilm copies in WI:


  Rhinelander News April 25, 1915
Rhinelander WI
  
                         
" KENTUCKIAN USES GUN AND MAKES
ESCAPE
                                                                             
ASSAILANT KNOWN
                         
                    Coroner's Jury Charges Wm. Flannery With Crime.
               A victim of mistaken identity, Conrad Truntz was shot and fatally wounded by a man said to be William Flannery at a Pelican Lake dance early Sunday morning.                According to witnesses and to a dying statement made by Truntz, the victim of the shooting had had no trouble with anyone during the evening. It was the deceased man's opinion, as expressed to his sister a few minutes before his death, that he had been mistaken for some other person.                A dance was in progress at Pelican during the evening and one of the young men from Jennings (a local, very small, town-Craig) had engaged in a verbal battle with Flannery in front of the hall. Truntz, it is alleged, had gone to the depot to see Flannery about the matter and had no sooner stepped up on the platform than the latter opened fire on him, shooting four times. Two of the shots took effect, one in the thigh, and the other in the stomach.                Flannery took refuge in flight and Truntz was brought to St. Mary's Hospital in this city (Rhinelander) where an operation was performed. He failed to rally, however and died Monday at noon.
               Sheriff Chas. Crofoot and Undersheriff Hans Rodd spent the fore part of the week at Pelican, looking up the case but as yet have not located the fugitive.   
                               
                   CORONER HOLDS INQUEST

               A coroner's jury was empaneled by Coroner Charles DeCanter and met at the courthouse Wednesday afternoon to take testimony on the case. Nine witnesses were heard. The jury consisted of Chas. Bellile, Jas. Baker, Wm. Averill, L. Dietrich, P. J. Gaston, and John DeCanter.
               Dr. I. E. Schiek of this city told of being called to the train Sunday morning and of operating on the wounded man in hopes of saving his life. According to the doctor there were two bullet wounds which caused death. One bullet entered the thigh and the other the abdomen. The bullet of the former was found in the thigh. The other passed completely through the body, entering the abdomen and passing out at the back. Dr. Schiek gave as the cause of death, the shock arising from the wounds, hemorrhage, and the effects of the operation.
               Five young men of Polish descent who reside at Jennings, told of being at the Pelican Lake dance on the evening of the shooting. Each told in essence the same story. They declared that they had passed the interior of the dance hall to the street and that in passing one of them stepped on Flannery's foot. Flannery, it is alleged began to chase him and asked the young man if he wanted to die, at the same time putting his hand into his coat pocket as though it contained a revolver. Words were passed and the young man not wanting to have a row went to the Hank Miner Saloon next door to the dance hall, Flannery and a companion named George Carter going over to the depot.
                                 
               TRUNTZ ACTS AS PEACEMAKER

               Truntz was not in the party that participated in this trouble but was informed of it a short time later. It is alleged that he went over to the depot to remonstrate with the men, that Frank Poltz and Peter Polubitski followed him. The latter two testified that upon coming around the corner of the depot, Truntz saw the two men walking south on the platform and called to them to wait, that he wanted to speak to them.
               It is charged that Flannery turned on Truntz and fired four shots at him, one taking effect in the thigh and the other in the abdomen. Flannery then ran from the village in a southerly direction.
               Polubitski and Poltz upon hearing the shots turned and ran back to the dance hall where they made the shooting known and the wounded man was taken to the Beach Hotel where he was cared for until train time when he was brought to this city.
                                 
                      CARTER SEES SHOOTING

               George Carter, Flannery's companion on the night of the murder testified to the trouble in front of the dance hall. He asserted that he took the latter from the scene with the idea of taking him home and that they were followed by the three young men of which party Truntz was a member. He admitted that the latter was shot by Flannery and said that he did not know where Flannery had secreted himself since the shooting.
                                 
                  FLANNERY FROM KENTUCKY

               Both Flannery and Carter are residents of Kentucky and have been in this state but a short time. Both were employed at a logging camp about one mile north of Pelican. Carter claims that he had known the accused man but a short time and that he did not know much about him.
               Truntz was deputy sheriff of Langlade County, was well known in Jennings where he had made his home for several years. He is said to have been a peaceable man and was perfectly sober on the night which he was shot. He was a single man and was twenty-seven years old. Those who survive him are his mother, step-father and two sisters, all of Antigo (about 25 miles south-Craig). The remains were taken to that city for burial Monday night.               
At the conclusion of the testimony on the case the jury gave as the cause of death, "Bullet wounds from a revolver in the hands of William Flannery." "