FRANK GRUND
Frank Grund gravestone
(Photo by Vernon B. Paddock)
B. 1878 in Chicago, Cook County, IL
D. February 3, 1927 in Fox Lake, Lake County, IL
Find A Grave memorial (click here)
- Siblings:
- Manfred Grund
(NOTE: It is unverifiable as to the parents and siblings of Frank Grund. In a Waukegan newspaper following Frank’s death is listed a brother “Nanfred” living in Chicago. This brother is presumably “Manfred”. Manfred Grundy (1886-1964) had three sisters: Edna (Grundy) Hughes, Florence (Grundy) Smith and Edith (Grundy Ouleha. Manfred’s father, Frank Grund (1842-1910) immigrated from Germany in 1882 and married Alice Fitt, 18 years his senior, as his second wife in 1885. The subject, Frank Grund, is listed in the Illinois death records as being born about 1877 and his gravestone indicates 1878. The newspaper articles indicated he was age 40, which would place his birth year about 1887. If he was born about 1878 then he would have been born in Germany before his father immigrated to the U.S. No evidence has proven his birth date and parents.)
Additional Information:
According to the U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 (Waukegan, Illinois, City Directory, 1913, “Grays Lake Directory” (NOTE: also listed in the 1901 directory)):
“Grund Frank lab”
According to the Waukegan Daily Sun (Waukgan IL) Thursday, February 3, 1927, page 1 and 12:
“PROBE DEATH CASE AT FOX LAKE
WITNESS PERJURES SELF, IS CHARGE
——–
Question 2 Men
With Regard
To A Drink-
ing Bout
——–
Frank Gund (sic), of Round Lake,
Found With Fractured Skull
At Fox Lake Cottage.
——–
HOLD TWO COMPANIONS
——–
BULLETIN
Young and Clark, companions of Gund (sic) who met death after a drinking bout in a Fox Lake cottage this morning were being questioned by States Attorney A. V. Smith in this office here today, while Justice of the Peace Harry Hoyt sat outside armed with blank warrants which may be used if the states attorney believes the men should be held. Investigation today showed that Gund left Round Lake yesterday with $60 in his pocket which is missing. No mud was found on the clothing covering the body although his companions stated that part of his body had fallen in soft mud. No weapons were found in the cottage. Coroner Taylor who will hold a post-mortem tonight stated today that the case was “very suspicious.”
Accompanied by deputy Sheriff H. A. Doolittle who is armed with warrants, Clark left for Fox Lake this afternoon to arrest a bootlegger who it is claimed furnished the liquor that was drunk by the trio in the tragic party.
——–
Death of Frank Gund aged 40 years of Round Lake, due to a fractured skull, this morning following a drinking bout in a cottage at Fox Lake, resulted in arrest of two companions of the man, today, while village and county authorities are making a thorough probe of the tragedy.
The pair held by police, George Young of Fox Lake and Taylor Clark of Wildwood, deny knowledge of the death of Gund, beyond stating in their opinion that he suffered injuries in a fall from a stoop in front of the rear dear of the home to the cement sidewalk, where they claim they found him at 7 o’clock this morning.
Authorities in Probe
Notified of the affair by Dr. Francis T. Rollins, who attended Gund when he died at 8 o’clock this morning, Marshall Joseph Riggs of Fox Lake began an investigation of the case who after arresting Young and Clark called Sheriff Lawrence Doolittle coroner J. L. Taylor and States attorney A. V. Smith into the case.
According to the stories told by the men when questioned by authorities this morning, Young who was employed as a caretaker at the Charles Skillin cottage near Fox Lake, invited Gund and Clark to the cottage last night to spend the evening. The owner of the cottage is in Florida.
After an evening of revelry all decided to remain in the cottage over night. This morning when the two men arose and found that Gund was not in the cottage they started a search for him. They found him, according to their claims, lying on the sidewalk in the rear of the cottage. They contend that he probably fell from three foot stoop to the sidewalk.
Examination showed that Gund has suffered a fracture of the skull.
Suspicion is Formed
Nature of the injury and the fact that it followed a drinking bout aroused the suspsicions (sic) of authorities and the exhaustive probe into the death of the man is the results.
Gund who had been employed during recent months by Ben Peterkort Round Lake druggist as a stock handler and porter was unmarried. He has been working in the lake district of the county for years. Both of the other men involved in the case are single.
States Attorney A. V. Smith after a brief investigation into the claims of Young and Clark, returned to his office here this morning, but Deputy Sheriffs H. A. Doolittle and Edward Dunn remained at Fox Lake today to aid Coroner Taylor in his investigation into the affair.”
According to the Waukegan Daily Sun (Waukegan IL) Saturday, February 5, 1927, page 1:
“WARRANT ISSUED
FOR CUNNINGHAM
WOMAN IN DEATH
——–
Prosecutor Charges Mrs. Ma-
rie Cunningham as Access-
ory After the Fact.
——–
CONTINUES HIS PROBE
——–
The first official step toward prosecution in the death of Frank Grund 40, of Round Lake, who died from a several skull fracture under mysterious circumstances, was taken today by States Attorney A. V. Smith, when he charged Mrs. Marie Cunningham, Fox Lake, as an accessory after the fact.
The warrant, issued by Justice Harry Hoyt in the offices of the prosecutor, was drawn under the conspiracy act.
She and her husband were detained two days ago at the instance of Col. Smith when Taylor Clark pointed out the Cunningham place as the home in which they had purchased liquor for the bout that ended with tragedy.
Attorney James G. Welch and Representative William F. Weiss have been retained as council by the Cunninghams which probably forced the warrant as the colonel had held the pair unbooked as long as permitted by law.
Taylor and George Young, who were with the man previous to his death, and William Hoth, the caretaker of the place, are still being detained.
“I feel sure that it is murder,” the colonel stated.
The states attorney is supported in this view by Dr. J. L. Taylor, county coroner, it is understood, who is delaying the date of the inquest to permit the authorities to make as thorough an investigation as possible into the facts in the case preparatory to submitting all evidence, that they will be able to obtain, before the coroner’s jury.
With the states attorney failing to bare all of the facts in connection with the case there is an air of mystery surrounding the holding of Mrs. Cunningham as an accessory after the fact and likewise as to the detention of William Hoth.
It is expected that the inquest which will be held next week will develop many facts in connection with the case that have not been bared by the authorities following their investigation.
Col. Smith stated late today that he would not hold the woman on an accessory charge, but on conspiracy. She is prepared to give bonds.
Grund’s brother, Nanfred (sic), who has not seen him for years, was located in Chicago by Deputy H. A. Doolittle. The brother will be here tomorrow to take charge of the body.”
According to the Waukegan Daily Sun (Waukegan IL) Thursday, February 10, 1927, page 1:
“MURDER BOUND
TO GRAND JURY
WITHOUT BONDS
——-
George Young Held For Death
of Grund While Clark Case
is Continued.
——–
HEARING IS WAIVED
——–
George Young, confessed killer of Frank Grund, Round Lake drugstore porter, today was held to the grand jury without bonds on a charge of murder by Justice Harry Hoyt, Young waived preliminary hearing.
The warrant was an old one, dated Feb. 3, and charged both Young and Taylor Clark, his friend, who was with him when he kicked in Grund’s skull, with murder. It was signed by States Attorney A. V. Smith. The warrant had been held by Sheriff Lawrence Doolittle without serving until late yesterday.
The murder charge may stand in Young’s case although Col. Smith has stated that he will try him for manslaughter. As a jury has the right to return a verdict of manslaughter in a murder case this old warrant may remain.
Clark’s case was continued to Feb. 18. He will be charged as an accessory after the fact, Col. Smith declares, due to his silence and refusal to assist the state in running down the killer when he knew all the facts. He took no part in the struggle, the states attorney says.
Young, taken over the scent (sic) of the crime in the Fox Lake region, pointed out the cottage where the death struggle took place. He told detectives and the states attorney that he and Grund had argued as to who was the strongest. Then they wrestled. Finally forcing Grund to the ground he kicked in his skull with his heavy shoe, he said.
Inquest Tomorrow
Dr. J. L. Taylor announced this morning that he had set the time of the inquest into the death of Grund for 3:30 o’clock tomorrow afternoon at the Wetzel and Peterson funeral home.
It is expected that the inquest will develop facts in connection with the slaying that have not been bared in the investigation by the authorities.”
According to the Lake County Independent (Libertyville IL) Thursday, February 17, 1927, page 1:
“BELIEVE AXE WAS
USED BY SLAYER
IN GRUND MURDER
——–
Facts Surrounding Killer of
Frank Grund in Fox Lake
Cottage Bared in Inquest.
Belief that the skull of Frank Grund was crushed in with an axe in the hands of Charles Young was expressed in the inquest into the death of the man held in the Wetzel and Peterson funeral parlors in Waukegan last Friday, by John E. Daly, highway policeman.
The coroners jury after hearing the testimony recommended that Young be held to the grand jury on a charge of murder.
Doubt that the injury sustained by Grund which resulted in his death could have been caused by a kick in the head which Young claims he administered to the man as he lay on the floor of the Skillin cottage in Fox Lake was expressed at the inquest.
The top of the skull of the man which was shattered by the blow was exhibited at the inquest. The grewsome (sic) exhibit was shown to the jury by Dr. C. A. Barnes who made an autopsy on the head of the victim shortly his death. Dr. Barnes stated in his testimony that the injury sustained by Grund could not have been caused by a fall as it was first claimed by Young and Taylor Clark, companions of Grund at the cottage at Fox Lake on the night that he received the injury which resulted in his death the following morning.
Story of the confession of Young, that he killed Grund was told on the stand by Sidney Block, assitant (sic) states attorney. He stated that Young claimed that he and Grund engaged in an argument in the home and that the two men wrestled about the floor, after an argument. He further stated that when Grund failed to arise from the floor after wrestling for several minutes that he kicked in an effort to arouse him. Young sated that his blow in the head from the heel of his shoe apparently crushed in the skull of Grund.
Dr. Francis J. Rollin of Fox Lake was the first to testify. He told of being called to the Skillin cottage at 7:30 o’clock on the morning of the death of Grund. He stated that Grund was near death and that he passed away one half hour after his arrival.
G. W. Neilson, who resides near the Skillin cottage was the next witness. He stated that he heard a commotion in the cottage early in the morning. He stated that he arrived at his home in Fox Lake on a train at 2 o’clock in the morning and that the lights in the Skillin cottage were burning.
Marshall Joseph Riggs of Fox Lake also told of being called to the cottage on the morning of the death of Grund and he stated that circumstances surrounding the case caused him to believe the murder had been committed. He testified that both Young and Clark had told him that Grund had received his injuries in a fall.
That Young made several remarks which showed his antipathy to Grund was stated by Daley. He declared that Young was unusually nervous and that he stated that Grund should have been knocked off long ago.
Taylor Clark held as an accomplice of Young in the murder of Grund was not implicated in the killing in the testimony presented at the inquest. It is understood however, that he will be held as an accessory to await the action of the grand jury in the case.”
According to the Republican-Northwestern (Belvidere IL) Friday, March 18, 1927, page 6:
“LONGCOR ENGAGED
IN MURDER DEFENSE
Attorney Willard Longcor, formerly of Belvidere, has been retained for the defense of George Young, of Fox Lake, indicted for the murder of Frank Grund. Round Lake drug store porter, who was found dead in Young’s cabin after a “party” in which the two men and Taylor Clark participated. Grund died of a fractured skull, and Young is charged with kicking him in the head. The defense is said to be ready to admit that the two had a scuffle, but that Grund is known to have been out trying to buy liquor after Young went to bed, and the contention is that Grund fell down stairs.”
According to the Republican-Northwestern (Belvidere IL) Friday, March 25, 1927, page 3:
“Gets Year to Life
On Manslaughter Plea
George Young, charged with the murder of Frank Grund in a fight at the Taylor Clark cottage at Fox Lake, withdrew his plea of not guilty in the circuit court at Waukegan, and on the advice of his attorney, Willard Longcor, entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced by Judge Claire C. Edwards to a term of from one year to life in the penitentiary, and State’s Attonrey (sic) A. V. Smith asked the court to send down favorable recommendations that would insure his parole within a reasonable time. It is said that the state’s attorney would be satisfied with a three years term.
Taylor Clark was also indicted and has entered a plea of not guilty.
On the night of Feb. 2 the three engaged in a drinking “party” at the lake cottage, and Young and Grund became involved in an argument as to which was the stronger. The tussle developed into a fight and Grund’s skull was fractured. It was charged that Young kicked Grund in the head.”
According to the Illinois, Death and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947:
“Name: Frank Grund; Birth Date: abt 1877; Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois; Death Date: 11 Feb 1927 (sic); Death Place: Fox Lake, Lake, Illinois; Burial Date: 8 Feb 1927 (sic); Cemetery Name: Fort Hill; Death Age: 50; Occupation: Janitor; Race: White; Marital status: S; Gender: Male; Residence: Round Lake, Ill.”