From the December 13, 1933, Plano News paper – with additional information added in italics for the benefit of the readers. The words in regular type are taken directly from the paper. The words in italics are commentary added by Kristy Lawrie Gravlin.
“Last Wednesday night about midnight, the people of Plano, and the surrounding area, were brought face to face with a deplorable and cruel tragedy. William Fonda, sixty-five years of age, a resident of Plano and proprietor of an oil station, became intoxicated by the consumption of alcohol, which turned him into an insane fiend looking for trouble.”
(This distressing event occurred on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 1933.
William Fonda was born on Aug. 18, 1870, in Iowa, according to the 1930 census taker in Plano when she interviewed him. His father was born in New York and his mother in Iowa. Both William and his wife, Margaret, were 60 years of age. Their home in Plano was said to be worth $2,500, (equivalent of $139,000 now) so he had worked hard and done well.
He married his wife, Margaret Lawler, in 1906 in Chicago when they were 36 years old. Margaret would die in 1934 and William in 1938. Both were buried in Plano at the Little Rock Township Cemetery.)
“After closing for the night, Mr. Fonda went across the street from his oil station to what is known as “The Tavern”, a place owned and operated by Dewey Parrish.”
(The two establishments were on opposing corners of Lew Street and the highway. Fonda’s Oil Station was where the Plano Collision building is now. Across Lew Street, to the east, was Dewey Parrish’s Tavern, on the corner in the big house that was there.)
“When Mr. Fonda entered The Tavern there were a large number of young men and women assembled there for a lunch of hot sandwiches after a dancing party held at Cramer’s Hall.”
(Cramer’s Hall was the dance hall above a portion of what is now Cooper’s Furniture. It was a popular place at the time from what I’ve heard.)
“Among the patrons was a young man, Joseph Kohout, Jr., who resides south of Millhurst.”
(Millhurst is that big, at least three-story, limestone building that sits on the Fox River… west of the road from Plano to Millbrook. It doesn’t seem to me that anything would be described as south of Millhurst. Maybe he meant between Millhurst and Millbrook? Or maybe he meant south of Millbrook? Mr. Kohout lived far enough south of Plano that he was not “known by everyone” as most Plano residents of that time were.
Further research has shown that Joseph and his parents, Joseph Sr., and Marie had lived in Stickney, Cook County, Illinois in 1930.)
“Before Mr. Fonda had left his place of business he had armed himself with a revolver and, once arriving at The Tavern, he immediately began to ask people to drink beer with him. Those who knew him best accepted his invitation.
He approached Mr. Kohout, who refused to drink with him. Mr. Fonda became enraged, so Mr. Kohout went away to avoid trouble—but then came back later. In the meantime, Mr. Fonda became more boisterous.
When Mr. Kohout returned, Fonda again demanded that he drink with him, and he was again refused. It was then that Fonda pulled his gun and, apparently without hesitating, shot the young man through his abdomen. Everyone present became panic stricken and naturally moved to the door. It was some little time before people realized that Mr. Kohout had been seriously wounded.
The proprietor, Dewey Parrish, immediately took care of the victim and sent for Dr. A. E. Lord. After examination, Kohout was at once removed to the Sandwich Hospital, where he lived until Friday morning before passing away.”
(Dr. Arthur E. Lord was by then one of the main doctors in Plano. He was the son of Dr. Frank H. Lord that you’ve read of many times. Together they ran their “business” – taking turns when one was not well, or when the other was sent off to war. The residents seemed comfortable with either one of the Dr. Lords coming to assist. And one or the other was usually the one called when a coroner was needed. Their home was the large yellow house at the northeast corner of East Main and Will Streets. You can see it there still if you drive by, although it has been many years since the Lord family has lived there.)
“Mr. Fonda, after the shooting, went back to his home and went to bed. The police were called, of course. Sheriff Hextell and his deputies, after an all night watch at the home, placed him under arrest the next morning and lodged him in the county jail at Yorkville.”
(Sheriff Martin Nikolai Hextell was the second of eight children born to Rasmus H. and Julia Sjursdatter (Severson) Hextell. Martin was born on Feb. 9, 1881, in Lisbon, Illinois.
In an editorial of August 1921, the Kendall County Record commended Sheriff Hextell: “The people of Kendall County have every reason to be proud of their sheriff, Martin N. Hextell. This officer has shown that he is in possession of that element that goes to make up a good police officer--practical bravery. There is nothing gaudy about the fearlessness of this man. But when duty calls and his services are needed, Mr. Hextell steps in without a pang of fear.
A local incident, which proves the point, had happened recently. On a Friday night, Sheriff Hextell walked into a dangerous gunman and desperado, gave him shot for shot, and was ready for the final blow when the man committed suicide. “The incident took place in downtown Yorkville; the man was suspected in the murder of a police officer at West Chicago, and was confronted by Hextell in what amounted to a gunfight.”)
“After the death of Mr. Kohout, Coroner Ralph E. Culver, of DeKalb county, empaneled a coroner’s jury composed of six men, Hosea Culver, Curtis Nelson, E.E. Wallace, I.H. Easter, Russell Scott and HS Bradley, all of Sandwich. After hearing the evidence, these men brought in a verdict of murder.”
(I don’t know anything about any of these people so I cannot tell you more. And probably most of the readers do not really care in this case. The coroner of DeKalb County and the six men from the same county were given the case because Mr. Kohout died in the hospital in DeKalb County.)
“Details of this horrible tragedy here in our midst we will not enumerate, because they are more or less known to all of our people. It is said that after Mr. Fonda came to and was himself again; he claimed that he did not remember having shot anyone and stated that he believed that he was insane.”
(When you edit a newspaper, remember to include details for those of us reading a century later. Doing so might clarify the facts from the stories also.)
“One extremely sad part brought about by Fonda’s conduct is the suffering, grief and sorrow coming to Kohout’s good wife, who is ill at her home and at the time of the shooting was in an Aurora hospital for treatment. Fonda is confined to the county jail at Yorkville with no chance whatsoever of being released on bonds.
At the present time it is said that State’s Attorney D.C. Mewhirter will very soon call the Grand Jury together to indict Fonda and will at once call the case to trial. When this trial will occur is not known at this time but whatever happens it will be very disastrous for Mr. Fonda.”
(While it does seem that there were plenty of witnesses to determine who was holding the gun and who was dying on the floor, we can see that times have changed since then. Mr. Fonda was immediately convicted in the minds of those at the tavern and, within days, the minds of all who heard the story.
While it does seem likely that Mr. Fonda moved without any more reasonable cause than the insult of not being willing to share a drink, we do not know exactly what was said between the two men at this point, or earlier in the day. Could there have been extenuating circumstances? Indeed that is a possibility. But was any other evidence brought up in court? We will probably never know.)
“It is the same old story of cheap liquor and its deadly results when consumed by diabetic victims. The really sad and deplorable part of this tragedy is the death of the young man, and our hearts go out to the family because of his sudden end, which was brought about through no fault of his own.”
Dec. 20, 1933: Kendall County
Circuit Court news
“Circuit Judge William J. Fulton was holding court, this morning, at the county seat in Yorkville. The matter of fixing bail in the shooting case of William Fonda, who is now in the county jail, was considered and fixed at $15,000 (about $275,000 today). On January 8, the Grand Jury meets and his case will be under consideration as to murder in the first degree or manslaughter.”
Jan. 10, 1934: Kendall County
Circuit Court now in session
“The Circuit Court of Kendall County convened for the regular January session, Monday morning, with Judge William J. Fulton on the bench. The Grand Jury went late session and voted three indictments. William Fonda of Plano, was indicted for murder and plead not guilty, and two others.
William Fonda, of Plano, was indicted by the grand jury Monday for first-degree murder. He was charged with the murder of Joseph Kohout, Jr., in a “shoot affray” at a tavern in Plano on December 6th, 1933.”
(No one seems to have put in print what William Fonda did, or where he lived, between 1933 and 1938 when he died. Nor do they say what the cause of his death was.
Sometimes one reads that Mr. Fonda died in Plano but other times he is said to have died in the penitentiary in Joliet – a more likely situation, it would seem. Mrs. Fonda passed away in 1934.)
Another notice was found in the paper in 1938:
“Estate of William E. Fonda, Deceased. Belle C. Gilio, Executrix. In re: Inheritance tax return filed. Set for hearing July 3, 1939 at 10 a.m.
Now to figure out who in the world Belle Gilio might have been and why they asked her to be his Executrix....