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The Wisconsin Krueger Family Tragedy: 16 years of Letters from Prison
On September 14, 1918, near the end of World War I, a Wisconsin farm family found their lives torn apart for refusing to fight in a war overseas.
264 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 18, 2017
During World War I, the Krueger brothers of rural Longwood, Wisconsin (Their postal address was actually “Withee, Wisconsin.”) refused to register for the military draft. On September 14, 1918, law enforcement officials came to arrest them. The brothers refused to comply, and soon a very large armed posse (or, arguably, a mob) surrounded the house. When the shooting stopped, the house had been riddled with hundreds of bullets and one man lay dead. In retrospect, it seems likely that the man was killed by friendly fire, as he died some distance from the Kruegers actual location during the siege. Nonetheless, Frank and Leslie Krueger both received a life sentence for first degree murder. They were freed in 1934, by gubernatorial pardon.
I grew up in the town of Longwood, and the “Krueger incident” is still discussed there today, nearly one hundred years later. I was thus delighted to learn that someone had finally written a book about it. While I enjoyed the book, I also have to admit to some disappointment. I had hoped to learn what, exactly, the Kruegers believed, why they held those beliefs, and why they were so willing to defy the law for them. Unfortunately, author Kay Scholtz doesn’t seem overly concerned with these matters. While she does devote a chapter to the September 14, 1918 “shoot out” and the events leading up to it, her main focus is on the following sixteen years, in which Frank and Leslie Krueger languish in state penitentiaries and mental health institutions, while their mother and brother work on the family farm.
It’s easy to see why Scholtz chose this path. She was fortunate to gain access to a treasure trove of relevant material, i.e. the actual letters exchanged between the imprisoned Frank and Leslie Krueger and their mother Caroline. The letters certainly ARE a treasure trove – providing insight into farming life, prison inmate experiences and the national mood during the post-World War I and early Great Depression eras. Scholtz can be commended here for largely letting the Kruegers tell their story in their own words. While she does clearly sympathize with her subjects, she also largely avoids modern-day editorial opinionating. When she does present an opinion, she provides her reasoning for it. Certainly, there is drama in the situation, and by reading the Kruegers’ letters, you feel their frustrations and sense the toll on their mental and emotional health. I should note that while Sholtz’s book does include transcriptions of many letters and other primary sources, Scholtz does frame these with original prose providing context. The book is thus a history, and not just a compilation of primary material.
As a native Wisconsinite (and specifically a native of the Longwood/Withee/Owen area), I found Scholtz’s book a worthwhile read but also feel that there is much more of this story to be told. Someday, perhaps, someone will write a more definitive account, with a greater examination of not just the Krueger’s motives, but also of the motives of neighbors both opposing and supporting them. Until then, Scholtz’s book will, if nothing else, keep the Kruegers’ story alive, and it’s a compelling enough read in its own right.
I grew up in the town of Longwood, and the “Krueger incident” is still discussed there today, nearly one hundred years later. I was thus delighted to learn that someone had finally written a book about it. While I enjoyed the book, I also have to admit to some disappointment. I had hoped to learn what, exactly, the Kruegers believed, why they held those beliefs, and why they were so willing to defy the law for them. Unfortunately, author Kay Scholtz doesn’t seem overly concerned with these matters. While she does devote a chapter to the September 14, 1918 “shoot out” and the events leading up to it, her main focus is on the following sixteen years, in which Frank and Leslie Krueger languish in state penitentiaries and mental health institutions, while their mother and brother work on the family farm.
It’s easy to see why Scholtz chose this path. She was fortunate to gain access to a treasure trove of relevant material, i.e. the actual letters exchanged between the imprisoned Frank and Leslie Krueger and their mother Caroline. The letters certainly ARE a treasure trove – providing insight into farming life, prison inmate experiences and the national mood during the post-World War I and early Great Depression eras. Scholtz can be commended here for largely letting the Kruegers tell their story in their own words. While she does clearly sympathize with her subjects, she also largely avoids modern-day editorial opinionating. When she does present an opinion, she provides her reasoning for it. Certainly, there is drama in the situation, and by reading the Kruegers’ letters, you feel their frustrations and sense the toll on their mental and emotional health. I should note that while Sholtz’s book does include transcriptions of many letters and other primary sources, Scholtz does frame these with original prose providing context. The book is thus a history, and not just a compilation of primary material.
As a native Wisconsinite (and specifically a native of the Longwood/Withee/Owen area), I found Scholtz’s book a worthwhile read but also feel that there is much more of this story to be told. Someday, perhaps, someone will write a more definitive account, with a greater examination of not just the Krueger’s motives, but also of the motives of neighbors both opposing and supporting them. Until then, Scholtz’s book will, if nothing else, keep the Kruegers’ story alive, and it’s a compelling enough read in its own right.
August 23, 2016
I live near Withee and drive by the house often. This book is just too dry to keep my interest and it took me many months to read it. I did finish it, but it was a struggle.
September 11, 2023
A wonderful telling of this tragic event in Wisconsin's history.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews