John D LE BORIUS

1891 - 1948  (56 years)

• Name	John D LE BORIUS
  Birth	1 Nov 1891	Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota
  	according to his draft registration
  Gender	Male
  Death	8 Jul 1948	Hennepin County, Minnesota
  Notes	In the 1900 census, he is the son of John and Louise Le Borius, farmer, who live on 41st Avenue S. However, the 1898 Bloomington plat map shows John “LeBerius” owning 130 or so acres east of the Kornders. This LeBorius land is essentially the eastern quarter of Section 1 although it includes frontage along 78th Street all the way to 24th Avenue. In the 1910 Minneapolis city directory, he is probably John LeBorius Jr. He is a farmer and lives with John LeBorius, probably his father, at 5134 41st Avenue S. In the 1910 census, John D Le Borius is the son of Louise Le Borius. Louise and her family live at 5134 41st Avenue S. He registered for the draft on 5 Jun 1917 in Bloomington where he was a self-employed farmer. He was tall and slender with brown eyes and brown hair. in the 1930 census, John Le Borius, age 38, lives with his mother Louise, and Bert Engstrom, a hired man, on a farm on the Fort Snelling Road in Bloomington. In 1939, he advertised suburban property for sale as follows (13 Aug 1939, Mpls Tribune): “THE Old Plantation for colored people only, 100 acres on the Minnesota River, 3 miles southwest of Fort Snelling on the Shakopee Road. $500 an acre in acre tract. John Le Borius.” He murdered his sister and her husband and then committed suicide with poison. In a wire-service article that appeared in newspapers nationwide on July 9, 1948: Minneapolis authorities today investigated an apparent double murder and suicide that climaxed a lengthy family court battle over a 13 acre suburban estate. The shotgun-blasted bodies of Dr. James Reynolds, 68, prominent eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, and his wife, Mercedes, 66, were found in the mansion on the estate yesterday. The body of Mrs. Reynolds’ brother, John Leborius, 55, was found in a caretaker’s two-room house nearby. Sheriff Ed Ryan said Leborius had died from poisoning and commented: “It looks like a case of murder and suicide.” Mrs. Helen Malmquist, a friend of Leborius, discovered the bodies Thursday afternoon when she went to the estate in accordance with instructions given to her Wednesday night by Leborius. A note in Leborius’ handwriting said: “I’m in the house dead. They’re in the other house dead. Maybe this will bring Judge Anderson to his senses.” Mrs. Malmquist told authorities that Leborius telephoned her Wednesday that he had been ordered to vacate his quarters and leave the estate by 8 a.m. Thursday. From the Thursday, July 8th edition of the Minneapolis Star: Three Found Dead at Country Home A Minneapolis physician, Dr. James Reynolds, 68, and his wife were found dead today from shotgun wounds at their country home south of Minneapolis. The body of Mrs. Reynolds’ brother, John Le Borius, 55, was found in the estate keeper’s house nearby. Sheriff deputies said Coroner Russell Helen said it appeared to be a case of double murder and suicide. They were hunting for clues to Le Borius’ death. No gunshot wounds were visibile on his body. The bodies were found by friends whom Le Borius telephoned Wednesday night. He reportedly said he would have an important message for his attorney concealed under an oil cloth covering of the kitchen table at the country home at 3000 E. Old Shakopee Road, just across County Road #1 from the Twin Cities Gun Club. LeBorius and the Reynolds were in dispute over legal title and rights to the estate said Guy Parker, attorney, to whom Le Borius left the note. W. H. Fabric, chief of the sheriff’s criminal division, said that the mother of the doctor’s wife and LeBorius had left the estate to the daughter. The mother died in 1944 (sic). A court settlement provided that Le Borius should vacate the premises today, the sheriff’s investigators reported. Parker said Le Borius telephoned two Minneapolis friends Wednesday night and asked them to go to the country place. Only one could make the trip. She is Mrs. Helen Malmquist, 4105 Nicollet Avenue. Her roommate, Mrs. E. Field, went to the house this morning. Both had been frequent visitors to the country house in recent years. Parker said Mrs. Malmquist visited Le Borius about 7:30 - 9:30 PM Wednesday night. Le Borius told Mrs. Malmquist that he had been given notice to leave the quarters on the place by 8 A.M. today. He reportedly said he expected to be gone at that time, however, because he had arranged transportation for 6 A.M. The attorned and his friends arrived this morning, knocked on the door, got no response, and entered Le Borius’s two-room living quarters, near the main house. In the kitchen they found a note from Le Borius. It said, “I’m in the house dead, they’re in the other house dead.” Entering the main home, the friends found the bodies of Dr. Reynolds and his wife, Mercedes. The body of the eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist was stretched full length on the floor of the sitting room. His wife was slumped face down, in a sofa, her feet nearly reaching the floor. Sheriff’s deputies said preliminary investigations indicated the doctor and his wife may have been killed by a single shot. There was no evidence of gunshot injuries on the body of Le Borius. Deputies investigated the possibility that he had killed his sister and her husband with a 10 gauge shotgun found in the smaller kitchen. Piecing together the stories of the attorney and the two Minneapolis girls, who often visited the farm in the past two years, deputies believe the deaths occurred ….. From a United Press newswire article published in many papers on Friday: An enraged farmer killed his sister and her doctor-husband with a single shotgun blast and then apparently took his own life, sheriff’s officers said yesterday. W. H. Fabriz, chief of the criminal division of the Hennepin County sheriff’s office said the shootings occurred on a farm south of Minneapolis, probably just before Wednesday midnight. The bodies were not discovered until yesterday. Fabriz said that John Le Borius, 55, apparently shot Dr. James S. Reynolds, 68, Minneapolis, and his wife, Mercedes. Mrs. Reynolds was Le Borius’ sister. Friends who called at the farm home yesterday found Reynolds sprawled on the floor of the small sitting room and his wife lying face down on a cot nearby. In a small caretaker’s shack near the main house they discovered Le Borius’ body on a bed. A note nearby read: “I’m in this house dead. They’re in the other house dead. Maybe this will bring Judge Anderson to his senses.” Coroner Russell Helm reported following an autopsy that Le Borius apparently had taken a dose of strychnine. The autopsy was performed to learn if the man had poisoned himself or died following a heart attack. Fabriz said Le Borius had lived on the farm since 1910. The farm was left to his sister when their mother died four years ago but the brother claimed an interest in the property. Judge William A Anderson was reported to have ruled against Le Borius a year ago after litigation involving Le Borius and his sister and brother-in-law. Fabriz said it appeared Reynolds, a prominent eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, had ordered Le Borius to leave the farm by 8 a.m. yesterday.
  Person ID	I19621	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	12 Feb 2022

  
  

  Father	John LE BORIUS,   b. 8 Jun 1844, Germany d. 14 Nov 1914, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 70 years)
  Mother	Louise FRANK,   b. 15 Jun 1857, Minnesota d. 15 Dec 1943, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 86 years)
  Family ID	F14229	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart