I mentioned Chariton's pioneer hotel, the Gardner House, the other day in relation to the well preserved vintage service station, now Modern Auto, that has stood on its site at the intersection of North Main Street and Roland Avenue since 1926. Dating from the 1850s, the hotel/boarding house was operated by the N.B. Gardner family until the turn of the 20th century then leased by the Gardner estate to others until its demolition during January of 1926.
This was an ideal location for a service station since, at the time, North Main was the start of the most widely traveled route into and out of Chariton --- Osceola, Indianola, Des Moines and beyond --- from and to the northwest.
But a dramatic murder-suicide that occurred in and near the Gardner House during June of 1925 may well have been another factor in the Gardner family's decision to dispose of the property. The victims were William H. Shutts, who had leased and managed the hotel since 1924, who was shot dead by his son-in-law, James Oliver Sims.
Here's how The Herald-Patriot of June 11, 1925, described the tragedy:
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One of the tragedies that sometimes come in community life was recorded here last Friday noon when two were killed as the result of an argument between an estranged man and his wife. The husband, Oliver Sims, killed his father-in-law, W. H. Shutts, and later turned his gun on himself. Shutts died instantly and Sims passed away after an hour and a half. Both were buried Sunday at Hamilton, the former family home. Shutts was 55 years of age and Sims was 31.
The first shooting took place at what is known as the old Gardner House at the corner of North Main street and Roland avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Shutts had been operating this place as a boarding house since last September. Their daughter, Mrs. Carmen Sims, came to Chariton with them and with her eight-year-old son was making her home here. It is said she and her husband had been living apart for about four years.
The story of the tragedy as told by members of the family is that Sims came to Chariton on Friday morning and demanded that his wife accompany him to Nebraska. He had before insisted that she make the trip with him, but she did not consider it advisable. He made a threat to kill her and produced a revolver. He fired and missed, say those who were at the house at the time. Here, the father, Shutts, jumped between his daughter and Sims and received the second shot in his head.
Another shot was fired at Shutts, it is related, after which Sims ran away from the house, west in the direction of the tracks just as a train was pulling out. At the rear of the Bates House he saw that he would be unable to catch it, and turned into a coal shed and shot himself in the head. Those who were pursuing him saw immediately that his wounds were fatal.
Sims was a miner living at Rexfield, northwest of Albia. Earlier, the Shutts family had lived in that section but moved to Chariton last fall. The daughter, Mrs. Sims, has been employed here and for the past several weeks was son night duty at the Lincoln Cafe. Friends of the family say she left her husband on account of non-support.
The parents of Sims live near Bussey and came to Chariton on Friday to assist with the making of funeral arrangements.
Double funeral services were held last Sunday, June 7th. After a very brief service at the Shutts home on north Main street, conducted by Rev. Frank Bean, the funeral cortege wended its way to the M.E. church at Hamilton, where services were held, conducted by Rev. Bean, of this city, assisted by Rev. Tag, of Bussey. The church and yard were filled with sympathizing and sorrowing friends and the floral tributes were profuse and beautiful. Both were laid to rest in the family lot in the cemetery at Hamilton.
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For those unfamiliar with the territory, Hamilton is a tiny town in southeast Marion County, just north of Lovilla along Highway 5.
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