Isaac Falor was born on 8 January 1861 at Swan, Marion County, IA, USA.¹ He was the son of Eli Falor and Eva Ann Viers.¹ Isaac Falor married Metila "Metilda" Thomas on 11 June 1879 at Swan, Marion County, IA, USA.¹ Isaac Falor appeared on the census of 1880; Census Place: Swan and Union, Marion, Iowa. Family History Library Film: 1254354, NA Film Number: T9-0354, Page Number: 487D.² He was buried in 1905 at Swan Cemetery, Swan, Marion County, IA, USA.³ He died on 22 March 1905 at Swan, Marion County, IA, USA, at age 44.¹
Taken from an article in the Des Moines, Iowa newspaper “The Journal”
The Date of the Article is the 24^th of March the year is unknown, most likely 1905.
"Murder Near Swan

James Blee Shots and Instantly Kills His Half Brother, Isaac Failor

Killing Result of Family Feud.

Corner’s Jury Finds the Deed was done in the spirit of Murder—Quarrel of Long Standing was Aggravated by Trouble Over Private Road Way.

James E. Blee, a farmer residing one mile due south of Swan, shot and instantly killed his half-brother, Isaac Failor, about 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning, March 22. The killing occurred over a dispute about a private road. The weapon used was a Winchester shot-gun carrying cartridges heavily loaded with large sized shot. The shooting was at close range-not over 20 or 25 feet, almost the entire charge took effect in the right side of the victim’s neck, severing jugulars, carotid arteries and windpipe. Such a wound could not otherwise than inflict instantaneous death. Only one load was fired and almost every shot contained in the cartridge entered the man’s neck within an area of not more than 2 ½ or 3 inches in diameter, just under the lower jaw. A few scattering shots penetrated the upper half of the breast and right side of the chin, but the main portion of the charge entered the neck almost as a solid shot, tearing a ghastly hole where they entered and where they emerged at a point below and in front of the left ear. With the exception of the wound on the chin the face was uninjured.

     Failor fell perfectly limp and lifeless in his tracks. Blee remained in the vicinity only long enough to ascertain the deadliness of his aim and then he hurried to Swan where he surrendered himself to Constable Hammer.

     The Swan officers communicated with Sheriff Bybee, and at about the same time Mr. Blee called Attorney Hays and requested him to come on the first train to give the necessary legal advice.

     At 12:30 a party composed Sheriff Bybee, County Attorney Lyon, Attorney Hays, Geo. C. Inlow and The Journal representative started for the scene of the trouble. On arriving at Swan it was found that the sidewalks were thronged with men from nearly every neighborhood in the western part of the township- no one particularly excited or unduly wrought up over the occurrence, but everybody anxious to get the particulars of the unfortunate affair. The prisoner was under guard of Constable Hammer at the latter’s residence. The two women most of all others interested in the prisoner’s welfare, his wife and aged mother, were also at the Hammer home. No information had been filed and neither the Justice or the constable knew the results of the coroner’s investigation, which had been held during the forenoon. The latter circumstance arose from the fact that Coroner Miller had driven out to the scene from his home in Pleasantville and had empanelled his jury from among the farmer residing in the neighborhood of the tragedy.


     The crowds on the streets discussed the matter coolly and freely. Each succeeding story regarding the affair and how and why it had occurred was different in some particular from the one just previously narrated. Everybody in town appeared to be friends of both parties, and it was very noticeable that there was no expressed desire on the part of any one to reflect discredit or blame upon either the murderer or the murdered man. In short the prevailing opinion was to the effect that what had been expected for years had at last happened-that it was the culmination of a family feud; a vendetta of long standing, in which it was impossible to foresee who would be killed or the killer.

     After Blee had been legally placed under arrest on a warrant sworn out before Justice Logan, Sheriff Bybee, County Attorney Lyons and The Journal man drove out to the Failor home to view the scene of the tragedy and get all the information possible in regards to the matter. The county attorney desired to make the trip more especially for the purpose of interviewing Frankie, the 11 year old son of the victim, who was with his father when the shooting occurred, and who was the only witness to the affair. After viewing the scene of the shooting, the corpse of the murdered man and the general surroundings, the Knoxville party talked with the members of the family and the relatives and neighbors. Among the latter were those who had been attracted to the scene by the report of the gun and the screams of the women, and who had afterward assisted in removing the corpse to the house.

     After talking with a score, or perhaps more of interested and disinterested, we feel warranted in giving the following as a digest of all the information on the subject which it was possible to obtain under the circumstances.

     Isaac and William Failor, full brothers, and James E. Blee, their half-brother, resided on adjoining farms in Swan township for many years. William Failor and James Blee have lived near together on the county road one mile south of Swan; Isaac Failor’s 80 is a “shut in” tract a quarter of a mile south. Some years ago Isaac purchased a 20 foot strip off of the West side of the Blee 40, which gave him an opening out to the main road. Later Blee purchased or came into possession of a 40 acre tract directly south of Isaac’s east 40, and in order to get to that farm Blee not only necessarily had to use the private road but was also forced to go through Failor’s hog pasture. The men have quarreled on several occasions and are said to have had a regular fist-fight not longer than the holidays. William is only mentioned here because of the fact that he always “took sides” with his full brother.

     As the spring work began to open up on the farm and it became necessary for Blee to pass through his brother’s hop pasture in going and returning from plowing on the “south forty”. The quarrel was renewed. It is alleged that both parties swore eternal enmity towards each other and each had made threats against the other’s life. The “beginning of the end” came on Monday of this week when Isaac Failor closed the south end of the private lane by closing the gate and setting a large post in the middle of the road. After setting the post well in place Mr. Failor nailed the gate fast to it. On Wednesday morning James Blee took his shotgun, a hammer and some staples, and started out to “shoot gophers and tack up some loose wires.” When he finished the fence mending he was near his half-brother’s cattle sheds, and also on Failor’s premises. When he drove the last staple, he started north through the hog lot. Mr. Failor and his son Frank had been feeding the cattle and doing other work around the sheds. Blee was going directly towards home, his path leading past Failor’s barn. At that time Failor and his son started in the direction of the barn, following only a few rods behind Blee. The old quarrel started up with renewed vigor, both men threatening and Failor ordering his half-brother off of the premises Blee retreated until he was through the fence near the obstruction which Failor had erected at the end of the lane, and then halted to inquire why the post had been set and the gate nailed fast. To this query Failor is said to have replied: “To keep you out of my pasture, and I am going to see that it does that very thing to perfection.” One hot word then brought on another, each of the others more violently expressive than any that had preceeded. In a final burst of wild passion, Blee shot Failor dead, the latter falling in the mire of his own hog lot.

     The report of the gun instantly followed bt the wild screams of the women and children attracted neighbors who were a half mile away. The first men on the scene were J.S. and Joseph Viers. They were quickly followed by Samuel Wellons, Edmund Buckley and S.T. Welshhons. Owing to some mistaken idea that it is illegal to remove a corpse until after the coroner arrives, the murdered man was allowed to lay in the mud more than an hour before the more mature judgment of some of those present prevailed upon the others to carry the remains to the house.

When Dr. Miller, the coroner, arrived from Pleasantville he empanelled a jury composed of the following named persons- John A. Pattee, JasPhillips and Chas. Stradley. After due deliberation they rendered the following verdict:

     “We the jury, find that Isaac Failor came to his death by means of a shot gun in the hands of James Blee [and that the weapon was used] in a spirit of murder.”

     Whether or not Blee committed the deed under the impression that he was acting in self-defense has been a subject of considerable comment during the past two days. Blee says that he did not raise the gun to shoot until after Failor had made the remark “I’ll fix you” and made a motion to reach into his hip pocket for his revolver. C.E. Carpenter, of Swan, the gentleman who prepared the corpse for burial, says that Failor still had his mittens on when he fell. In the estimation of those who heard Blee’s talk about the victim “reaching in his pocket for a gun,” the fact that the mittens were still on after death controverts that story. Also, it developed later that Failor was unarmed, not having a single thing in his pockets except his purse. One man who viewed the remains a few minutes after death says that the right hand mitten was on and the other about half off the right hand grasping the left as if in the act of pulling off the other mitten when the death wound was inflicted.

     After returning to Swan county Attorney Lyons filled out a blank bond in the sum of $10,000. and turned the prisoner over to Constable Hammer with the understanding that he and Blee would go immediately into Polk county where some of the rich relatives of the murderer reside and get signatures to the document. Later it was learned that Blee and Hammer started to Des Moines on the evening of the murder for the purpose stated in the foregoing.

     Isaac Failor was a married man 46 years old. He leaves a wife and three children, Bertha, aged 22, Lydia, 17 and Frank 11.

     James E. Blee is 33 years of age and has only been married six months. Eva Ann Failor, the mother of the two men (she took her former husband’s name after separating from Blee’s father) is 73 years of age.

     William Failor and several relatives and friends of the dead man’s family, are making an effort to have the bond revoked and to get Blee placed in safe keeping. In perfecting these arrangements they have secured numerous affidavits which declare that the lives of several parties will be endangered if Blee is given his liberty pending the trial."

Note: The name “Failor” was changed from Falor by various members of the early settlers which was also a family feud.

Article Provided by Jerry Viers, Transcribed by Allen P. Falor in 2006
on 25 March 1905.⁴ Isaac is mentioned in a legal case regarding an issue with inheritance from Lydia Scanes Jackson, his aunt who died in 1907.

on 12 October 1910.⁵

     Isaac C. Falor was born on 27 May 1831 at Coventry Township, Portage County, OH, USA.² He was the son of John Adam Falor Jr. and Kiziah Wink.² Isaac C. Falor married Lorilla M. Viers on 28 August 1853 at Summit County, OH, USA.^1,3 Isaac C. Falor died on 21 November 1907 at Northfield, Summit County, OH, USA, at age 76; Death Records, vol 3 page 83 record 555, Summit County Probate Court, Akron, Ohio.¹ From Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, Jan. 11, 1908, p. 7, col. 5

Isaac Falor, Will Filed

The will of Isaac Falor, who died at this home in Northfield last November, was filed for probate Friday afternoon. All the property which belonged to Mr. Falor is given to his wife, Mrs. Lorilla N. Falor, with the provision that she support their son, Avery Falor. After the death of Mrs. Falor the property is to go to Avery Falor and then to Charles E. Falor, also a son of the deceased. Mr. Falor’s will was made in May, 1897.

Article Provided by Harry Liggett
Transcribed by Samantha Falor, 2005


on 11 January 1908.¹

     Iva "Foys" M. Falor was born on 22 June 1881 at Coventry Township, Summit County, OH, USA; Birth Records, vol 2 page 561, Summit County Probate Court, Akron, Ohio.¹ She was the daughter of George Adam Falor and Emma Jeannnette Coon.² As of 1 January 1901,her married name was Waud.² Iva "Foys" M. Falor married James Waud on 1 January 1901 at Summit County, OH, USA.²

     The family moved to South Dakota in 1913.¹ Jacob Falor was buried at Swan Cemetery, Swan, Marion County, IA, USA.¹ He was born on 11 October 1854 at Swan, Marion County, IA, USA.¹ He was the son of Eli Falor and Eva Ann Viers.¹ Jacob Falor appeared on the census of 1880; Census Place: Swan and Union, Marion, Iowa. Family History Library Film: 1254354, NA Film Number: T9-0354, Page Number: 485D.² He married Amy Florence Allen on 27 December 1885 at Swan, Marion County, IA, USA.¹ Jacob is mentioned in a legal case regarding an issue with inheritance from Lydia Scanes Jackson, his aunt who died in 1907.

on 12 October 1910.³ Jacob Falor died on 13 May 1917 at Platte, Charles Mix County, SD, USA, at age 62.¹

     Jacob Sylvester Falor is the son of Alvern Wayne Falor and Doris Marie Munger. Jacob Sylvester Falor married Jane Marie Goldammer on 18 July 1970 at Mitchell, Davison County, SD, USA.

     James "Jim" Wilbur Falor married Cindy Beth Tabicman at FL, USA.¹ James "Jim" Wilbur Falor is the son of Robert Ford Falor.

     James Elmer Falor is the son of Murlin Elmer Falor and Mary Elizabeth Tappan. James Elmer Falor married Verna Dean Fitzsimmons on 2 November 1951.

     James Isaac Falor and an unknown person were divorced.¹ He married Kerry Braman.¹ James Isaac Falor is the son of Carl Noland "Bud" Falor and Juanita Ilene Cooper. James Isaac Falor married Reva Kay Williams on 26 June 1982 at Saint Johns, Clinton County, MI, USA.

     James Issac Falor JR is the son of James Isaac Falor and Kerry Braman.¹

     James Jacob Falor is the son of Jacob Sylvester Falor and Jane Marie Goldammer.