In 1847 a tragedy occurred which shocked the whole community, by bursting upon it unheralded, and filling it with horror and surprise. A family of Alsatians, named Clipfell (consisting of an old man and his son, and the wife and children of the latter), came into the township [Colon, St. Joseph Co., MI] in 1839, bought the Roswell Schellhous place, and built a brewery. Jacob, senior (the son), had been back and forth to France once or twice to receive money from some unsettled estate in his native land, and was in comfortable circumstances; but one day in October, in the year first named, the son had some words about the money received from France with his father (the old man), and soon after went into the brewery, where the latter was, and struck him with a heavy Indian hoe, killing him almost instantly. He then shot himself, and died without a word or groan escaping his lips. He is supposed to have been insane, as a brother (Philip) some years afterwards committed suicide in Nottawa.

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