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Walter "Irish" O'Bryan (1908 - 1933)

OBRYAN, FOLEY, COLEMAN, GEARY, FENNELL, TENNANT, COSENTINO, HUNTOON

Posted By: DJ Scieszinski
Date: 8/15/2018 at 13:58:24

The Lovilia Press
December 7, 1933

Walter O’Bryan Died Nov. 28 From Gunshot Wounds

Walter O'Bryan, 27 years old, died Tuesday night, Nov. 28, at St. Catherine's hospital in Kenosha, Wis., after waging a game ten day battle against the inevitable complications from an abdominal wound.

He was shot on November 19, in a roadhouse near Kenosha by Mike Cosentino of Kenosha, shortly after O'Bryan and his brother-in-law Vance Tennant stepped into the roadhouse. The bullet pierced O'Bryan's right lung, the liver and the intestines.

Cosentino is being held without bail by Kenosha authorities and will be given a hearing on December 7, on a charge of first degree murder. The evidence presented at a preliminary hearing was conclusive, according to the Kenosha Evening News, that O'Bryan was blameless, and the presiding judge remarked: "After hearing the testimony, this shooting was entirely without provocation."

Walter O'Bryan was born near Melrose on September 16, 1908, a son of Mr. and Mrs. S. D. O'Bryan. In childhood he moved with his parents to a farm east of Lovilia and later the family moved to Lovilia.

Later he went to Chicago, where he resided for a few years, before returning to Iowa. He went to Kenosha early this fall and accepted employment at the Simmons company plant.

Walter was known here as "Irish" O'Bryan and young and old were his friends. He was a diligent worker and his association with people in this community was most pleasant. His untimely passing is mourned by the many friends here.

He is survived by his parents, who moved to Kenosha several weeks ago and by three brothers and three sisters: Sylvester O'Bryan of Chariton; Richard and Daniel O'Bryan of Kenosha; Mrs. V. L. Tennant of Chicago; Mrs. George Huntoon of Des Moines; Miss Florence O'Bryan, Kenosha and many other relatives in Monroe county.

Funeral services were held Friday morning at 9 o'clock at St. Mark's Catholic church and interment was made in St. James' cemetery at Kenosha.
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The Lovilia Press
Thursday, February 1, 1934

Kenosha Killer Gets 14 Years For Killing Walter O'Bryan

Mike Cosentino, Kenosha, Wisconsin, who killed Walter O'Bryan, former Lovilia resident, when the latter refused to take a drink with him, was sentenced to 14 years in the state penitentiary on January 22. Cosentino entered a plea of guilty to a second degree murder charge.

Cosentino shot O'Bryan on November 19 at a road house near Kenosha after O'Bryan and his brother-in-law Vance Tennant had refused to drink with Cosentino. O'Bryan, a son of Mr. and Mrs. S.D. O'Bryan died nine days later.
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Source: Find a Grave

Memorial #38826116

Vance Lee Tennant, Sr. (1898 - 1974)

Vance and family moved from Iowa to Chicago, Illinois, where he owned a bar and a filling station.

In the early 1930's, Vance and his brother-in-law, Walter O'Bryan, were in a bar in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is about 50 miles north of Chicago. One of Al Capone's gang members accused Walter of taking his stool at the bar, and when Walter denied this, he shot and killed him. Vance was warned not to testify against this gangster, but he testified anyway. After this, Al Capone's gang was after Vance, so he and his family had to move out of Chicago. They moved to Creston, IA and after a while to Tulsa, OK.

They didn't live very long in Creston and Tulsa. When they left Tulsa they moved to St. Louis, MO, and Vance had a job laying flooring. Eventually he opened his own business, The Vance Tennant Company, which later was renamed Allied Interiors.


 

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