CORONER'S REPORT OF D.S. EWAN

EWAN

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/2/2019 at 16:04:58

Decatur County Journal
September 8, l898

Late Monday evening, Coroner McAllaster was summoned to Westerville, to hold an inquest on the body of DAVID S. EWAN. He left Leon at l0 o'clock and reached his destination about 3 o'clock in the morning and at once proceeded to summon a jury. MR. EWAN's body had been taken to the residence of S.A. Miles near the little village of Westerville. N. Cornett, D. Moran and S.A. Miles were summoned as jurors and J.A. Beeman, Jerry Henderson, Mrs. S.A. Miles, R.C. Delmege, Austin Draper and J.B. Thompson as witnesses. The papers were served by Deputy United States Marshal, R.C. Delmege, as all the local officers were in Leon attending court. The following is the testimony in full:

MARGARET E. MILES: Am well acquainted with the deceased, D.S. EWAN, having known him for more than three years. At about 3 o'clock p.m., September 5, l898, I saw and talked with him. He acted and talked as usual. I was within two or three rods of him and he asked me to take a message to his wife. I do not know that he has been subject to shaking spells, though at times he has complained of being short of breath.

JOHN A. BERMAN: Resides in Osceola. I was not acquainted with D.S. EWAN. I first saw him about 3:30 or 3:45 p.m. September 5, l898, near the bridge across Grand River at Westerville. My attention was directed to him by Jerry Henderson with whom I was riding, and I looked just in time to see him fall. I did not go close to him but I think that his hands moved after he fell. They might have been moved by the bridle or halter by which he was leading the horse. In my judgment the fall was not a cause but a result of death.

JERRY HENDERSON: Am well acquainted with D.S. EWAN. On September 5, l898, as I was crossing the bridge over Grand River at Westerville I saw deceased about l00 or l25 yards north of the bridge, on the east side of the river, leading a horse. I called to him to let him know that I had arrived with the day's mail. He did not appear to hear me and while I was watching him he fell suddenly to the ground and remained motionless. I crossed the bridge and cared for my horse not thinking that anything was wrong until I heard that he had been placed under arrest. After about l5 minutes I re-crossed the river and found that he was dead. I do not think he lived or moved after he fell.

AUSTIN DRAPER: I am well acquainted with D.S. EWAN and know him to be of good habits and fair health. On September 5, l898, at about 3:35 p.m. I learned that he had fallen while across the river. I went at once to the place and found him lying on his back dead. There was no evidence of any struggle. I could not see that he had moved after falling.

J.B. THOMPSON: Am well acquainted with D.S. EWAN. On September 5, l898, at about 3:30 p.m. I learned that he had fallen while leading a horse. I went at once to the place where he fell and found him dead. There was no evidence of any struggle. He was lying on the sand and there was sand on the side of his face.

R.C. DELMEGE: I first saw D.S. EWAN September 5, l898, about 2:40 p.m. when I read to him a warrant for his arrest. He did not seem to be much excited and agreed to accompany me to Creston. He went to a pasture across the river to get a horse to drive and when I saw him next at about 4 o'clock he was lying on his back dead.

The jury rendered the following verdict: We do find that said deceased came to his death by heart failure and we believe that fear, exertion and excitement caused by an approaching electric storm was the primary cause; also the reading of a warrant of arrest probably caused part of the excitement.

MR. EWAN was postmaster at Westerville, a position he had held for many years, and also proprietor of a small store where the post office was located. Among his wares was a small stock of drugs and patent medicines. He had a few bottles of bitters containing considerable alcohol and in consequence he had refused to sell any of the stuff to his customers. But one day some strangers came along and MR. EWAN sold them a bottle, explaining that the bitters contained considerable alcohol and that a liberal quantity of it might induce drunkenness. It is supposed that this sale was reported to the officials at Creston. At any rate the deputy internal revenue collector at Creston filed an information charging MR. EWAN with selling alcoholic beverages without a government license. A warrant was issued and placed in the hands of R.C. Delmege, a deputy United States Marshal, who served the same at the time and in the manner described in his testimony. It is said that MR. EWAN was much agitated but he agreed to get his horse and drive with the marshal to Murray where they expected to take a train for Creston. The deceased was always afraid of storms and while he was catching his horse an ugly looking cloud was rapidly approaching and it is thought that this fact was one of the causes which contributed to his death.

MR. EWAN had resided in our county for more than twenty years and served in the Federal Army during the war of the rebellion. He was a man of high character, a church member, and a law abiding citizen in every particular. No one who knew him would believe for a moment that he knowingly violated any law and least of all the liquor law. We are informed that he leaves no children. His wife, a most estimable lady, is a sister of J.H. MORGAN, of Eden Township, and of AMOS MORGAN, of Bethany, Mo.

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