Mary Leikvold 1867-1893

LEIKVOLD, LEAKWOLD, LEAKVALD, LEAKWALD, LEAKVOLD, AANONSON, EGERTSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 12/17/2013 at 23:44:24

Murder or Suicide
Saturday morning while J.M. Kesselring was hunting ducks he discovered the body of a woman in the Des Moines river about three-fourths of a mile north of this city. He at once notified F.C. Williams and the two went at once with a boat where the body lay and towed it down to the railroad bridge where it was identified as that of Miss Mary Leakwuld, sister of Mrs. John Aanonson, of Estherville, and whose parents life at Petersburg, Minnesota. The body was taken to the vacant store building adjoining the Miller Hotel and an inquest held during the day. The evidence produced didn’t let much light on the matter. The last seen of the woman alive was the Saturday previous, the 14th inst., when she left the home of her brother-in-law, John Aanonson, to go down town. She was seen in town that afternoon, but not since alive. There was a wound under the right eye but the testimony of the physicians who attended the post mortem examination was decidedly conflicting as to its nature and extent. Dr. Ballard testified that it was sufficient to produce death and that death had occurred before the body had reached the water. Dr. Birney testified that in his opinion the wound was not a serious one and that the party had met her death by drowning. The coroner, Dr. Myrick, agreed with Dr. Birney. All agreed that the lungs contained some water, but differed as to whether or not there was sufficient to induce strangulation. One physician testified that the brain was in a normal condition so far as any wound was concerned, and another swore that there was a slight abrasion or puncture of the brain caused from the wound under the eye. The doctors, however, were united in their opinion that the woman was pregnant six or more months. There was no note or letter about the body and all that was found in the pockets was a handkerchief. There are strong suspicions of foul play but there was no evidence introduced to warrant the jury in bringing in a verdict of murder; neither was there strong evidence of suicide. She had not seemed despondent at any time and was as cheerful as ever on the day last seen alive. Perhaps if there had been no disfigurement of the fact the verdict would have been “suicide by drowning,” and yet the wound might have been caused by a snag or sharp stone in the river. It is to be regretted that there was not sufficient evidence to leave no doubt as to the cause of death. The verdict was as follows:

STATE of IOWA, EMMET Co. – ss.
An inquisition holden at Estherville in Emmet county, on the 21st day of October, 1893, before E.B. Myrick, coroner of said county, upon the body of Mary Leakwold, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed. The said jurors upon their oaths do say, That the deceased came to her death from drowning or from the effects of a wound under the right eye, but as to which was the cause of death the jury are unable to say, and the jury are unable to say from the evidence produced whether death was suicidal or felonious.

G.A. Nichols
C.A. Williams
Olus Gates

The deceased was about twenty-six years old, was a domestic, having worked in several private families and in the hotels of this city for the past few years. She was of Norwegian descent, and had been quite unfortunate in the choosing of her companions and it is said has one or two illegitimate children living. This death of this poor unfortunate, and who was practically adrift and alone in the world, was distressingly sad. “There was not a tear shed nor a prayer said.” Her remains were put into a cheap coffin after the post mortem examination and turned over to the woman’s relatives, who hastily buried them the next day. There is a moral lesson connected with the death of this woman that more at the present time should heed. (Emmet County Republican, Estherville, IA, October 26, 1893)

Was it Murder or Suicide?
Last Saturday morning the dead body of Miss Mary Leakwold, aged twenty-six years, was found in the Des Moines river about a half mile north of town by J.M. Kesselring and F.C. Williams who were out duck hunting. The girl’s parents reside at or near Petersburg, Minn. but for some unexplainable reason they were not at the inquest that was held here that day by Coroner Dr. E.B. Myrick before a jury composed of Olus Gates, G.W. Nichols and C.A. Williams, C.W. Crim acting as clerk. Two sisters of the deceased girl reside in this county. They are Mrs. John Aanonson of Estherville and Mrs. Egertson of Twelve Mile Lake township. They or nobody else knew anything about the terrible affair which will probably remain a mystery forever.

There was a post mortem examination made by Drs. Birney and Ballard. The first named gentleman thought death was caused by strangulation. The latter held to the theory of murder, claiming that a wound under the right eye was caused by a sharp pointed instrument similar to a stiletto that pierced the brain sufficient to cause death. Thinking that this wound might have been made by a bullet from a revolver, the top part of the head was sawed off and the brain examined, but the bullet was not there. Dr. Birney thinks this might have been caused by the face coming violently in contact with a snag in the river. A clot of blood was also found at the base of the brain on the back part of the head. Whether this was caused by a blow or not could not be determined.

The unfortunate condition the girl was in at the time of death causes much speculation as to whether the girl committed suicide to hide her shame, or whether some villain murdered her to save exposure. (Northern Vindicator, Estherville, IA, October 26, 1893)

Note: Per sister’s (Dora Leikvold Aanonson) obituary, name s/b Leikvold