McRoberts, A.

MCROBERTS

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 9/16/2007 at 21:11:16

Jackson Sentinel
July 4, 1907

THE MYSTERY PROBABLY SOLVED.
The Body Found at Bellevue a Former Banker of Calmar.

It will be remembered that county coroner, Dr. Ritter, was called to Bellevue recently to hold an inquest on the body of an unknown man that had been found floating down the river. He could not be identified. Now comes the following from Dubuque concerning the find:
That one of the unidentified bodies found floating in the river near Bellevue during the past fortnight and buried in an unmarked grave in the potter’s field was that of a man who had known success in life, who had been rich in this world’s goods, who had experienced the delights of a happy home with loved ones about him, and then – had lost his money and left his wife, and drifted to the level of an ordinary tramp – such is a possibility which became known here yesterday through a telephone message from Charles City, Iowa.

Dwelling alone in Charles City, taking in washing in order to secure money for the bare necessities of life, is the wife of this former son of prosperity, Mrs. A. McRoberts.

McRoberts up to a few years ago was a man of prominence in Iowa as president of the Calmar, Iowa, Bank, he was well known in many Iowa cities, and was every where held in the highest esteem. His financial holdings were worth, it is estimated from $60,000 to &75,000.

Two years ago the banker began to speculate. His fortune dwindled away. He tried to forget his disgrace. He became a hard drinker. He deserted his wife. His honor deserted him.

Thus frowned upon by fate McRoberts became a mere tramp, stealing a ride from town to town, working at odd jobs for what few cents he could earn, and spending it for liquor. His wife has been able to keep trace of him, and has known that he was recently in Dubuque, Sabula, Savanna, Bellevue and other river towns in the vicinity. The past few weeks she has had no knowledge of his whereabouts, but from descriptions read in the newspaper has been led to believe that one of the bodies found near Bellevue was that of her husband.

McRoberts carried life insurance, on which his wife has paid the premiums in the past two years. Positive proof that the body was McRoberts is lacking, but steps will in all probability be taken to exhume the corpse for possible identification.