Lewis Millhorn

MILLHORN, DILLER

Posted By: Beverly Gerdts (email)
Date: 1/18/2024 at 06:46:28

The Wapello Republic, Wapello, Iowa
Saturday, March 15, 1873
Page 4

Fredonia and vicinity, in this county, were shocked last Saturday at the sudden death of Wm. Lewis Millhorn, a youth aged 14 years November the 8th, last, from the effects of Alcoholic poison. He was a son of Lemuel Millhorn, a citizen of Fredonia. Lewis has been living with Mr. Martin Diller of Fredonia for the past fall and winter. Mr. Diller was until a short time since proprietor of the Farmer's House in Fredonia and also owner of the horse ferry across the Iowa at that point. Recently he either sold or leased the hotel and moved two miles into the country. The ice in the river thawing out, he with a number of neighbors repaired to the river last Saturday to raise his boat and fix it up for spring work. To aid in the undertaking he purchased of Amos Richardson, a druggist of Fredonia, a half gallon of Alcohol, which was diluted to some extent with water and intended to keep the spirits of the company up. Lewis was with the crowd and imbibed with the rest, how much is not known. In a short time he was down wallowing in the sand. It was suggested that he had better be taken home.

Diller put him in his spring wagon and arriving home, he place him in a wagon box near the wood pile, intending to leave him there until he sobered off. Mrs. Diller, however, saw that the boy was deathly sick and had him brought into the house and attempted to give him milk as an antidote for the poison, He got worse, Mr. Diller put him back into the wagon and started for Fredonia, for the purpose of taking him to his father's and securing medical aid. When he arrived at Millhorn's Lewis was dead.