EVANS, Price Vincent 1871-2015

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EVANS, Price Vincent 1871-2015

EVANS

Posted By: County Coordinator (kermit)
Date: 8/12/2015 at 20:56:29

Murder Victim:
Price Vincent Evans
24-year-old Principal
Osage High School
1871-1895
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Motive: Concealing a Secret From the Past
Murder Scene and Date:
Osage, Iowa
Mitchell County
October 14, 1895
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Nancy Bowers
Written November 2011
In the fall of 1895, 24-year-old Price Vincent Evans had everything in place to begin an outstanding career as an educator.
The youngest child of 11 in a high-achieving Williamsburg family that included bankers, lawyers, and businessmen, he, too, had excelled.
In June of 1895, he graduated from Iowa College — now Grinnell College — where his grades were excellent and he earned many academic prizes, particularly in oratory.
At the college, he also had a wide circle of friends, both men and women, especially one young lady with whom he kept in touch after leaving.
Following his graduation, Price returned to Williamsburg for a well-earned vacation.
Price Vincent Evans
During that time, Price was hired to be the Principal of Osage High School in Mitchell County. Along with the position came the title “Professor.”
His hometown took pride in Evans. The Williamsburg Journal-Tribune reported his new job and bragged, “He is a splendid gentleman, a good scholar and a most excellent teacher.”
Evans was called “Professor” in his position of Principal of Osage High School.
On the first of September, Evans moved to Osage and into a rooming house there. He began the school year with soaring aspirations.
Price Evans was Principal of Osage High School
Letters home to his widowed mother were upbeat and positive. He mentioned no problems connected with his teaching or new life in Osage or particular worries, except that he had a great deal to do.
On Sunday, October 13, he wrote to the young woman he met at Iowa College who was later described by some newspapers as his “betrothed.” The woman’s name did not appear in the media, although one source termed her a “noble Lady” who taught in the Panora public school system.
She later told the Williamsburg Journal-Tribune that the October 13 letter was “bright and cheery, telling of his plans for the future, not a trace of sorrow or worry or the slightest anxiety expressed.”
☛ Price Evans Disappears ☚
About 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening, October 14, 1895, Price Evans was seen walking along a pathway created by an abandoned Chicago Great Western Railway spur — known as the Winona Track — which led southwest from Osage to the Cedar River just east of Spring Park.
Cedar River above Spring Park, where Price Evans walked.
The path, which dead-ended at a large tree, was one many used for walks or to reach the park.
Evans had been seen on the pathway before, heading for a spot where he could target-practice with a revolver he purchased a few weeks after moving to Osage.
On Wednesday morning, Evans did not appear at school. Superintendent of Osage Public Schools George Chandler at first thought Evans was ill; but at 1:00 p.m. word came from Evans’s boarding house that he had not been seen there since the night before.
Professor Chandler dismissed all the female students from Osage High School and then organized the boys into a search party, which started out where Evans was last seen: the path on the abandoned railway spur.
☛ Students Find Their Principal’s Body ☚
Not long after they began searching, the high school students found the body of Price Evans propped up against the base of the large tree at the end of the pathway.
Gunshot wounds to his head were visible and his revolver was beneath him. Leading from the scene and into the woods were the footprints of a man with a long stride.
Embedded in nearby trees, investigators found bullets from Evans’s gun.
Coroner Dr. William H. Gable convened a jury, which declared the death a suicide by gunshot because some who knew Evans said he behaved unusually in the days before his death.
On Sunday, he did not attend church, although he taught his Sunday School Class. That night, he was heard by others in the rooming house agitatedly pacing the floor. During his classes at the high school on Monday, he seemed disheartened to some. That evening at the boarding house, he spoke to no one during dinner and left when he finished.
Price Evans’s funeral was held at the Presbyterian Church, now the Williamsburg City Hall (courtesy City of Williamsburg).
Nothing found in his room or his school papers provided a clue about what had happened to him.
William Davis “Will” Evans claimed his brother’s body in Osage, and School Superintendent George Chandler accompanied Will and the body back to Williamsburg.
Price’s coffin was taken to the Evans family home so his mother and siblings could say goodbye. Rev. T.C. McFarland preached Price Evans’s funeral on Friday afternoon in the Presbyterian Church.
The crowded sanctuary and galleries also heard remarks from family friend Rev. R.W. Hughes of Des Moines and from Leonard F. Parker, Professor of History at Iowa College, who spoke of “the nobility and Christian character” of Price Evans and his excellent college work.
☛ Motive for Suicide? ☚
When the death was declared a suicide, shocked newspapers tried to explain why a young man with such a promising future would take his own life. The Williamsburg Journal-Tribune came up with perhaps the most innovative explanation — over-studying:
“There is, and always will be a great mystery connected with this tragical [sic] death. Long years of study may have weakened the nervous system until reason tottered on her throne and the brain, feverish by disease failed to see things correctly, hence he would in no sense be responsible for the act that deprived him of life. . . . Mr. Price Evans never took his own life, unless his mind was entirely unbalanced by disease.”
☛ Was It Murder? ☚
It was then that the Evans family learned the Osage coroner’s jury, on the assumption of suicide, did not order an autopsy.
Price Evans is buried in the Evans family plot.
At first, the Evans family, too, accepted the suicide verdict; but Williamsburg citizens and friends of Price Evans refused to believe it.
When the undertaker found a bullet wound to the heart, the family, too, began to rethink things.
After the funeral, the Evans family asked Williamsburg physicians Arnold Moon, Enoch Long, and Dr. Young to perform an autopsy before the burial in Oak Hill Cemetery.
The autopsy results — spelling out murder, not suicide — were summarized in the November 29 edition of the Williamsburg Journal-Tribune:
“The Theory of murder is based upon the following incontrovertible facts:
☛ First: The absence of any rational motive for such an act.
☛ Second: The absence of any reasonable evidence of mental aberration.
☛ Third: The absence of any powder marks or burns, on the skin or clothing of the deceased.
☛ Fourth: The fact that the autopsy showed it to be a physical impossibility for a person to inflict three such wounds, of which, two were necessarily fatal.
☛ Fifth: That the autopsy showed that the wound in the heart was made after death.”
After the autopsy, the Osage coroner’s jury changed the cause of Price Evans’s death to “murder at the hands of unknown parties.”
Yet, there were no theories about motive. Price Evans had no enemies — and, actually, few friends in Osage because he lived there so briefly — and no rivals for his girlfriend. His watch and money were not taken, so robbery could be ruled out.
The Evans family then hired its own detective to investigate the death and come up with answers and motive.
Price’s brother David W. Evans, a lawyer in Pipestone, Minnesota, told newspapers he was prepared to go to great lengths to solve the murder. Two years before, David Evans — then living in Des Moines — was attacked by robbers and came close to death. After he recovered from his wounds, he helped track down the suspects, two of whom were sent to the penitentiary.
Source: Iowa Unsolved Murders website (See link below).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: There is another article about Mr. Evan's death, in the Local History section of the Mitchell county Genealogy website.

www.iowaunsolvedmurders.com

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Obituary: Murder Victim: Price Vincent Evans 24-year-old Principal Osage High School 1871-1895 Cause of Death: Gunshot Motive: Concealing a Secret From the Past Murder Scene and Date: Osage, Iowa Mitchell County October 14, 1895 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Nancy Bowers Written November 2011 In the fall of 1895, 24-year-old Price Vincent Evans had everything in place to begin an outstanding career as an educator. The youngest child of 11 in a high-achieving Williamsburg family that included bankers, lawyers, and businessmen, he, too, had excelled. In June of 1895, he graduated from Iowa College — now Grinnell College — where his grades were excellent and he earned many academic prizes, particularly in oratory. At the college, he also had a wide circle of friends, both men and women, especially one young lady with whom he kept in touch after leaving. Following his graduation, Price returned to Williamsburg for a well-earned vacation. Price Vincent Evans During that time, Price was hired to be the Principal of Osage High School in Mitchell County. Along with the position came the title “Professor.” His hometown took pride in Evans. The Williamsburg Journal-Tribune reported his new job and bragged, “He is a splendid gentleman, a good scholar and a most excellent teacher.” Evans was called “Professor” in his position of Principal of Osage High School. On the first of September, Evans moved to Osage and into a rooming house there. He began the school year with soaring aspirations. Price Evans was Principal of Osage High School Letters home to his widowed mother were upbeat and positive. He mentioned no problems connected with his teaching or new life in Osage or particular worries, except that he had a great deal to do. On Sunday, October 13, he wrote to the young woman he met at Iowa College who was later described by some newspapers as his “betrothed.” The woman’s name did not appear in the media, although one source termed her a “noble Lady” who taught in the Panora public school system. She later told the Williamsburg Journal-Tribune that the October 13 letter was “bright and cheery, telling of his plans for the future, not a trace of sorrow or worry or the slightest anxiety expressed.” ☛ Price Evans Disappears ☚ About 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening, October 14, 1895, Price Evans was seen walking along a pathway created by an abandoned Chicago Great Western Railway spur — known as the Winona Track — which led southwest from Osage to the Cedar River just east of Spring Park. Cedar River above Spring Park, where Price Evans walked. The path, which dead-ended at a large tree, was one many used for walks or to reach the park. Evans had been seen on the pathway before, heading for a spot where he could target-practice with a revolver he purchased a few weeks after moving to Osage. On Wednesday morning, Evans did not appear at school. Superintendent of Osage Public Schools George Chandler at first thought Evans was ill; but at 1:00 p.m. word came from Evans’s boarding house that he had not been seen there since the night before. Professor Chandler dismissed all the female students from Osage High School and then organized the boys into a search party, which started out where Evans was last seen: the path on the abandoned railway spur. ☛ Students Find Their Principal’s Body ☚ Not long after they began searching, the high school students found the body of Price Evans propped up against the base of the large tree at the end of the pathway. Gunshot wounds to his head were visible and his revolver was beneath him. Leading from the scene and into the woods were the footprints of a man with a long stride. Embedded in nearby trees, investigators found bullets from Evans’s gun. Coroner Dr. William H. Gable convened a jury, which declared the death a suicide by gunshot because some who knew Evans said he behaved unusually in the days before his death. On Sunday, he did not attend church, although he taught his Sunday School Class. That night, he was heard by others in the rooming house agitatedly pacing the floor. During his classes at the high school on Monday, he seemed disheartened to some. That evening at the boarding house, he spoke to no one during dinner and left when he finished. Price Evans’s funeral was held at the Presbyterian Church, now the Williamsburg City Hall (courtesy City of Williamsburg). Nothing found in his room or his school papers provided a clue about what had happened to him. William Davis “Will” Evans claimed his brother’s body in Osage, and School Superintendent George Chandler accompanied Will and the body back to Williamsburg. Price’s coffin was taken to the Evans family home so his mother and siblings could say goodbye. Rev. T.C. McFarland preached Price Evans’s funeral on Friday afternoon in the Presbyterian Church. The crowded sanctuary and galleries also heard remarks from family friend Rev. R.W. Hughes of Des Moines and from Leonard F. Parker, Professor of History at Iowa College, who spoke of “the nobility and Christian character” of Price Evans and his excellent college work. ☛ Motive for Suicide? ☚ When the death was declared a suicide, shocked newspapers tried to explain why a young man with such a promising future would take his own life. The Williamsburg Journal-Tribune came up with perhaps the most innovative explanation — over-studying: “There is, and always will be a great mystery connected with this tragical [sic] death. Long years of study may have weakened the nervous system until reason tottered on her throne and the brain, feverish by disease failed to see things correctly, hence he would in no sense be responsible for the act that deprived him of life. . . . Mr. Price Evans never took his own life, unless his mind was entirely unbalanced by disease.” ☛ Was It Murder? ☚ It was then that the Evans family learned the Osage coroner’s jury, on the assumption of suicide, did not order an autopsy. Price Evans is buried in the Evans family plot. At first, the Evans family, too, accepted the suicide verdict; but Williamsburg citizens and friends of Price Evans refused to believe it. When the undertaker found a bullet wound to the heart, the family, too, began to rethink things. After the funeral, the Evans family asked Williamsburg physicians Arnold Moon, Enoch Long, and Dr. Young to perform an autopsy before the burial in Oak Hill Cemetery. The autopsy results — spelling out murder, not suicide — were summarized in the November 29 edition of the Williamsburg Journal-Tribune: “The Theory of murder is based upon the following incontrovertible facts: ☛ First: The absence of any rational motive for such an act. ☛ Second: The absence of any reasonable evidence of mental aberration. ☛ Third: The absence of any powder marks or burns, on the skin or clothing of the deceased. ☛ Fourth: The fact that the autopsy showed it to be a physical impossibility for a person to inflict three such wounds, of which, two were necessarily fatal. ☛ Fifth: That the autopsy showed that the wound in the heart was made after death.” After the autopsy, the Osage coroner’s jury changed the cause of Price Evans’s death to “murder at the hands of unknown parties.” Yet, there were no theories about motive. Price Evans had no enemies — and, actually, few friends in Osage because he lived there so briefly — and no rivals for his girlfriend. His watch and money were not taken, so robbery could be ruled out. The Evans family then hired its own detective to investigate the death and come up with answers and motive. Price’s brother David W. Evans, a lawyer in Pipestone, Minnesota, told newspapers he was prepared to go to great lengths to solve the murder. Two years before, David Evans — then living in Des Moines — was attacked by robbers and came close to death. After he recovered from his wounds, he helped track down the suspects, two of whom were sent to the penitentiary. Source: Iowa Unsolved Murders website (See link below). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: There is another article about Mr. Evan's death, in the Local History section of the Mitchell county Genealogy website.
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