Glen JEFFERS, ????-1928

JEFFERS

Posted By: Vounteer-Betty Hootman
Date: 7/15/2012 at 10:05:36

GLEN JEFFERS MEETS DEATH
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Glen Jeffers, a cement worker on the New School
House in Milton, Sustains Injuries Which Cause Death

Glen Jeffers, a cement worker on the new Milton school house, sustained injuries last Sunday morning which resulted in his death a few hours later at the Ottumwa hospital.

Here is the story as we gathered it during the coroners inquest held Monday

A party of men composed of K. L. Brown and Tom Dills, of Milton, Oscar Olson of Ft. Dodge, C. S. Elder of Farmington, and the deceased Glen Jeffers, were indulging in a dice game and drinking party above the Dills restaurant, about 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

Mr. Jeffers was not playing but watching the game, when he suddenly went into an adjoining room and soon after one of the party went to look for him and not seeing him looked out the door upon Main street and saw him lying on the cement sidewalk below. He called to the others and they went down and carried him to his rooms above the Erzinger restaurant close by. They tried to revive him by placing cold towels over his head and soon decided to call a physician. Dr. Stephenson was summoned and upon arriving found that he was in a serious condition from a fractured skull, and it was thought best to take him to the hospital for further examination and an operation if needed. The Wagler ambulance of Bloomfield was called and took him to the Ottumwa hospital accompanied by Dr. Stephenson, where an examination was made and an operation was performed. It was found his skull was fractured and that he was in a very serious condition.

He died at 2 p.m. never regaining consciousness. The Wagler hearse of Milton went for the body arriving in Milton about 7 p.m.

Sheriff William and his deputy and coroner, H. A. Burnett, of Keosauqua, immediately began an investigation and the gathering of evidence.

On Monday morning the inquest was held at the Wagler undertaking rooms with the following jury: J. E. Powell, J. E. Parr, P. A. Marshall, all of Milton. After hearing the evidence as given by Dr. C. N. Stephenson, F. F. Mayer, George Erzinger, Oscar Olson, K. L. Brown, S. C. Elder, A. M. Wilson, Tom Dills, and L. E. Clenenen, Sheriff Williams, they brought in the following verdict.

“We, the said jurors, after hearing the evidence, find that Glen Jeffers came to his death by a fractured skull, cause unknown” Signed
J. E. Parr
P. A. Marshall
J. E. Powell

Coroner H. A. Burnett conducted the inquest, assisted by J. W. Harwood, county attorney, of Keosauqua, and Justice of Peace, E. E. Gaston of Milton, with Miss Anna Rigsby, of Keosauqua, as stenographer.

Jeffers was employed by the H. Mayer Construction company on the new school house as a cement finisher. On Saturday night he had been given a check for his weeks wages of $65. After his death this could not be found, although all his belongings were searched and all witnesses questioned. This is what made foul play or murder appear more plausible.

Tuesday morning, Keith Brown, Oscar Olsen, C. L. Elder and Thomas Dills, the men who were in the dice game, were taken to Keosauqua and grilled for several hours but nothing new could be obtained.

Tuesday at about 4 p.m. when undertaker C. S. Wagner was preparing the body for shipment to Ft. Dodge, his home, and getting his belongings together, he happened to lay his hand on the coat and felt something rattle. He immediately began an investigation and found the pocketbook in the lining of the coat, it having slipped through a hole in the pocket. E. E. Gaston was immediately summoned and found the check and some small change. He immediately phoned Sheriff Williams and coroner Burnett, who came to Milton, re convened the jury, who changed the verdict to read as follows:

“That we find according to the evidence that Glen Jeffers came to his death by a fractured skull caused by accidentally falling from an upstairs door in the Dills restaurant in Milton, Van Buren County, Iowa to the sidewalk below on the 12th day of August, A. D. 1928”

Dills, Olsen, Brown and Elder were fined at Keosauqua for gambling, Olsen, Brown, and Elder, getting $50 each and Dills, $100.

The body was shipped to Ft. Dodge for burial Tuesday evening.

Jeffers leaves a wife and four children and a sister and other relatives.
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JEFFERS DEATH IS HELD ACCIDENTAL
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FINDING OF PURSE LEADS TO SECOND VERDICT:
FOUL PLAY THEORY ABANDONED

Milton, Aug. 15.----The accidental finding of the purse of Glen Jeffers, who died at the St. Joseph hospital in Ottumwa Sunday afternoon from injuries received here earlier in the day, reopened the case and Coroner Harry Burnett of Van Buren county called a second coroner’s jury which returned a verdict of “accidental death.” This verdict replaces the decision of the jury which Monday decided that Jeffers came to his death by cause unknown and definitely allays, it is believed, all suspicion of foul play in connection with Jeffers death.

The purse was found by X. C. Wagler, local undertaker, about 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon while Jeffers clothes were being packed for removal to Ft. Dodge with the body. The purse contained a check for $65 and some small change and was concealed in the lining in an outside pocket of the coat. The absence of this article had caused Coroner Burnett to keep the case open, since its disappearance at the time of the fatal accident, when Jeffers was known to have had the money late Saturday night, was a factor in the theory of possible foul play, with robbery the motive. With this in view, Van Buren county officers had searched the clothes of the dead man without finding the purse.

The text of the last verdict follows: “We find, that according to the evidence that Glen Jeffers came to his death by a fractured skull caused by accidentally falling from an upstairs door in the Dills restaurant in Milton, Van Buren County, Iowa to the sidewalk below on the 12th day of August, A. D. 1928.” The jury was composed of P. A. Marshall, J. E. Parr and J. E. Powell.

Jeffers companions on the night of the accident had all stated that they believed the man had fallen from a door on the second story of the building and their testimony was accepted when the second jury was called.

The body of Jeffers was shipped Tuesday night to Ft. Dodge, where funeral arrangements will be completed

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Scrapbook A, page 426, Keosauqua Public Library; Keosauqua, IA