Perry, David 1830 - 1904

PERRY

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/5/2019 at 11:21:48

Source: Decorah Republican Dec. 8, 1904 Page 2

POSSIBLY MURDER.

David Perry, Aged Bloomfield Bachelor, Found Dead in His Home This Morning.
House in Bad Disorder Indicating Fierce Struggle.
David Perry of Bloomfield township was found dead in his home a short distance from Castalia this morning under circumstances indicating that, he may have been foully dealt with and robbed.
He was last seen alive yesterday in Castalia when he visited the post office. This morning when the man who does his chores went to the house he found Mr. Perry lying dead across a chair, chairs and other furniture scattered around, and the house in a general state of disorder. No investigation was made, but Dr. P M Jewell, the coroner, was called, and as we go to press the inquest is being held.
Mr. Perry was past sixty years old and very wealthy. He lived alone, thus affording anyone who wished to rob him a chance to proceed unmolested by others.

Source: Decorah Republican Dec. 15, 1904 Page 9

David Perry died at his home one mile east of Castalia some time during Thursday night. He was a bachelor and lived alone, so the facts regarding his death will never be known. The deceased was seventy-four years old and during his lifetime was very successful in accumulating property He was considered one of the most wealthy land owners in the county. We are not furnished a biography. The funeral occurred from the M. E. church of this place, the Rebv. Hunt of Decorah officiating.

Source: Decorah Republican Dec. 15, 1904 Page 9

THE PERRY MYSTERY.
Investigation Shows No Sign of Criminal Assault—Death Attributed to Suffocation.
The Postville Review (Friday) adds the following to the report of the REPUBLICAN last week for the sudden and suspicious death of David Perry:--
The surroundings, coupled with the fact that Mr. Perry lived alone and was immensely rich, lent much plausibility to this belief. However, the county coroner impaneled a jury, who, finding no signs of injuries or bruises on or about his body, and taking the doctor’s testimony of there being no indications of death by poisoning, returned a verdict of “death from suffocation.” It seems that after Mr. Perry had retired that night coals had fallen from a partly open stove door onto the bare floor, where they smouldered and ate a hole through the floor close to the stove, causing it to fall over into it and bringing the pipes down with it. This doubtless awoke Mr. Perry, who tried to make his escape, but was so weakened from having inhaled the fumes that he stumbled onto a chair and expired, being unable to rise. Mr. Perry was a bachelor, about 77 years of age, quiet and inoffensive, a long resident and large land holder in Winneshiek county, and though possessed of more means than most men are, he lived like a hermit, hording his gold, enjoying none of the luxuries of life, being content with the bare necessities.
A. M. Perry, a formerly well-known citizen of Burr Oak, is a nephew of deceased, if we are not greatly mistaken.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows he is buried in Bloomfield Cemetery and was born in 1830.

Bloomfield Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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