Iowa
Old Press
Progress Review
La Porte City, Black Hawk, Iowa
May 16, 1896
IOWA NEWS IN BRIEF
- S.R. Dawson, who killed Walter Scott, his son-in-law, at Des
Moines, last year, is now on trial for murder. The defense is
insanity.
- Miss Maud Pitzer, a young school teacher of Hillsdale, resigned
and mysteriously disappeared. She was traced to Council Bluffs,
where all clues were lost. Her brother is making a search for
her.
- Gus Anderson, an eight-year-old boy of Centerville, was drowned
while bathing in the Keokuk & Western railroad reservoir. He
was unable to swim and got in over his depth. The body was
recovered immediately afterwards, but life was extinct.
- In the district court at Cedar Rapids last week, Judge Thompson
sentenced Thomas Lally to twenty years for the murder of his
mother last November and Gus Trainor, under conviction for
manslaughter for killing Dan Turner at Prairiesburg to four
years.
- Judge Hatch boarded a train at North McGregor, was carried by
South McGregor, and undertook to walk back in the darkness, fell
and was killed. His estate sued the C, M. & St. P. railway
company for $15,000 and at Dubuque last week the jury disagreed.
- As Mrs. Elmer Hooper with her two small children were returning
to their home at Wayne, after spending the day with her mother,
Mrs. Henry Nicholaus, the horse she was driving took fright and
ran away. Mrs. Hooper and the children were thrown out near the
home of Mr. Swernson. Mrs. Swernson saw them pass and about an
hour after heard the children crying and on going to them found
Mrs. Hooper in an unconscious condition. A physician was summoned
at once, who found her skull fractured and serious internal
injuries.
- Sylvester Hoover, charged with an attempt to murder Joseph
Hekle, was re-arrested at Sibley and taken to Independence, on
the charge of arson preferred against him. On the latter
examination was waived and the bonds fixed at $2,000. The first
case was continued. The total bond is now $1,500. The Hekle famly
has engaged the best legal talent in addition to the state's
attorney and will push all the charges against Hoover. Hoover is
charged with having shot Hekle , who married a school teacher
with whom Hoover was infatuated.
- Miss Jennie Rogers was arrested at Sioux City, charged with the
embezzlement of $900. Miss Rogers was formerly a school teacher
in that city, and in the boom days went into the real estate
business. She is supposed to have made a great deal of money, but
lost it in the Hedges failure in 1893. She was a partner of J.P.
Blood in the real estate business, and he now charges that she
obtained a loan of $900 for him, but refused to turn it over to
him. Her failure is said to have weakened her mind, and she has
not done any business since the failure.
- Guy Curtis of Atlantic and Miss Florence M. Worthington, of
Lewis, eloped, going to Omaha, where a license was procured and
they were married. There seemed to be some objection to the
wedding by the parents of one or both of the young people, so
they took matters into their own hands. Maj. P.G. Curtis, Guy
Curtis' father, thought his son had started for Cripple Creek and
was surprised when the facts were made known to him. Both are
prominent young society people and well known both in Atlantic
and Lewis.
[transcribed by C.J.L., May 2007]