Iowa
Old Press
Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
Wednesday, March 8, 1905
WHERE IS VALENTINE HEINEN
Prominent Citizen of Gilbertville Disappeared Yesterday
Afternoon
Watch Found on the River Bank Suggests a Tragedy
Gilbertville, March 8--(special) Has Valentine Heinen, a
prominent citizen of this place, been drowned in the Cedar River?
This query is perplexing the people and is grievously crushing
the heart of the wife and other relatives. Yesterday Mr. Heinen's
watch was found on the bank of the river just North of the
bridge. Nothing else was found. Owing to the condition of the
ground, it could not be detected whether a man had gone to the
river and plunged to his death. This think is certain: Mr. Heinen
has disappeared. In other words, is it an accident or suicide?
Ever since Mr. Heinen disappeared and his watch was found, a
search has been made for him, but no trace of him was had at 2
o'clock this afternoon. Mr. Heinen is an elderly gentleman. For
several years, he lived in the neighborhood of Raymond. One of
his sons lived for many years in the Northwestern part of Fox
Twp. Until the man is found, either dead or alive, there will be
no ceasation in the search.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
Thursday, March 9, 1905
MEN DRAG RIVER IN VAIN
Efforts to Find Valentine Heinen's Body at Gilbertville Futile
Lost in the Darkness of Monday Night, He Slips in the River
Gilbertville--March 9--(special) Although unceasing efforts are
being made to find the body of Valentine Heinen, who is supposed
to have been accidentally drowned in the Cedar at this place, and
the waters have been dragged carefully near the shore where
tracks were seen, no trace of the aged gentleman has been found.
It is now certain that Mr. Heinen was accidentally drowned. He
was downtown Monday evening. It was a very dark night. About 8
o'clock, he started for home, and it is known that he became lost
in the darkness, wandered too near the bank of the river, lost
his footing on the ice and fell into the darksome, seething
waters of the river. When he did not return to his home his wife
became alarmed and reported the matter to her neighbors, who at
once instituted a search.
They went everywhere about the town, but could find no trace of
him. it was learned that he had left one of the stores about 8
o'clock and had remarked upon the darkness of the evening. Then
the searchers went to the river bank and found evidences that
lead them to the definite conclusion that the aged citizen had
wandered too close to the bank in the darkness, and had slipped
on the high bank and fell down it precipitous side into the
river. His watch was found on the bank. The only explanation of
this is found in the fact that he probably struggled and in doing
so, he threw his watch from his pocket.
The next morning a company of men began to search the stream and
the river has been dragged since but without avail.
Mr. Heinen lived alone with his wife. He was aged and his
eyesight was somewhat impaired. This coupled with the fact that
the ground was covered with glare ice, accounts for his having
lost his way and slide into the stream.
The aged wife is nearly prostrated with grief.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
Saturday, March 11, 1905
NO TRACE OF VALENTINE HEINEN
Cedar River at Gilbertville Refuses to Give Up It's Dead
Gilbertville, March 11--(special) No trace has been found of
Valentine Heinen, who disappeared mysteriously about 8 o'clock
last Monday night. A ceaseless search has failed to reveal any
trace of his whereabouts. The most reasonable hypothesis to
explain his disappearance, is that he wandered in the darkness
too near the bank of the river, lost his footing, slid down the
precipitous banks into the stream and was drowned. Acting upon
this hypothesis, the river has been dragged for many rods below
the bend where Mr. Heinen's watch was found and where tracks were
discovered leading to the water's edge. Little credence is given
to the theory that Mr. Heinen has wandered away in an insane
condition as some one would have reported his presence ere this.
It is believed that Mr. Heinen is dead and that his body is
somewhere in the Cedar river. Owing to the stream being big, the
water turbid, and the current swift, it has been very difficult
to drag it.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
March 13, 1905
THEFT THEORY IS ADVANCED
To Account for the Disappearance of Valentine Heinen at
Gilbertville
Believed He Was Robbed, Murdered and Thrown Into River
Gilbertville, March 13--(special) There is absolutely no clue as
yet that may lead to the finding of Valentine Heinen who
disappeared from here a week ago tonight. there is a new theory
as to the absence of the aged and esteemed citizen. He is known
to have carried considerable money about his person and is said
to have had between $200 and $300 on the night of the mysterious
disappearance. The theory of robbery and murder has been advanced
and is supported by the finding of his watch near the river bank.
There is a theory that some evilly disposed person was acquainted
with the fact that Mr. Heinen was in the habit of carrying money,
and that they waylaid him near the river bank while he was lost
Monday evening. In order to get rid of the body, it is contended
that the assailants carried it to the river bank and rolled it
down the precipitous sides of the stream, into the water. This
theory would account for the presence of the watch near the
water's edge, where it might have fallen from the pocket. The
search of the whereabouts of Mr. Heinen has never been stopped
for a moment since his disappearance was made known. The river
has been dragged for many rods below the place where it is
supposed the body fell into the Cedar, but thus far to no avail.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
March 14, 1905
BODY OF HEINEN IN THE RIVER
That is the Theory Those Closely Connected With the Case Have
Tracks Were Partially Visible Leading To the Edge of River
There is no doubt in the minds of the citizens of this community
who are cognizant of the lay of the land at the bank of the
river, where Valentine Heinen disappeared a week ago last night.
The consensus of opinion is that Mr. Heinen's body is in the
Cedar River. It may not be in the water near the place Mr. Heinen
fell into the stream. It may have been born upon the bosom of the
swollen stream, carried over the dam and borne many rods below
the town.
There was indisputable evidence to those who first visited the
banks after Mr. Heinen disappeared that the aged man, whose mind
had been weakened of late by brooding over troubles, which he
could not help, but which lingered like a phantom in the
imagination, wandered to the water's edge and into the river. In
support of this theory, a young man who was first at the scene
makes the following statement of facts:
"Tracks were seen leading for several rods to a bank about
50 ft. high, down the precipitous sides, through a quantity of
brush, and out onto the edge of the stream. There were tracks of
only one man. At the place where the watch was found, several
limbs had been broken from heavy underbrush and the hook had been
torn from the chain. The watch, no doubt, had been thrown from
the pocket by a twig which had caught in the chain as Mr. Heinen
was walking through the brush. The timepiece lay partially buried
in the sand on the shore, edge down.
EXPECT REMAINS WHEN RIVER LOWERS
The relatives and friends of Mr. Heinen expect that the body will
be discovered when the water goes down. It is now very high, too
high to permit a dragging of the stream.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
Saturday March 19, 1905
REWARD FOR HEINEN
Relatives Seek Information About Missing Gilbertville Resident
The following is from the Jesup Citizen Herald: "On
Monday, Mr. L. Pint, living east of Jesup, who is a nephew of the
missing man, was in the Herald office, stopping here on
his way home from Gilbertville, and in an interview, stated that
it was his belief, as well as many others familiar with the case,
that his uncle did not meet his death by drowning, but that he
crossed the river on the ice in safety, and is wandering through
the country in a demented condition. Mr. Heinen is a man of 65
years old, about 5 feet tall, and speaks both the German and
English languages. A liberal reward is offered for his return to
his home in Gilbertville, or for any information concerning his
whereabouts.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
March 20, 1905
REWARD FOR HEINEN
Gilbertville Man Supposed to Be Wandering About the Country
Valentine Heinen, the man who has been missing since the 6th of
March, and who has supposed to have been drowned in the Cedar at
Gilbertville, has not yet been found and the opinion of the
public is that he has strayed off in a demented condition and is
still wandering about the country. Mr. Heinen was supposed to
have been in the Syndicate building on the third floor, last
Friday, between 9 and 10 in the forenoon. He was a man about 66
years old, was about 5' 4", weight about 150, speaks the
German and English languages, but the English language poorly. He
wore a cap, a light gray coat, blue overalls, and soft felts with
shoes. He had a sandy-colored mustache and chin whiskers, his
hair was gray and wavy. His right eye was affected, the under lid
was red and inflamed. A liberal reward is offered for his return
[unable to read last line]
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
March 22, 1905
Gilbertville, March 22, 1905 - Nick Heinen is visiting here since
the disappearance of his father, Peter Smith and his wife, who is
the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Heinen, are also
here from Fayette county.
MR. HEINEN AT CEDAR FALLS?
Oak Ridge Resident Sure He Saw the Missing Man
Son and Son-In-Law of Gilbertville Investigate Today
Same Man Answers Description Yesterday Morning
Cedar Falls- March 22--Is Valentine Heinen, of Gilbertville,
wandering about in this vicinity? Charles Skelley living in Oak
Ridge believes that he is. Yesterday morning between 8 and 8:30
o'clock, Mr. Skelley and his wife saw a man in their neighborhood
who bore the exact description of the missing man. At first they
thought it was a neighbor who had just gotten out of a serious
sick spell; that he was out taking a short walk. A closer
inspection indicated that they were mistaken in the persons
identity.
Last night when the Daily Record came out it contained a
description of Mr. Heinen and offered a reward for his
apprehension. Mr. Skelley reported what he had seen at once and
the relatives at Gilbertville were communicated with. A son of
the missing man, and a son-in-law are here today endeavoring to
find some other clue to Mr. Heinen.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]
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Waterloo Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa
March 23, 1905
IT IS NOT VALENTINE HEINEN
Man Seen In Syndicate Block Was Ed Perry of East Waterloo
Mystery Surrounds Disappearance of Gilbertville Man Deepens
The belief of the relatives and friends of Valentine Heinen, that
the latter has wandered away in a demented condition and is still
wandering about the country, is predicated almost wholly upon the
report that Mr. Heinen was seen in the Syndicate block of this
city last Friday, between the hours of 9 and 10, on the 3rd
floor.
It has been learned that Ed Perry, a resident of East Waterloo,
who resembles the description of Heinen in every particular,
called at the 3rd floor of the building at the time mentioned and
there is no doubt that confusion has risen between 2 men. Mr.
Perry has long wavy hair and his physical and facial features are
similar to those described as belonging to Mr. Heinen, the
missing man. He wore blue overalls and the other articles of
dress were similar to those represented as being worn by the
Gilbertville man when last seen. If the condition that he was
seen in the Syndicate block is to be eliminated from the problem
to account for the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Heinen, there
is little left to predicate the belief that Mr. Heinen is not in
the Cedar River near Gilbertville. A son-in-law, Peter Bahl, and
the other relatives are using their utmost endeavors to locate
Mr. Heinen and it is believed that the report that the missing
man was seen in this city largely led them to the conclusion that
Heinen may have wandered away in a demented condition.
There have been a number of mysterious disappearances of people
from Waterloo and vicinity, but in none of them has the earth
seemingly opened up and swallowed the party so completely as at
Gilbertville. A great many people in Waterloo, who are thoroughly
conversant with the appearance of the river bank the morning
after Mr. Heinen dropped out of view, cling to the belief that
the body is somewhere in the stream. It may have been washed a
long distance below the point where tracks were plainly visible
on the bank.
[transcribed by K.D., March 2009]