Iowa Old Press

Nashua Reporter
Nashua, Chickasaw, Iowa
Thursday, February 1, 1906

Martin Muldown Passes Away
After an illness of several years duration, Martin Muldown, one of the oldest settlers of Riverton, died at his home six miles southwest of Nashua, Tuesday morning, aged 78 years. About eleven years ago a cancer first made its appearance back of Mr. Muldown's ear. It gradually grew more and more troublesome until he was finally compelled to give up his work on the farm. Eventually he became confined to his home and it had been eight years or more since he had been seen upon the streets of Nashua. His sufferings during all these years had been intense, but all that loving hands could do was done to alleviate his pain and make the few remaining years of his life brighter and more comfortable. At 4:30 o'clock Tuesday morning the spirit of the weary sufferer returned to its Maker. The deceased was born in Ireland. When twelve years of age he came to America settling in Wisconsin, and later came to Nashua, Iowa. He was united in marriage to Miss Mary Feeney who with the five children who blessed this union, survive him. The children are as follows: Mrs. J.P. Coughlin, of Perham, Minn., Ben, of Toterville, Bird, Owen and Mrs. Tom Kelly, of Nashua, all of whom excepting the two former were with him in his dying moments. Mrs. Muldown has lived in the home wherein he died for the past forty-five years and by the friends and neighbors with whom he had been associated all these years he was well thought of for he proved himself to be a good and true citizen. In his family he was a good and kind husband and father. The funeral will be held from the Catholic church at 10 a.m., Friday, Rev. Fr. Kunkel conducting the services and the interment will be at St. Michael's cemetery.

The News of Iowa

Dog Devours Master's Body.
The lifeless body of Michael Carlos, a recluse, was being devoured by his dog, "Tiger," when neighbors broke down the doors of the old man's home in Dallas Center. With the doors and windows of his house locked Carlos had fallen to the floor dead as he sat reading his prayer book. Imprisoned for four or five days, possibly more than a week, the hungry dog turned his attention to his master, ate his hands off to the wrists and tore the head and neck from the shoulders. This was the fate of a brilliant man, who, as far as the world was concerned, died in 1865. Carlos expected to marry a girl in Zanesville, Ohio, at the close of the war. But when poor Carlos went back to Zanesville in 1865, his left eye was gone and one of his jaws bore the mark of a rebel bullet. The girl refused to marry him. Carlos set about to forget his trouble, and for a few years it appeared that he was succeeding. He commenced the study of law. He was admitted to the Iowa bar and to practice in the Supreme Court. but when it came to a test, Carlos though of the eye and jaw that had made him unhappy in 1865 and he decided not to be seen in public. He settled down near Dallas Center. The man had money but even if he had had nothing, his pension of $30 a month was sufficient to keep him. In his shanty, a half mile east of town, he lived summer and winter, eating but little and cooking what little he ate.

Girl Killed By Toy Rifle
Lucille Fleischmann, the 3-year-old daughter of Louis Fleschmann of Des Moines, was fatally shot by a toy rifle in the hands of a playmate, the bullet piercing the child's heart. Maddened by his bereavement, this being the second of his children to meet a vilent death within a short time, the father rushed to the river and was only prevented from throwing himself in by the intervention of friends.

Mysterious Fire.
Fire in the Hutchinson block, a three-story brick in Iowa City, did damage to the amount of $900 in the office of Eugene Cherry, the Sanders grocery and the Pioneer Knitting works. The origin is a mystery, as there was no fire in the building. It was confined to a small area.

Search for Family Bible
A search for an old family Bible is being made in central Iowa, as the location of the missing volume is necessary in closing up an estate in West virginia. The old book contains names and dates that are needed to prove up the claims of the heirs, but the whereabouts of the Iowa branch of the family has been lost and all efforts to locate any of its members have thus far proven unavailing. The name of the family sought is Godfrey, and hwile the parents may be dead it is thought possible some of the children may be living in the State. the name of the mother was Rachel Emrick before her marriage to William Godfrey. She was a sister of Samuel Emrick, who died some time ago, and the supposition is the sister or some of her descendants have the missing Bible.

M'Gregor Has a Big Fire.
The Kramer dry goods and clothing store was destroyed by fire in McGregor, with a losss of $30,000. It is said it was fully covered by insurance. M.N. Geske, county attorney, who had an office above, lost a library worth $1,500, insured for $1,000. Bergman Bros. owners of the building, sustained a loss of $12,000, with $8,000 insurance.

Hangs Himself in Hay Mow
Wm. Alt, a properous German farmer about eight miles southwest of Audubon, committed suicide by hanging himself in his hay mow. The coroner found life extinct when he arrived. Despondency over his condition and the loss of a favority daughter by consumption about eight months ago was evidently the cause of the act.

Brief State Happenings.
-Henry Miller, a wealthy farmer, committed suicide at Waterloo by taking carbolic acid.
-Miss Catherine Gettings, a school teacher in the public schools of LeMars, dropped dead in her room of apoplexy.
-Securely wrapped in a telescope grip, with two small holes cut in the sides to facilitate breathing, a baby girl, about 9 weeks old, was found by Frank Bova of Des Moines upon the porch of his home.
-"Sleep, sleep forever." were the last words addressed to his wife by F.M. Davie, a wealthy farmer of Dunlap as he swallowed poison. The suicide is a brother of Representative Davie.

Here and There - Interesting News Items Gathered from Our Exchanges

Mason City has a "curfew ordinance" that forbids persons under fifteen years of age being alone on the streets after 8:30 p.m., during the winter and 9 o'clock in the summer. Parents who permit their children to violate the ordinance are liable to a fine of $2 up to $10.

Over at Alden there is a woman who has twin boys that are so near aloke that the mother can hardly tell them apart. A few nights ago, after she had put the boys to bed, she heard one of them giggling and upon asking him what pleased him so, he said: "Oh, nothing, only you gave Jimmy two baths and I haven't had any."

Relatives living near Iowa Falls claim in their family the six oldest living children of one family in the United States. There are five sisters and one brother whose ages aggregate 480 years, with an average of 80 years. Mrs. Armarillis Perry and Mrs. Clarinda King, of Saux Prairie, Wis., are past ninety-three years respectively; Mrs. Pheobe Ann Johnson, of Iowa Falls, is seventy-nine years; Mrs. S.B. Percival, of Hurdsville, S.D., is past seventy-four, and Mrs. Lucinda Hopkins, of Henderson, Neb., is seventy-two. the only brother is Joshua Eaton, past seventy-eight, who resides at Henderson, Neb.

Robbers blew open the safe in Homrighaus & Dammerman's store at Denver, Bremer county, on last Sunday night and $130 in money and valuable papers taken. The safe was blown up with nitro-glycerne, and was so cleverly done that none of the residents of the little town knew of it until the next morning.

Local

-A.R. Taylor, of Waverly, was in town on business yesterday.
-John Vorwald, of New Viennia, visited at the home of his uncle, H.A. Faugman, over Sunday.
-Elwood Bailiff and daughter, Frances, returned to their home in Osage yesterday after a week's visit in Nashua.
-The Mystic Workers of the World will organize a local lodge with about 40 charter members, in the G.A.R. hall Friday evening, Feb. 9. This fraternal insurance company was started about ten years ago and is now on a solid basis. N.H. Christenson is the local organizer.

Infant Daughter Called
Ethel Madaline, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Wait, died Jan. 26. She was born Dec. 7, 1905. So with the very brief period of one month and nineteen days, she opened her eyes just to get a glimpse of earth and to feel a little of the pangs of human sufferings, and then they were closed, to open on the more beautiful and happier things of heaven. How many of our homes are deprived of these little loved treasures of earthly life. Jesus calls them to himself. They, too, are the precious jewels of his kingdom, for they, too, have been redeemed. And often Jesus says to us parents, "Suffer them to come unto me," and in his heavenly kingdom they became jewels of his crown.

"Like the stars of the morning,
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gem for his crown."

The services were conducted at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Wait by Rev. Walter Piper, pastor of the M.E. church. Interment in Oak Hill cemetery.

A Powersville Pioneer Gone.
Freeland Dunning, one of the citizens of Powersville, died at his home at that place, Monday, Jan. 28. Mr. Dunning has not been well for the past five years, having been afflicted with heart trouble. His condition was not considered alarming and he was confined to his bed but one day before he died. The birthplace of the deceased was in Maine but for the past thirty years or more he has been a resident of Powersville. During the year of 1899 he carried the mail between Powersville and Nashua, via of Prosper. He is survived by a wife and one son, Marshall. The funeral was held from the church in Pleasant Grove thursday and the remains were interred in the cemetery at that place.

Accidental Shooting at Boyd
Sunday morning at the home near Boyd, Jesse Straw narrowly escaped death from the accidental discharge of a gun in the hands of his younger brother. It appears that the boys were preparing to go hunting and the younger brother had gone back into the house for something, Jesse coming back also a minute later, just as the brother was opening the door. Somehow the gun was discharged, the shot striking him near the groin in the fleshy part of the thigh, tearing a terrible hole in it. Dr. Torpey was immediately called and made the lad comfortable until Dr. Landon could come to assist him to patch up the wound. If no complications set in it is though no serious results will follow. The boys are sons of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Straw. -- New Hampton Tribune.

[Muldoon obit by unknown transcriptionist, August 2003; remainder transcribed by S.F., February 2007]

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Nashua Reporter
Nashua, Chickasaw, Iowa
Feb 8, 1906

Miss Mary Feeney, who had been called here to attend the funeral of her uncle, Martin Muldown, returned to her home in Charles City Friday night.

[unknown transcriptionist, August 2003]

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