Iowa
Old Press
DeWitt Observer
DeWitt, Clinton, Iowa
Friday, May 13, 1887
IOWA NEWS
- In Mason City the other night the sheriff arrested two men,
giving their names as Smith and Sivers, for complicity in the
safe robbery at Sumner April 19. They were almost positively
identified.
- Mrs. Ben Hill has resigned as trustee of the reform school.
- The oldest Federal Judge, in point of service, in this country
is J.M. Love, of Keokuk, who was appointed by President Pierce in
1856.
- The manager of the Des Moines base-ball club gets $300 per
month salary.
- Ottumwa street-cars, it is expected, will be supplied with
electric power.
- The new college building at Tabor, Fremont County, was
dedicated the other day.
- At the State oratorical contest held at Waterloo a few nights
ago Miss Florence Musson, of West Des Moines, took the first
prize in the oratorical department; Miss Grace Crouch of DeWitt,
the first in dramatic, and Miss Ettie Nichol, of East Des Moines,
the first in humorous.
- An aged man named Sumner, residing four miles south of Rockwell
City, Calhoun County, attempted suicide the other day by taking
strychnine. The doctor gave antidotes, but it was doubtful if he
recovered. Melancholy was the supposed cause.
- The Governor has had one hundred "No smoking" notices
posted about the capitol building.
- Charles D. Wiggins, of Laurens, Pocahontas County, eighteen
years old, while hunting a few days ago accidentally shot and
killed himself. The whole charge entered his head, blowing his
brains out and killing him instantly. He was the son of the
landlord of the Laurens Hotel.
- The clerk of courts of Pottawattamie County refused a colored
man and a white girl a license to wed a few days ago.
- Rev. T.H. Dabney of Floris, Davis County, eloped the other day
with Miss Anna Lang, the seventeen-year-old sister of his wife.
He told his wife that he was going to baptize some converts at
Dunnville. His wife had known of improper relations between the
two, and he had promised to do better.
- A $1,500 school building will be erected in Ireton, Sioux
County, this season.
- A lengthy petition was recently sent to the Governor from
Dubuque asking for the pardon of Katie Walsh, the
vitriol-thrower.
- A rumor is exciting the people of Emmetsburg to the effect that
a Methodist seminary and a Catholic school are to locate there.
- J. Wright Wilson, a prominent citizen of Newton, Jasper County,
died the other night of paralysis of the brain, aged fifty-four
years. He was in 1878 Grand Master of Iowa F. and A.M. The
disease which ended his life has been several years in progress,
affecting his mind.
- Mary Lahie, a young lady aged about twenty-six years, of
Burlington, about four o'clock the other afternoon, during the
absence of the family, went to the cellar of her parents'
residence and hanged herself. No cause for the act was known.
[transcribed by C.J.L.,May 2007]
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DeWitt Observer
DeWitt, Clinton, Iowa
Friday, May 20, 1887
IOWA STATE NEWS
- Rev. J.W. Taylor, pastor of the African M.E. Church at Des
Moines, died a few evenings ago, aged forty years.
- The hotel, livery and food stables at Kenset, Worth County,
belonging to Owen Pergins, were burned the other night. But
little of the hotel furniture was saved. Loss, about $15,000.
- Fireman Lynch, of Des Moines, who rescued a young lady from a
burning building the other night, has been voted a handsome gold
medal by the City Council as a reward for his bravery.
- William Holdschneider, of Harlan, Shelby County, was found dead
in bed the other day at a hotel in Omaha, Neb., with his throat
cut. He left a note stating the cause of suicide to be that he
was driven home by his wife, who took up with another man.
- Peter Preaulix, a wealthy farmer living six miles southeast of
Knoxville, Marion County, was kicked in the forehead by a horse
the other evening and died soon afterward. He was rendered
unconscious by the blow and never recovered.
- Richard Cox, an old settler of Dubuque, expired the other day,
aged seventy-five years.
- John Menen, the sixteen-year-old son of a farmer living three
miles west of Burlington, went bathing near his home a few
afternoons ago and was drowned.
- At Iowa City a few afternoons ago several little boys, none
over seven years old, accidentally set fire to the barn of Mrs.
Fairall, and Kirk, the five-year-old son of Herbert S. Fairall,
editor of the Daily Republican, was burned to death. The
little son of Prof. E.M. Booth was badly burned about the head
and breast.
- Miss Mary Lahee, a young lady of twenty-six years, daughter of
John Lahee, a prominent insurance broker and notary public of
Burlington, committed suicide by hanging the other night. She was
a highly cultivated lady, and devoted much time to reading of
heavy tragedies of late, and as she had been in ill-health for
some months past, it was thought that her mind gave way to the
strain produced by her reading.
- Charles Williams, a convict at the Anamosa prison, sent form
Cedar Rapids for shooting a policeman, made a break at the deputy
warden a few days ago with a knife and was shot dead by the
guard. He also attempted to kill George Bruner on the night of
October 7, 1886.
- James W. Thompson died in Mason City a few days ago. He was
with but one exception the oldest locomotive engineer in the
service in the United States, and stood first on the record in
freedom from accidents. He pulled in the first train of cars that
ever ran into Mason City.
- Will Deyse, a former student at the schools at Mason City,
drowned himself in the Wisconsin river recently. A telegram
received at Mason City announced that his body was found. His
father is an influential resident of Cerro Gordo County, and
expected to start him to college next fall.
- The other night the wife of S.D. Border, living nine miles
south of Manning, Carroll County, was struck by lightning and
instantly killed.
- George Colley, a Rock Island railroad conductor, was crushed to
death between cars at Des Moines a few days ago.
- The Iowa State Railway Station Agents closed their annual
meeting at Iowa City a few days ago. The officers elected were:
President, F.D. Lindsley, Iowa City; Vice-President, Walker of
Wilton; Secretary, Fisher, of Spencer; Treasurer, Deldrick, of
Independence.
- About nine o'clock the other morning the house of John Beal,
three miles south of Missouri Valley, Harrison County, was burned
to the ground, and his infant child perished in the flames. The
house caught fire while Mr .and Mrs. Beal were in the field
working.
---
WELTON
- Miss Elsie Buck lost a drab shawl between here and DeWitt May
11. Finder please leave it at Observer office or at the post
office here.
- Mats J. Pinter had his smoke house and the meat of five hogs
burned on last Saturday. His implement house and other buildings
had a close call. But for the carpenters at work on his new
house, his loss would have been heavy if not a clean sweep of all
his property. He was away at Wheatland at the time.
- During the storm Friday evening E. Banks had one colt killed
and two others badly hurt by lightning, and Henry Buck had three
calves killed. Mr. Banks' colts were insured in the Farmers'
Mutual company.
- Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Found received the sad news of the death
of their mother in New York May 3d.
LONG GROVE [ Scott Co.]
- The ladies of the Christian church held a sociable for the
purpose of raising the balance of funds on the new organ. It was
a success in every way. The new organ helped out wonderfully with
the music.
- We are soon to have a new blacksmith in the person of Dr.
Pratt, of Davenport. Mr. Pratt is a Veterninary, and if good in
his profession, will
be a valuable acquisition to the farmers of our neighborhood.
Next we want a good wagon shop in connection. We invite all
people here who are workers.
- H.C. Anderson, of Maquoketa, steped off the train this morning.
"Potatoes" is war cry, and he will get them no doubt.
- Our merchants report business fair. Agricultural men seem to be
doing a good business. Stock shipments have been dull, owing to
low prices and busy season on the farm.
ELWOOD
- Died - On last Sunday, Mrs. John Devier, after an illness of
about ten days. Mrs. Devier was buried at the Union church on
last Friday, a large attendance accompanied her remains. Rev. Mr.
Gay preached the funeral sermon. Mr. Devier has the sympathy of a
large circle of friends in his bereavement.
- Road work is the order of the day at present. Mr. Jas
Leinbaugh, our road supervisor, is doing some good work on the
roads, which is badly needed.
- Mr. Curry, the man who is to open up a lunch room, has arrived
with his goods and will soon open up for business.
- August Gabriel is putting a partition in his skating rink and
will start a temperance saloon, so we are informed.
- S N Bedford of DeWitt is visiting his daughter and soninlaw,
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Irwin.
MALONE
- Mr. Pelham celebrated his eighty second year Monday.
LOW MOOR
- Born, on the 14th instant, to Mr. and Mrs. J B Rassmussen, a
son.
[transcribed by C.J.L., April & May 2007]
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DeWitt Observer
DeWitt, Clinton, Iowa
Friday, May 27, 1887
IOWA STATE NEWS
- Mrs. Chloe Robinson was found guilty at Des Moines a few days
ago of an assault with intent to commit manslaughter. She is the
colored woman who assisted Brown in whipping the latter's
six-year-old grandchild to death last December. Brown is now in
the penitentiary.
- Daniel R. Anderson, an old gentleman from Rochester, N.H.,
passed through Boston, Mass. recently on a tramp to Des Moines,
where he has a daughter living. He has plenty of money, but walks
to see the country. He says he has lived sixty-five years and not
hurried through the world. He don't wish to begin now.
- August Garner was found crushed under a mass of slate in the
Iowa Fuel Company's mine near Valeria, Jasper County, a few days
ago.
- Prof. Erwin Baker died at Oskaloosa a few mornings ago. He for
a number of years gave his entire attention to conducting normal
schools for teachers and in various branches of state education
work.
- The case against R.F. Allen, of Des Moines, president of the
Monarch Insurance Company, was dismissed a few days ago, as no
evidence of fraud was shown in the transfer of the funds of the
company.
- The State Board of Medical Examiners have revoked the
certificate of Dr. A.F. Conery, of Des Moines. It appears that
his medical diploma had been obtained by fraud.
- A young married woman named Whiteman, living a few miles
southwest of Oskaloosa, committed suicide the other morning by
shooting herself through the head. She made elaborate
preparations for the tragic event and left a note stating that
nobody was to blame, she was simply tired of living. She had been
married but a few months.
- John Flynn, a farmer eighty years of age, was struck by the
cars near Peosta, Dubuque County, a few nights ago, and fatally
injured.
- The other night the barn belonging to R.E. Raymond, at Mason
City, caught fire and was burned to the ground. Two horses, a
cow, harness and a quantity of grain was consumed. No insurance
- J.W. McGrath, a student at the State University at Iowa City,
was drowned while bathing in the Iowa river the other night, the
body being recovered some hours after. He was a graduate of the
Chicago Medical College, and went to Iowa City to take an
academic degree. His family resides at Lacon, Ill.
- Mrs. Jesse Harding, of Boone, aged about seventy-eight years,
during the temporary absence from the house a few days ago hung
herself to the rafters of their summer kitchen. She was partially
insane.
- Mose Sopher, who killed his father in the northern part of
Mahaska County three years ago and was sentenced to imprisonment
for life was taken back to Oskaloosa recently for a new trial,
the Supreme Court ruling that the evidence of the first trial was
insufficient to convict of murder in the first degree.
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ELWOOD
- Miss Lula Smith, of Nashvill, is visiting with her sister, Mrs.
John Langham.
- Miss Olive Taubman, of Delmar, is visiting with her sister,
Mrs. John Phelps.
- E D Gregory went to Chicago Tuesday to see his brother.
- Wanted and must have: Parties who have cows running at large
must take care of them nights. Gardens are too valuable to be
destroyed by such negligence. So take warning.
LONG GROVE [Scott Co.]
- What might have been a big fire was "nipped in the
bud" Monday at A D Brownlie's. The children were playing in
some chaff and straw in an addition to the barn when smoke was
seen to roll up in clouds by some men working at a building
nearby, when they rushed there in time to save a big
conflagration.
- Our school closes the school year today with a picnic for the
pupils. From all we can learn it has been quite a profitable year
for the scholars. We have not learned whether Mr. O'Connor will
remain with us another year or not.
- John Long, jr., was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Howie.
Both parties are well known in this neighborhood.
WELTON
- The death of Arthur W Spence, a noble young man and school
teacher of Delmar, causes sadness in many Welton homes.
[transcribed by C.J.L., April & May 2007]