Weekly Hawk-Eye and Telegraph
Burlington, Des Moines co. Iowa
February 8, 1859

Fire at Fairfield
February 1, 1859 - Last evening, about dusk, the barn of William Alston, who lives one mile west of the Depot, was discovered on fire. Mr. A. and others had been about the barn milking, feeding, &c. He locked the doors himself, they had no lights or pipes with them, they went to the house and soon sat down to supper. While eating a Locomotive passed o the Railroad track, which is about one hundred yeards from the barn. Immediately after supper the fire was discovered, but too late to save anything. Fourteen horses, six cows, farming utensils, wheat, hay, oats, and all else were burned up, including many stacks of hay and grain in the yard. The loss at a very reasonable estimate is not less than $4000. the cause of the fire is unknown. The wind was right to carry sparks from the locomotive, but the distance seems too great, and it is reported that the engineer saw the fire as he passed. It may have been the work of an incendiary, but it is not known that Mr. Alston had an enemy.

Fire. The residence of L. Shields, of the Glenwood Thought, formerly of this city, was burned on the 5th ult.

The Iowa city Republican of the 26th ult., reports that a young man named Van buren Nichols was arrested and taken to that city on the Sunday previous charged with an attempt to murder his uncle, E.D. Michley, of Johnson county. Nichols is from Rhode Island and has been visiting his uncle. It appears that he chastised on of his uncle's children, for which Mr. Michley very properly collared and shook him; whereupon Nichols drew up a gun and shot at his uncle, Mr. M. the first shot not taking effect, he made a second attempt, the gun this time not going off. He was bound over to the Circuit court, and in default of bail was sent to jail.

War in Iowa - All about a County Seat.
On Monday, the 17th ult., as we learn from the Marietta (Iowa) Express, a company of men from the neighboring town of Marshall (both in Marshall county) entered the place and carried off three prominent citizens of Marietta, who had recently officiated as judges of an election to decide the question of a county seat for the said county. Arrived at Marshall, one of the prisoners, Judge Smith, was informed that there was great danger of his being lynched unless he recanvassed the returns and declared Marshall the winning town. After some intimidation, Judge S. made out the required certificate declaring Marshall the county seat. On the following morning a train of wagons loaded with armed men, followed by about forty persons on foot, with muskets on their choulders, entered Marietta with the intention of carrying off the County records, &c, but they were met by the citizens of Marietta and repulsed witout bloodshed. The next day the Court House was guarded by about a hundred armed men, but no further attempt was made to take the records.

White Owl
A boy shot a white owl near Davenport, the other day. It is described by the Gazette, as being five feet from tip to tip of wings, and has claws nearly an inch and a half long. It is snowy white as a swan, with the exception of black dots on the wings, and a few light brown streaks on its breast.

The Crescent City (Pottawattamie Co.) Oracle of the 4th ult., says that just before going to press, the editor learned that the "Postmaster at Glenwood had just been detected in robbing the mails of many valuables, and that he has for a long time been guilty of the various robberies that have occurred. In several instances, monies, amounting in the aggregate to thousands of dollars, have disappeared on this route.

The Waterloo Register says that one doctor in that town has taken off no less than five toes from individuals who had their feet frozen during the month of December.

The new counties recently organized in Iowa are enumerated by the Des Moines Reprter as Ida, Clay, Plymouth, Palo Alto, Buena Vista and Cherokee.

Rev. Mr. Holbrook, of Dubuque, delivered a lecture last week, on the "Seven Ancient and Seven Modern Wonders of the World." The Herald says he defined the latter to be the Compass, Gunpowder, the Printing Press, the Telegraph, the Daguerreotype, Electric Telegraph and Steam.

Weekly Hawk-Eye and Telegraph
Burlington, Des Moines co. Iowa
February 15, 1859

Jasper County Free press - Tuesday morning our community were shocked at a report brought into town that one of those tragic events which tell of the deep deprivity into which human nature can descend, [illegible] the intensity of the feelings that can rend the human soul, had taen place in our midst; - a man had murdered and dissected his wife and deliberately hung himself, about five miles west of Newton, on the farm of Mr. L. Sims. Repairing at once to the scene of the murder, we were shown the room in which the murder was committed - a very small, low roon, in which were found the bloody axe and blood-stained bed, on which probably the deed was done. thence, following the clearly marked track around a small barn to a spot where the dead body of the wife evidently had been laid down, into a low, straw thatched stable, which was reached through a low, narrow passage, we came upon such a sight as God forbid we should ever again witness. Immediately in front of us, as we entered, lay the head of the wife and mother, partially wrapped in an old stocking and laid up in the straw; near by, ina rough log manger, lay the headless trunk, wrapped in a blue-figured silk dress and bloody sheet, the legs skilfully severed at the knee joint, and the stomach opened just below the breast bone. Within a few feet of the headless and mangled body hung the lifeless body of the husband and father, his feet resting firmly on the ground, his knees bent, and his hands hanging carelessly by his side. He had fastened a strap to a rail in the low roof, had then slipped his head through a noose, and in the most determined and deliberate manner had launched himself into the presence of his God. He could have saved himself, either by grasping the rail above him or by merely straightening himself as he rested upon the ground. surely he must have welcomed death as relief from the torments of his poor tortured soul.

An inquest was held in the afternoon which elicited the following facts: The deceased, Harvey Copeland and Lucinda Copeland, were about 30 and 25 years of age, respectively. They came from Henry county, Indiana, where the deceased wife has a mother and other relatives living. Their married life had been unhappy. For a while they lived near Fort Des Moines, but separating, he went to Missouri some nine months since, and she came into Jasper county to live with her friends. A short time since he came back and sought a reconciliation, which she for some time refused. Finally assenting, Monday they moved into a small building on the place of Mr. Sims, he saying to others that he had determined to do better, and hoping she would. the building was some five or six feet distant from Mr. Sims' dwelling. Monday night loud talking was heard - principally the wife's voice, for some two hours. then some one was heard to go out and return in a few monents, after which a noise as of a blow and she was heard to cry out, "Oh don't Harvey!" Several other blows followed quickly, and all was still. About two hours before day the child, a bright little boy three or four years old, was heard crying and calling for its mother, but nothing strange was thought of these things until in the morning the little fellow came to Mr. Sims' door crying, with his blood-stained shirt in his hand. Search was immediately made, and the bodies soon found as described above. A post mortem examination of the body of the wife showed three severe blows on the skull, two of which were sufficient of themselves to have caused instant death. Her stomach was found to be opened by incisions made at right angles to one another, and a pair of fine gaiters put within, one of which was almost torn to peices, though evidently new. 

The deceased husband was a butcher by trade. He did his work of dissecting with a razor found in his pocket. His object appears at first to have been to destroy the body and other evidences of his guilt, but finding it impossible, put an end to his existence.

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The Cedar Rapids Times, of last Thursday mentions the return of Deputy Sheriff McMahon frmo Missouri, having in charge Robert Pierce, charged with having forged a certificate of deposit of $500, on a Rhode Island Bank, and selling it to Jos. Green, of Marion. When arrested he was teaching school in Missouri.

Mr. C.A. White lectured before the Young Men's Christian Association, on Tuesday evening, on the geology of burlington and vicinity. The lecture, being, of itself, an epitome, it is impossible to give a synopsis of it. The speaker gave a minute description of the geology of this section, interspersed with many very sensible practical remarks. The lecture, although a very long one, was listened to with attention, and gave great and general satisfaction.

The 'News', of Keosauqua, Van Buren county, of the 4th inst., states that Squire Ayres, one of the present members of the House of Representatives from that county, died suddenly at his residence in Harrisburg township, on Monday last. 

The Leon Pioneer is the name of a new Democratic paper just started at Leon, Decatur county, by G.M. Binekley, Esq., formerly of the Appanoose Chieftain. The new paper makes a creditable appearance.

The De Witt Journal of the 5th inst. mentions that a rape was committed one day last week upon the person of Elizabeth Liney, who resides in Sharon township, Clinton county, by John J. Tomlinson of Canton, Jackson county. He was arraigned before Justice Stine, of Toronto, and bound over to District Court, in the sum of $800.

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submitted by S.F., Feb. 2007