Iowa Liberal, LeMars, Iowa, April 30, 1879
ABDUCTION CASE:--Some months since Nelson Porter adopted a six year old son
of Ambrose Daw, whose wife died about a year ago. Daw is now living in
O’Brien county, and recently it came to his ears that the Porters were
abusing his child. Last week Daw came down, interviewed the Porters,
endeavoring to get his child away, but without success. A day or two later
Daw got possession of his child and gave notice that he intended to keep it,
whereupon a warrant was sworn out and on Friday he was brought to Justice
Manahan to answer to the charge of abduction. The evidence produced was of
such a character that Justice Manahan dismissed the case, giving the custody
of the child to its natural father. Parties living in the vicinity of the
Porters declare the unfortunate child could not long have lived, enduring
the punishments to which he was subjected by the adopted parents.
PORTLANDVILLE NOTES.
W. H. Keech is building a new house on his farm.
Cap Smith and Ad Whitney are building a fence around the Cemetery.
Farmers are all busy getting ready to plant corn. Grain is rather backward
for want of rain.
Andrew Wanberg and two or three others leave this week for the Northern
Pacific Railroad.
We hear that the Portlandville and LeMars stage route will soon pass into
the hands of a LeMars man.
The Baptist sociable was held last Friday evening at Mr. Robinson’s. Their
house was filled and every one had a good time.
Harry Hulbert is improving his half section this season and will hereafter
make this his home. His wife arrived here last week.
E. W. Sargent has built a new fence around his house in town and built a new
house on his seven hundred acre plantation over the river.
Fishing is not very good this spring in the river here. The water has been
so low fish could not get over the Westfield Dam. At Westfield the fishing
is said to be excellent.
Sedgwick Bros. report the stock trade as very light now. They have bought
nearly all the cattle they could find that were fit to ship, but they are
getting a good many hogs.
We were out surveying last week with the Close Brothers who have invested so
much lately in Plymouth and Woodbury counties. They own 2400 acres in this
vicinity some of which they will probably improve this season. They are
intending to break six thousand acres this summer.
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Last week we mentioned the fact that Mrs. Damy had stopped John’s beer on
him, having notified the venders of the ardent to sell him no more, or do so
at their penl. To state this fact was our right. Thursday morning John Damy
interviewed the fighting editor, and after a round of abuse, ordered his
paper stopped; that was John Damy’s right. Now as two rights have been
accomplished, it is to be hoped that another will follow—that the saloon
keepers and restaurant men will utterly refuse John of that which makes him
beastly, so that he may once more become a man. Is this asking too much?
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One day last week a valuable cow belonging to Rev. P. L. Smith, who lives a
few miles southeast of town, turned up missing. Thorough search was made for
the animal, but without effect until she had been missing about six days,
when she was found imbedded in the creek, in a narrow place, where she had
literally starved to death, having gone there to drink, getting in the bed
of the stream, and being unable to extricate herself. The loss falls quite
heavily upon Mr. Smith, as the cow was the most valuable one of his herd.
TARDY ROLL.
Room 1. Alex Campbell
Room 2, Ed. Thayer, Cora Lawrence, Archie Young.
Room 3 Nellie Leahy, Bert Young, Julius Schmidt.
Room 4. Edgar Koehler, Eddie Bird.
Room 5. Herman Bennick, Mary Campbell, Wm. Davidson
Room 7. Ettie Albright, John Buchaupn 3, Lillie Thompson 2, Wm. Wilkins.
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John Dobbert, whose property in Stanton township was destroyed by a prairie
fire on the 12th of March, was in town yesterday for the first time since
his burning. His hands and face show a terrible conflict with the flames,
but he is getting along nicely and hopes to work through all right not
withstanding his serious loss.
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Frank Reichmann, former bookkeeper in Alex. Reichmann’s store, returned from
Dubuque last Saturday, and will take his old position in the office. Frank
has been sick for the past six months, and at one time it was thought he
could not live, but he has now full recovered, and is enjoying better health
than for years.
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A little child of Frank Easton, who lives two miles east of Portlandville,
got hold of a box of concentrated lye, one day last week, and badly burned
its head, face and hands. The parents discovered the child’s condition
before it got the lye into its mouth, and by the prompt administration of
remedies saved its life.
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Frank T. Piper, the talented editor of the Sheldon Mail, and D. A. W.
Perkins, Esq., the boss lawyer, were in town last evening, descanting upon
the beauties and advantages enjoyed by their town. After roaming around for
two or three hours the gentleman boarded the St. Paul train for home.
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The Liberal enjoyed its first strawberries of the season last Sunday. They
came from Harry Hall’s popular establishment in Sioux City, and were
luscious! Mr. Hall’s ice cream parlors are frequented by the best people of
Sioux City; we rejoice at his continued prosperity.
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A young man who lately secured a school in Marion township, showed his
appreciation of the honor conferred by purchasing a small keg of beer for
the especial use and behoof of the sub-directors. As the young man is a
red-ribbon advocate his procedure is doubly reprehensible.
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A correspondent today takes his pen to criticize the derogatory remarks upon
Mr. Wendling’s ability made in last week’s LeMars Sentinel, and being a
personal acquaintance of the gifted orator, “Cives” speaks knowingly of his
standing as a thinker, a logician and a man.