Iowa Old Press

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
October 10, 1933

HARNESS MAKER IN EARLY TIMES
T. W. GRIER, PIONEER KINGSLEY RESIDENT,
PASSES AWAY SUDDENLY

Death claimed T. W. Grier, a pioneer resident of this county and a well known business man of Kingsley, at his home Saturday morning at the age of 84 years. Mr. Grier was in his usual good health Friday and walked from his residence to the downtown district several times during the day. He conversed with his wife when they awakened in the morning. She arose and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. On calling him to come to the meal, she received no response and going to the room found him lifeless.

Mr. Grier was a native of Pennsylvania and when a young man came west and located in Kingsley, where he was engaged in the harness and saddlery business. He retired from active business some years ago.

He is survived by his wife, one son, Robert Grier, who resides on a farm in Elkhorn township, and four daughters, Mrs. Frank Stamp, of LeMars; Mrs. Alice Chapman, of Sioux City; Mrs. Aaron Turner, of Sacramento, Calif., and Mrs. Archie Morgan, of Des Moines.

The funeral was held Monday afternoon in the Methodist church at Kingsley, Rev. R. D. Acheson, of Sioux City, officiating and interment made in the Kingsley cemetery.

Mrs. Stamp, of this city, went to Kingsley Saturday on receipt of the news and with her husband, Frank Stamp, attended the funeral held yesterday.

Le Mars Sentinel, October 17, 1933

FAMILY BEREFT OF YOUNG DAUGHTER
Miss Virginia Frances Lockard Dies After a Lingering Illness

Mr. and Mrs. Will Lockard, residing at 531 Fourth Ave. SW., mourn the loss
of their daughter, Virginia Frances, who died Wednesday morning following an
illness of several weeks. Death was due to a tumor on the brain.

Virginia Frances Lockard was born in Le Mars April 12, 1918, and lived all
her short life here.

She was in her second high school year and was well liked and popular among
her classmates and associates. She possessed a bright and sunny disposition
and in the household and among friends was called "Fairy," her name being
typical of her helpfulness in the home and her attitude toward comrades and
older people with whom she came in contact.

She leaves to mourn her early death her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lockard,
four brothers, Gordon of Le Mars, Graydon, of Sioux City, Russell, of
Remsen, Max and two sisters, Beth and Joyce, living at home, her
grandmother, Mrs. Lockard, of Chicago, and many other relatives.

The funeral will be held Friday afternoon from the residence at 2 o'clock
with services at the First Methodist church at 2:30, Rev. J. R. Tumbleson,
the pastor, officiating. Interment will be made in the city cemetery.

Miss Lockard was a member of the Spanish-American war veterans auxiliary.

VETERAN MAIL CARRIER DIES
Charles M. Swift Of Akron, Succumbs At His Home At Advanced Age

A residence in Plymouth county of thirty years ended Wednesday morning with
the death at Akron of Chas. M. Swift, 81.

Mr. Swift was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, December 31, 1852. In 1903 he
settled in Akron. He was a rural mail carrier until eleven years ago, when
he was retired on a pension.

Survivors include five sons, Vern, of Akron, Bert, of Sioux City, Charles of
Sacramento, Cal.; R. J. and Will of Los Banos, Cal. One daughter survives.
She is Mrs. Virginia Mann, of Los Banos.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Christian church of
Akron. The body will be sent to Fresno, Cal., and burial will be in the
Fresno cemetery.

JUROR QUERIED GIVES OPINION
Case On Trial In Which A Number of Dupes Were Fleeced

No juror from Plymouth county drawn on the panel serving in Sioux City in
the federal court now is session was drawn to serve on the notorious
Hartzell fraud case.

George Sitzman, well known stock farmer in the south part of the county,
gained newspaper mention during the examination of prospective jurors in the
case. The Sioux City Tribune says:

George Sitzman's "opinion" of the Drake estate brought the first challenge
from the defense. Sitzman, a Kingsley farmer and the father of twelve
children, answered "yes" or "no" in snappy fashion until United States
District Attorney Harry M. Reed asked if he had any opinion on the case.

He believed in law enforcement, he had no prejudice against the government
and no interest in the law suit but - "I feel it is nothing -" he began and
was interrupted by the next question.

When Defense Counsel Carlos Goltz took him for interrogation his first words
were: "Mr. Sitzman, please finish that sentence you started when you said I
feel it is-"

"I feel the Drake estate is nothing but a damned scheme," he spoke frankly.

"Your honor, I challenge this juror." Attorney Goltz addressed Judge Scott.

Judge G. C. Scott, a pioneer lawyer in Le Mars, is presiding in the case.
He believes in expediting business.

Several times he objected to the attorney's habit of repeating questions in
altered phraseology. His idea seemed to be that queries should be couched
in direct, easily understandable language so that jurors might answer them
once and for all and do away with any need of subsequent "in other words"
queries.

Charles A. Garton, of Marathon, Iowa, well known former Le Mars resident, is
one of two alternate jurors drawn to serve on the case.

Because of the fact that the case is expected to continue for about two
weeks, two alternate jurors were called who will listen to the evidence and
in the event one of the regular jurors becomes ill his place will be taken
by an alternate.

Hartzell is defendant in the case in which he is charged with swindling
people in connection with the Drake estate promotion scheme.