Iowa Old Press
Mount Ayr Journal
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, June 07, 1888
Page 3
PROBABLY MURDER.
Body of a Well Known Citizen Found in a Well.
VINTON, May 29. - Last Wednesday night or Thursday morning Daniel
WILFORD, living near Garrison, [illegible] mysteriously
disappeared from his home. Thursday morning his horse was found
tied in the southwest part of the town, and tracks intended to be
his were made in the sand near the river. Search was made for him
and inquiries clinched no knowledge.
On Saturday a neighbor of his searching for him made a casual
examination of an old well out in a field about eighty rods from
the house. His trails, with a piece of barbed wire were not
satisfactory. So Sunday morning he took a grab hood and with this
was successful in brining the body to the surface. The proper
authorities were notified and an examination by the physicians
showed conclusively that the had been murdered before he was
thrown into the well. Six wounds on the head and neck, three of
which showed the skull had been broken and no water being in the
lungs were sufficient to warrant the theory of murder.
His shoe, of peculiar make, and one used to make the tracks found
by the river, together, with his hat and gold watch, were
missing. WILFORD had drawn some $200 of his own from the bank at
Garrison that day and was thought to have in his possession $600
belonging to his father, and it is supposed the murder was done
to get this. However, he had placed the money in safe-keeping,
and beyond about $35 and the watch, the murderer obtained
nothing.
SEQUEL TO THE MYSTERY.
VINTON, May 30. - The sequel of the WILFORD murder has been
reached. After the body had been found in the old well suspicion
was cast on one Dan RIDGE, who was seen in company with the
murdered man the evening before. Simultaneously with the
disappearance of WILFORD, RIDGE was missed, and as he left on the
west-bound train that night, his destination was supposed to be
Republican City, Nebraska. Sheriff BARR telegraphed there to
arrest and hold him for orders. Monday morning he received word
that he had been arrested and in about an hour another dispatch
stated that
RIDGE had shot himself, dying instantly.
No evidence directly implicating RIDGE was given at the coroner's
inquest at Garrison yesterday. The jury brought in the verdict:
"Daniel WILFORD came to death by a blow on the head with a
blunt instrument in the hands of party unknown to the jury."
Several think others besides RIDGE are guilty. Whether this will
end the matters is not known.
Page 6
IOWA NEWS ITEMS.
Clarence HOWARD, a brakeman on the C.M.&St. Paul railroad,
fell between the cars at Beulah, May 30, and had both legs cut
off. He died in three hours. His home is at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The special mail services has been discontinued to Jerico,
Chickasaw county; Newkirk, Sioux county; Nyman, Page county. From
July 10 there will be no daily service between Waubeck and
Central City. Fourth-class postmasters commissioned: John F.
HUNTINGTON, Oakland; C. KOSRECK, Nining, and Robert SHANNON, Red
Rock.
A business Mens' Association has been formed at Harlan for the
general improvement and upbuilding of the town by offering
substantial inducements to such manufacturing enterprises as are
seeking location. The officers of the association are W. J.
DAVIS, President; D. M. WYLAND, of the Harlan bank, and W. W.
WHEELER, President of the Shelby County bank. Vice-Presidents: D.
B. SHELLER, Secretary,
and Col. J. T. JACK, Treasurer.
Mrs. Anna ANDERSON, well-known in the eastern part of the State,
and about Kansas City, left the home of her friends in Clinton in
the forenoon of May 14th at an early hour. Her remains have been
found in Mill creek, three miles west of the city, in a badly
decomposed condition, a car link and couplin-pin being strapped
to her waist. She was buried, after the Coroner's Jury had
returned a verdict of suicide. She was a medium of some note,
claimed to posses great healing powers. Being poor, she had no
home, only with acquaintances. She was about 60 years of age.
Harry NICKSON, aged 11 years, living at Humboldt, has beaten the
record, May 28, he made in a slip-noose on the end of a halter
and fastened the noose about his wrist, leaving a 3-year-old colt
fastened to the other end of the halter. The colt took Harry off
his feet at the first jump and ran over stone piles through an
alley, over a lumber pile, jumped a sidewalk and ditch combined,
all the while dragging Harry by the wrist, till it stopped
through sheer fright and exhaustion. The best jump measured
sixteen feet in the clear. Except that his elbow and his scalp
badly cut up, there seems to be no harm done to the boy, and he
is quite comfortable.
A postoffice has been established at Brompton, Monroe county,
Nathan JONES postmaster. Iowa fourth-class postmasters appointed:
Jas. W. FISHER, Moville; Fred SHUMAKER, Bapnier; John B. LLOYD,
Lake Mills; Jas. ELICK, Pittsburgh; Thos. HARTY, Summerset.
Engineer Frank STINE, of Marshalltown, was instantly killed May
26 on the Eastern Division of the Central of Iowa near Ollie. His
engine struck a cow and turned over.
Mr. JONES, a laboror (sic), while under the influence of liquor,
was run over by a switch engine in the Milwaukee yards at Sioux
City, losing both legs, one above the knee.
Matt CROTLY, a section hand on the C. St. P. & K Cty, went to
Dubuque to get on a spree, and attempted to board a train, missed
his hold, and fell under the wheels. His leg was cut off and he
died at the Mercy Hospital. He was about forty-years-old.
Michael STEIN, a stonemason of Dubuque, was killed May 25, at
Dyersville, where he was employed in working on a new Catholic
church. A rock fell on him, crushing in his breast. He leaves a
wife and three children.
[transcribed by S.R.B., March 2012]