Iowa Old Press
Davenport Weekly Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; Wednesday, June 14, 1893
MRS. WHITNEY DEAD.
She Passes Away at the Orphan's Home Friday Afternoon.
At 3:30 o'clock Friday afternoon occurred the death of Mrs.
Esther Whitney, beloved wife of Superintendent W.E. Whitney of the Orphan's
Home. The deceased had been a sufferer for several years from brain and nerve
trouble, although not sufficiently so as to confine her to a bed until a couple
of weeks ago. Although some days ago her approaching dissolution was known, her
death was not the less a severe blow to the bereaved partner of her wedded
life.
Mrs. Whitney was only 33 years of age and for 13 years past
had been the wife of W.E. Whitney. Before coming to the Orphan's Home, when Mr.
Whitney was superintendent of the reform school at Eldora, she was his
assistant, and although her health failed her in the latter part of her stay
there, she had proven herself a capable and energetic worker. Mrs. Whitney was
by nature gifted with traits of character that endeared her to all those with
whom she came in contact, and her demise is deeply deplored by all her many
friends as well as all the officials of the Home.
Saturday morning the remains were taken to Eldora on the 3:35
o'clock train. The funeral services and interment will take place from that
place, where Mr. and Mrs. Whiteny spent so many happy years of their life.
- At Eldridge on Thursday evening, occurred the wedding of Mr. Gustav LaFrenz and Miss Augusta Meier, both of that village. Squire Peter Schwartz officiated and after the ceremony the large number of friends present enjoyed the festivities until a late hour.
DEATH OF JOHN BAHLS.
Sunday morning at about 4 o'clock occurred the death of
Mr. John Bahls, late of the firm of Bahls & Wohlert. The death was very
sudden as during the previous day Mr. Bahls had been attending to business, but
had complained of not feeling well, and went home but a little earlier than
usual to rest. His wife was awakened but a short time before his death by his
heavy breathing, and ere hardly realizing the situation he was dead, the cause
probably being something in the nature of a paralytic stroke of the heart.
Mr. Bahls was 65 years and nine months old and was born in
Gerisewald, Pomerania, Germany. He came to this country in 1853 and has been in
business here over twenty years, being a member of the firm of Thompson &
Bahls. After the death of Mr. Thompson he associated himself with Mr. Wohlert,
and they have continued the business since. He leaves a wife and four children
to mourn his loss, the eldest son residing at Lake Park, Iowa, and three
daughters in this city.
A post mortem examination of the remains concealed the fact
that death had been caused by thrombosis of the heart, or in other words by a
filbrouse clot, which had evidently been in the heart for some time. The time of
the funeral depends upon the arrival of the son who has been telegraphed
for.
HARVEY AT IT.
The Injunction Suits to Have a Hearing Soon.
The injunction suits against Scott county saloon keepers,
located in LeClaire, Winfield, and Princeton townships instituted through the
instrumentality of J.A. Harvey, the president of Iowa prohibitionists, received
some attention in the courts here yesterday. The informations against Hugh
Sweeney, Jack Bailey, Jacob Shipley, Jack Arnold, Adam Ryder, Wm. Davenport,
George Bessig, George Simpson, Henry Joens, E.S. Gerber and Hans Topp were filed
and injunctions prayed for. All informations were filed by R.C. White of
LeClaire, with Harvey as attorney. Judge Waterman set June 19 as the day when
temporary injunction case should be heard, and the cases will be reached in the
September term.
- Mr. F.J. Nabstedt of Suederditmarschen, Schleswig-Holstein is now on board the steamer Augusta Victoria bound for New York. Mr. Nabstedt is the father of Jeweler M. E. Nabstedt and is coming to visit the World's Fair and call upon his relatives in Davenport. Mr. Fritz Nabstedt left today for Chicago, where he awaits the arrival of his grandfather and accompany him to this city. The meeting of father and son and grandchildren will be a very happy one for all.
IT WAS SUICIDE.
So Says the Coroner's Jury in the Case of Florence Booher.
The Mysterious Death of the Young Girl Investigated and the Conclusion Reached
as Above Stated -
No Cause Can Be Discovered for the Deed of Self Destruction - The Details.
On Friday evening THE LEADER told its readers
of the mysterious death of the 16 year old girl named Florence Booher, residing
with relatives at 812 Switz street, and of the apparent lack of knowledge of the
definite causes of death. Coroner McCortney decided to investigate the matter,
and yesterday impanelled a jury composed of C.L. Lindholm, Fred Vollmer and
William M. Dalzell, who proceeded to inquire into the case. The evidence
revealed the fact that a young man by the name of John Christiansen, a carpenter
by trade called on Florence last Monday morning. He had been paying attention to
the girl and she asked him to call again to see her that evening. When in reply
thereto he stated that it was uncertain whether or not he could call owing to a
lack of time, she earnestly besought him to do so, adding that it might be the
last time he could see her alive. Her manner mystified him, and in response to
these pleas he promised to call, and he did so. When he came to see her that
evening according to his promise, she was sick in bed, and unable to arise. He
at once urged that a physician be summoned, and after repeated entreaties on his
part, Florence finally consented and Dr. Bowman was called. The doctor upon his
arrival, prescribed for her, and ere leaving she seemed to be easy and
comfortable.
The next evening Christiansen called again, and as the girl's
illness preyed upon his mind to a certain extent, and appeared to him very
mysterious, he asked her if she had taken anything which would be the cause of
her sickness, and he stated that Florence finally admitted having tasted a
little poison. But as she was continually improving, and seemed to be recovering
her spirits, he had hoped nothing serious would occur.
The testimony of Louise and Annie Belial, the deceased girl's
aunts, was to the effect that on Thursday morning when they left to go to their
work at the Woolen mills, she seemed cheerful and in good spirits, but upon
their return that evening she desired a doctor, and Drs. Bowman were summoned
and promptly responded. While the doctors were at the bedside, the girl died, as
was stated in Friday evenings LEADER.
It was also learned Mrs. Wm. S. Cogan, who resides at No.
810, that on Monday last, she had been informed by Florence that she had taken
"rough on rats," but this is doubted as far as the nature of the
poison is concerned. A peculiar feature of the matter is that not a trace of any
poison could be found in her room, nor could any place be located that she
purchased or secured any, but it nevertheless seems caused her death. The
following stanza might be regarded as direct evidence on that point, containing
the sentiment it does. This was found in her bed, and she requested that it be
given to Mr. Christiansen. It reads:
"'Tis a harsh world in which affection knows
No place to treasure loved and lost
But the grave.
But time betrays that soon enough."
The above was signed "Florence Knight," which was
stated to have been the name by which she was known to Christiansen. It contains
a vague hint that the world was dark and rough to her, but this decidedly lacks
confirmation. Her home life was said to have been pleasant and agreeable, and
nothing had occurred in any way to mar her enjoyment of ????. She had been
keeping company with Christiansen for about four weeks, and it had been stated
that the family objected to Christiansen's attentions to her, but that is
denied, by that gentleman who states that his treatment at the house was always
very pleasant, and if there had been any objections made to his calling, he had
never been aware of it.
Florence was described as quite a pretty girl, of a
lighthearted and cheerful disposition, and her reasons for desiring to end her
life remain a mystery. Whether it was caused by strained sentimentality, or
other mental aberration cannot be told, or even intelligently surmised. It was
however clearly evident that her death was caused by poison which was
self-administered, and the jury returned a verdict that her death was due to
suicide.
The father of the girl died some years ago, but the mother
resides in Wyoming. The unfortunate girl came here only a short time ago with
her relatives, who formerly resided in Muscatine.
FOUND DEAD
Carl Kohler, A Well Known Resident of Maysville.
His Non-Appearance Causes An Investigation by the Neighbors and They Find Him
Cold in Death-
Paralysis of the Heart is the Cause-An Old Bachelor's Lonely Demise.
On Saturday evening Coroner McCortney
received word from Maysville, this county, that a well known resident of that
village, Carl Kohler, had been found dead in his bed, on Saturday afternoon at
about 3:30 o'clock. The coroner went out yesterday morning and convened a
coroner's jury composed of Messrs. Henry Schultz, August Meier and Chris Luethje,
and proceeded to hold an inquest.
It was found that Carl Kohler was a man passed the middle of
life, who resided all alone in a pleasant little home in the village of
Maysville, and had done so for years. He was well known to everybody, and was
apparently well liked by everybody, his only weakness being the amount of fire
water he could consume each day, but he always paid for everything he got, was
quiet and unobtrusive and attended to his own business. His cottage consisted of
several rooms, all of which he always kept with scrupulous cleanness. The floors
were always scrubbed, his bed neat, the windows provided with curtains, and in
fact, everything about the place was the acme of neatness.
He kept a cow and used to take the milk to the creamery near
there regularly every morning. On Saturday morning he did not come, but nothing
was thought of it, until the man at the creamery noticed Kohler's cow
incessantly bellowing in the afternoon, and that she had not been milked. He
learned that Kohler had gone home at 11 o'clock the previous evening and had not
been seen since. Calling a couple of neighbors they went to the house and
succeeded in securing an entrance at the kitchen door. When they drew back the
curtains of the bed, they saw Kohler lying there, cold in death. It was evident
that he had been dead for some time, as rigor mortis had set in, the body being
rigid.
The coroner's jury after hearing all the evidence, and the
coroner making an examination, returned a verdict that Carl Kohler came to his
death from natural causes, paralysis of the heart being the cause.
Kohler has no relatives in this country as far as known, and
has only a brother in Germany, who will no doubt be his heir.
Two Brothers Drowned.
MADISON, Ia., June 13 - Two brothers, Laurie and Willie
Osborne, were drowned in the river opposite this city. The younger boy went in
bathing but found himself carried out into deep water by the swift current. His
brother tried to save him, and both went down together.
Murder at Lyons.
The other day, as chronicled in THE LEADER at the time, a
female child, evidently several days old, was found in a box in the river at
Lyons. An inquest was held, which developed the fact that a child had been born
to a girl named Belle Marckley on Sunday. The mother of the girl said that Joe
Mayhew, a young man employed at Disbrow's sash factory, was the father of the
child, and that on Monday night he came to their house and took the child away
with him, and she had not seen it since. The mother of the child and Mayhew were
gathered in on the charge of murder.
Submitted by C.J.L., May 2006