Iowa Old Press
Davenport Weekly Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; March 2, 1893
OBITUARY
DIEDERICH
Fritz Diederich, a well known farmer on the Dubuque road
about three miles north of the city, died at 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon. He was
58 years of age and leaves a wife and nine children.
Mr. Diederich came to town Saturday afternoon accompanied by
his sons and went to Lindsay & Phelp's lumber yard for a load of lumber. He
was standing by the wagon when he fell apparently dead. A doctor was called and
the old gentleman taken to the home of his brother, August Diederich, No. 322
Gaines street, where he expired yesterday.
WILDS.
Mrs. Mary J. Wilds, a widow lady seventy years of age, died
on Monday night at her home five miles out on the Bluegrass road. She leaves no
family. The funeral takes place to-morrow morning at ten o'clock, with interment
in Oakdale.
CLOW
At her home, 130 West Locust street, occurred the death of
Mrs. D. W. Clow on Sunday afternoon at half past two. The funeral will be held
tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock from the residence. The interment will be
in Oakdale.
Mrs. Clow was recovering from an attack of diphtheria, with
which she was stricken down in January, but died from paralysis of the heart,
which resulted from her former illness. Her death was a sad blow to the family
and her friends.
DIEBERN
At a quarter past seven Monday evening occurred the death of
another Scott county pioneer, Jacob F. Dibbern, at his home No. 1031 West Third
street. Death was the result of a general breaking down and his illness was
unknown to any but relatives. He passed away quietly while sitting in his chair.
Deceased was 61 years of age and came here in 1847. He leaves
a wife and three children. The funeral takes place from the residence on
Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock with interment at the West Davenport cemetery.
J.E. Fleming Wednesday filed a petition for a divorce from his wife Annie Fleming. The petition states that on or about April 15, 1881, the plaintiff and defendant were married in Rock Island and that on or about Nov. 1, 1890 the defendant deserted plaintiff. A divorce therefore is therefore prayed for on grounds of desertion.
Davenport Weekly Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; Wednesday, March 29, 1893
OBITUARY
GORMAN
At 8 o'clock a.m. Tuesday occurred the death of an old and
respected citizen of Davenport, Thomas Gorman, at the residence of his brother
Simon, No. 313 Gaines street. Mr. Gorman had long ago passed the traditional
limit of human life, having reached the ripe old age of 86 years. He was born in
the county Clare, Ireland, but for the past forty years was a resident of this
city.
The funeral will take place Wednesday morning with services
at 9 o'clock in St. Mary's church. Interment will be in St. Marguerite's
cemetery.
WARNER
Yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock occurred the death of Seth
Warner at the age of 78 years.
Deceased was a native of Addison county, Vermont, and came to
Scott county in the spring of 1861. He lived in LeClaire township for a year and
then moved to Butler township, where he owned and occupied a farm of 640 acres.
He was a well-known and prominent farmer and very successful. He retired from
active life a few years ago and has been residing at 1201 Arlington avenue.
In 1848 he married Miss Anna M. Brown, who survives him with their
three sons, F.L. and E.S. Warner, of this city, and E.H. Warner, a prominent
business man at Tama City.
Mr. Warner was a regular attendant at the Calvary Baptist
church, of which church his family are all active members.
The funeral took place Tuesday afternoon at half past two,
with interment at Oakdale cemetery. Friends are invited to attend.
WESTENDORF
On Saturday evening at 4:30 o'clock occurred the death of Mr.
Ulrich Westendorf at his home No. 1633 Prairie street, at the age of 74 years, 1
month and 5 days after an illness of about four weeks' duration. Mr. Westendorf
was well known in the city having resided here since 1854. He was born at Soegel,
Province of Hannover, Germany, and came to this country about fifty years ago.
Five children, Henry, August, Ben, Mrs. Gertrude Hiebing and Francis, besides
Mrs. Kate Westendorf, wife of Frank, who died about two months ago, are left to
mourn his loss. The funeral services were held at St. Joseph's church on
Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock and the interment was at St. Mary's cemetery.
M'CHESNEY
After a lingering illness of over three months' duration,
Mrs. Mary C. McChesney passed quietly away at half past five o'clock Saturday
morning. Death was the result of a complication of dropsy and heart trouble. Her
taking away is a sad blow to her many friends and especially to her four
surviving children, W.J., Charles, Belle, and Miss Emma Buck of Clinton, Iowa.
Mrs. McChesney was born in Little Falls, N.Y. on April 30th,
1835, and in 1857 married John McChesney and came with him to Davenport that
same year, residing here ever since. Mr. McChesney was connected with the Rock
Island road for about 25 years.
The funeral took place Monday morning at ten o'clock from the
residence, 407 East Sixth street, and the remains were interred in Oakdale
cemetery by those of her husband, who has preceded her to the realms of peace.
ADAMS
Yesterday morning William Adams, a carpenter, died at his
home, No. 1835 West Fifth street. A wife and family are left to mourn his loss.
The funeral will take place this afternoon at two o'clock with interment at
Oakdale.
---On Sunday morning at 12:45 occurred the death of
Miss Lillie I. Dempsey, daughter of Mr. Patrick Dempsey, at Long Grove, Scott
County. The cause of death was typhoid fever. The funeral occurs tomorrow at St.
Ann's church, and interment will be in that cemetery. Deceased was sixteen years
of age and had many friends and acquaintances in Davenport.
MOB RETRIBUTION
Brutal Murder Followed Soon by Lynch Law
HITEMAN, IA., THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
A Dastard Stabs His Wife to Death, Then Fatally Wounds
His Sister-in-Law and Slashes Off the Leg of His Babe-
The Miscreant Caught and While Begging for Mercy Strung Up
by the Inevitable Mob-Details of the Atrocity
ALBIA, Ia., March 23 - William Frazier, a German miner, murdered his wife and sister-in-law at Hiteman, this county [Monroe Co.] yesterday and following this cut off the leg of his baby. After the tragedy he escaped to the neighboring woods. Almost the entire town pursued him and within two hours he was captured, taken from the officers and hanged to a tree near the scene of his crime by a mob. Frazier's crime was as cold-blooded as it was brutal. He was a resident of Carbondale, a mining town not far from here, and until a few days ago his wife was with him. Then, made desperate by unbearable cruelty, she took their baby and left home and fled to that of her sister-in-law, Mrs. W.H. Smith, at Hiteman.
A Dastardly Deed Well Planned.
Frazier did nothing regarding his wife's action until
Tuesday, when he came to this place. Yesterday morning he went to Hiteman saying
he was going after his wife and baby, who were there on a visit. "I am
going to bring them back with me," he said, "but I can't tell just how
we'll come." Frazier's plan was evidently well laid, for within ten minutes
of his arrival at Hiteman it was carried out. He evidently did not know just
where Mrs. Smith lived, for he made several inquiries as to the location of the
house. He finally found it, walked coolly into the kitchen where his wife was at
work and without a word plunged a knife into her heart.
Butchers Sister-in-Law and Baby
Hearing the noise made by the fall of her sister's body, Mrs.
Smith who, with Frazier's baby, was in an adjoining room, came into the kitchen
carrying the little one. Frazier said to her, " I want you, too," and
stabbed with the knife which had just ended his wife's existence. Then, seizing
his little one, the brute cut off its leg just below the knee. Throwing the baby
to the floor, Frazier walked out of the door by which he entered and toward the
woods. A friend of Mrs. Smith's came into the yard a moment after he left. Going
into the house she found Mrs. Smith dying upon the floor.
A Double Murder So Far.
Mrs. Frazier was dead and the baby unconscious. Mrs. Smith
was able to speak a few words concerning the tragedy when she lost consciousness
and died a few moments afterward. The news of the crime spread rapidly, and half
an hour after Frazier's frightful deed had been committed dozens of the
townspeople, led by Deputy Sheriff Joseph Lewis, of Albia, were in pursuit.
Frazier made good use of the time, for it was two hours before he was discovered
in the woods where he had taken refuge. He had climbed into a tree hoping,
evidently, that his pursuers would not look up, but his hope failed of
realization.
THE INEVITABLE MOB LAW.
Begging for Mercy the Miscreant is Duly Strung Up.
He offered no resistance to the men who discovered him, and without a murmur obeyed their command to accompany them. With their prisoner the three captors- Joseph Box, Joseph Lewis and Mr. Grace- proceeded back toward Hiteman, the sheriff and posse joining them soon after the capture. A mob of 150 miners, armed with guns, clubs and other weapons, met the party near the Cedar mines, overpowered the sheriff, whose resistance was not great, took Frazier and dragged him back to the scene of the murder. On learning that he was to die he begged for mercy. This being refused he begged to be given time to pray which was granted against the protest of the majority of the mob.
Rathe Sanguine of the Hereafter.
Frazier prayed aloud and in a weak, trembling voice, invoked
divine mercy, declaring that he had done nothing wrong and felt sure he would
meet his wife and baby in heaven. "Well, you'll never get there!"
shouted the big miner who held the rope which he was to place about Frazier's
neck when the prayer was done. Frazier then gasped, said he had nothing more to
day, and in a twinkling one end of the rope was thrown over the limb of the tree
under which he had prayed and the two women who lay dead in the house near by
were avenged.
No Attempt to Interfere.
Frazier's body swung under the tree for several hours before
any one cared to touch it. Then about 6 o'clock Deputy Sheriff Moore cut it down
and had it taken to the undertaker's. During the lynching no attempt was made by
the officers to interfere. There will be no attempt made to punish the mob who
administered summary justice to Frazier.
The Child Will Live.
No possible motive for Frazier's crime except anger is known.
He was not insane. There was nothing in his manner at any time which indicated
an unbalanced mind. It was simply what the people of the town judged it to be- a
brutal murder. The child so horribly mutilated by its father will live.
Submitted by C.J.L., May 2006