Iowa
Old Press
The New Era
Humeston, Wayne co. Iowa
May 31, 1893
NEWS OF THE STATE
- James Dooley, murderer of Mrs. Coons, at Prescott last year,
has secured a postponement of his sentence to be hanged until the
October term of court.
- Mrs. Charles Hall publicly horsewhipped Henry Stoessel, an
Ottumwa grocer, because he politely invited her to settle a bill.
He will prosecute her.
- Great excitement is occasioned in Iowa City over the murder of
Patrick O'Donnell by John Bivens. Both were farmers living near
the city and got into a quarrel. Bivens stabbed O'Donnell,
killing him almost instantly. He was immediately placed under
arrest.
- A 4-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.T. Goodridge, of Jones
township, Union county, met a fearful death by falling into a
well. The little one had crawled up to the curbed well and fell
in. How long the body remained in the well before discovery was
not learned.
- John Bevins, aged about 60, stabbed Patrick O'Donnell, about
40, with a jack-knife in the arm and side at Johnson's saw mill,
near Iowa city. The injured man is not dead. The men were farmers
and had been drinking and quarreling over the marking of some
hogs. The murderer is under arrest.
- Harry Fatman, a West Union young man of respectable parents,
was captured by Sheriff O'Neel on charge of forgery. He signed
his father's name to a note for $90. The evidence of his guilt is
plain, and this being the third offense his father says the law
shall take its course. He is said to have been a model young man
until he fell in with a fast set at Oelwein.
- David Phillips, a well-to-do farmer of Douglas township, Clay
county, suicided by hanging. He went to his room, fastened a rope
around is neck and jumped. The rope broke, but his neck was also
broken.
- Michael Fellinger, an employe of the Dubuque Cabinet Making
Co., was hit in the stomach by a board flying from a saw. It was
supposed that he was not dangerously injured, but the next
morning, he died from an internal hemorrhage.
- The supposed assassin of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Towne was
arrested at Glenville, Minn., thirty miles north of Plymouth. It
was believed that a tramp had done the shooting, but it is now
said there was a plot to kill Guy Towne, 15 years old, who lived
with Mr. and Mrs. Towne and whose father had recently died
leaving him a large estate. Guy's father married a widow with
three children and the story goes that the plot contemplated
Guy's removal so that they could get the money and one of the
boys was delegated to do the deed, but instead wounded Mr. and
Mrs. Towne. Mrs. Towne will die, but Mr. Towne will recover.
- The greatest interest of the Neise trial at Ottumwa was
manifested when Harry Niese, the defendant's 9-year-old son, was
put on the stand. He had on oath testified to the coroner's jury
and the grand jury that his father had been in the room where the
dead woman was burning and made no effort to get her out, and
that his father had said that if his mother was burned he would
have a new mama and the life insurance to build a new home. When
called at the pending trial he repudiated his former stories and
claimed he was asleep and had lied to the two other juries. He
has been living with Hattie Foltz, the woman implicated in the
case, and the supposition is that she has instructed him what to
say.
[transcribed by C.J.L. June 2007]