Iowa
Old Press
The New Era
Humeston, Wayne co., Iowa
March 8, 1899
THE NEWS IN IOWA
An Unusual Accident
FORT DODGE, March 2 - A valuable horse belonging to George
Keppner, a railroad contractor, was killed as a result of a
rather peculiar accident. The horse was being driven parallel to
the railroad track on which an engine was moving. On passing the
engine the horse became frightened and instead of whirling away,
he jumped immediately in front of the engine and was killed,
although the driver, fortunately, was not injured.
Fatal Fire in Monona County
ONAWA, March 4 - The farm house occupied by the family of Joshua
McGee, six miles from Onawa, burned and his two children, a boy 3
years of age, and a baby girl, were burned to death. The mother
was fatally burned in attempting to rescue the children. The
father was away from home at the time.
KILLED BY A CAVE-IN
Two Men at Council Bluffs Meet Death and One Injured.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, March 2 - Two men were instantly killed and one
seriously injured by the falling of several tons of frozen earth
at the dirt bank of Wickham Brothers. The dead are J.B. Black, of
Council Bluffs, and F. Kroner, of Atchison, Kansas. The injured
is C.P. Read, of Council Bluffs, limb broken, severely bruised
and possible internal injuries. The accident occurred on a dirt
bank from which Wickham Brothers were hauling dirt for the grade
of the Fort Dodge & Omaha railroad. Without any warning
several tons of dirt, which had become loosened by action of the
frost, came tumbling down from a height of about 25 feet. Black
and Kroner were working directly underneath where the mass of
earth fell and were instantly killed. Their heads were crushed
and their bodies terribly mangled. A number of men shoveling in
close proximity to the bank had narrow escapes.
Killed Child and Self.
CEDAR RAPIDS, March 3 - Despondent over his hopeless case of
consumption and the sickness of a year-and-a-half-old child,
Frank Metela, a Bohemian saloonkeeper, fired two bullets into the
body of the child and then shot himself through the heart. They
were alone in the house at the time and when discovered Metela's
body was found in a sitting posture in a chair with the clothing
almost burned off. The baby was lying on the bed a few feet away,
and both were dead. Metela left a letter explaining why he
committed the deed.
The "Rev." Mr. Coffey Sentenced.
DES MOINES, March 2 - "Rev." W.N. Coffey, the Drake
University student who stole $600 in gold from his landlady, Mrs.
Magart, and who later pleaded guilty in the district court to the
charge of larceny, was sentenced by Judge Bishop to three and
one-half years in the penitentiary and to pay the costs of the
action.
IOWA CONDENSED
- Mrs. I. Calender, of Ackley, was burned to death. She was an
invalid and was at home alone. When her husband returned he found
her burned to a crisp. The house was full of smoke and it is not
known how it caught fire.
- A desperate attempt to commit murder occurred a few days ago in
the Woodbury county jail. Archie Harris, about 18 years old, a
tramp, fired two shots from the door of his cell, injuring
another prisoner in the arm. Just how the boy got the revolver is
not known, but it is supposed it was smuggled to him by some
friend.
[transcribed by C.J.L., March 2007]
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The New Era
Humeston, Wayne co., Iowa
March 22, 1899
THE NEWS IN IOWA
THINKS SHE IS TYSON'S HEIR
Des Moines, March 17 - Mary Ann Sharp, wife of William Sharp, a
carpenter, and the mother of a son and daughter, is confident
that she is the heiress of her uncle, James Tyson, who died in
Brisbane, Australia, last month, leaving a fortune of $40,000,000
in gold to his relatives. Her attorney, W.A. Spurrier, is also
confident. He has extensive correspondence with the Queensland
Trustee Company and other firms of Brisbane. He expects to go to
Australia on the errand. Mrs. Sharp says that Tyson's only other
relatives are two brothers in Hull, England.
An Old Man Assaulted
DUNLAP, March 16 - An aged farmer named Schrivalier, living four
miles in the country, who had been in town during the day, was
assaulted by Jim Mitchell, Arch Wood, and Ervin Mige, all young
men about 21 years of age. The affair seems to have occurred at
William Mige's livery stable while the old man was getting his
horse to return to his home in the country. When he became
unconscious Schrivalier's assailants dragged him into the barn,
and, throwing a blanket over him, left him. He was found in the
morning, still unconscious, and almost frozen to death. The
assailants are under arrest. Schrivalier may die.
To Wed or Die
DUNLAP, March 16 - Fred Smith, a young man 23 years old, came in
from the country to see his best girl, Lottie Smith, 14 years
old, and a cousin. Fred wanted to marry at once, but Lottie's
parents objected. Then Fred drew a six-shooter and tried to end
the life of his upper story. The gun was wrested from him, and
then a jack-knife came into play, and that was taken from him,
and he was put into the city cooler over night and the next day
adjudged insane. He was taken three miles in the country by his
father who will care for him at present.
Big Fire Loss at LeMars.
LEMARS, March 17 - Kehrberg's dry goods store was destroyed by
fire, caused by an explosion of chemicals. Kehrberg's loss is
$27,000; insurance $16,000. Dr. Richey's loss is $2,500;
insurance $500. The other tenants' losses were uninsured.
BURNED IN A CALABOOSE.
SIOUX CITY, March 18 - L.W. Garfield, whose home at Mason City,
was fatally burned in the city jail at Elk Point, S.D. Garfield
and W.G. Weiss were arrested for intoxication and put in the
calaboose. There was a stove in the calaboose with a fire in it,
and Weiss, in a sworn statement, says the drink-crazed man
deliberately set fire to the excelsior mattress. The wooden
building was soon in flames and Garfield was burned to death.
One Man's Sad Ending.
KEOKUK, March 17 - Henry J. Luder, once a prosperous shoe
manufacturer of Keokuk, died in the city jail. He had been taken
there in the patrol wagon early in the morning and was placed in
a cell until he could be sent to the county poor farm, but death
claimed him before the superintendent arrived. He was once
possessed of considerable means, but he died friendless and
alone, after subsisting on charity for a long time. His wife is
now an inmate of the insane ward at the county house.
A Des Moines Miner Killed.
DES MOINES, March 18 - Thomas Dooley, a miner employed at the
Proctor coal mine, was instantly killed by a heavy fall of slate.
The fall of slate measured three feet thick and twenty feet long.
Dooley was crushed under it and instantly killed. Broad, another
miner who was injured while attempting to rescue Dooley, is in a
precarious condition and may die.
IOWA CONDENSED.
At Coon Rapids recently the youngest son of J.E. Tucker, while
trying to catch some pigeons for his sick mother, fell from the
M.E. church steeple and sustained injuries from which he never
regained consciousness. The mother is grief-stricken and a
relapse is feared.
Mrs. John Luth and her 4-year-old child were drowned a few
evenings since near Goose Lake, Clinton county. The family had
been to town in the afternoon and in the evening while returning
home drove into the creek which had been badly swollen by the
rain. The team, buggy and occupants were carried away. Cries for
help were heard and men succeeded in rescuing Luth, but the
mother and child were drowned.
[transcribed by C.J.L., March 2007]