Pike Township Family Stories
A TRAGIC OCCURRENCE
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 124-125Jake Ising, a Rejected Lover, Shoots the Object of His Affections,
Miss Mary TeVoort, and Then Kills Himself.Muscatine Daily News Tribune of Friday morning, 29 June 1894.
Coroner Austin and Dr. E. B. Fulliam were summoned to Nichols yesterday afternoon, the latter to make a post mortem examination and the former to hold an inquest over the remains of Mary TeVoort and Jacob Ising, the victims of a tragic occurrence. It appears that Ising, who was boarding at the TeVoort home, became infatuated with the girl of seventeen summers and the attentions she accepted from other young men aroused a spirit of desperation on the part of her slayer. A few evenings ago she accompanied a young man to a dance in the neighborhood, which only intensified the jealousy of Ising, whose affections for the girl were not reciprocated.
Wednesday afternoon she took her sister to a neighbors in a cart and as she was returning about two miles from home, Ising carried out his desperate resolve to waylay her. As she neared the ravine, Ising advanced from the roadside and getting in the cart pressed his suit, but when the girl firmly declined his proposal of marriage he drew a 32-calibre revolver from his pocket, but before he could fire the girl who divined is intentions jumped out of the cart and started to run. But the deadly missiles came with unerring aim, three striking her head and glancing off, while a fourth entered her thigh and the fatal fifth penetrated the abdomen. The plucky girl ran until she fell by the roadside where she was soon found by neighbors attracted by the shooting. In the meantime Ising went on a short distance in the opposite direction and stopping under a large tree, sent a ball crashing through his head.
An hour later the girl was removed to her home, three and one-half miles northwest of Nichols, in Wapsie Township,and surgical aid summoned, but to no purpose. She was able to tell the story as outlined above and at a half hour after midnight expired.
The victim’s face was blackened with powder burns. Her death is a sad and crushing blow to her parents, who are well-to-do and enjoy the esteem of the community.
Ising shot himself near the right ear and for seven hours lay on the road side where he first fell and none of the neighbors consenting to have him removed to their homes, he was finally dragged to the nearest corncrib where he suffered 17 hours more before death released him at 6 o’clock last evening.
Ising had come to this county from the old country nine years ago and being and honest and industrious your farm hand managed to save about $2,000, having a deed for 80 acres of land, $12 in cash and two certificates of deposit for $450 each written in favor of the murdered girl’s brother and sister. Ising was 27 years old and followed the occupation of farm hand.
The coroner’s jury, consisting of R. C. Black, G. L. Ripley and P. Barry brought in a verdict in accordance with the facts related above.
Note: Mary TeVoort was a first cousin of Theodore Hazen. Theodore was a boy of thirteen at the time this took place and was in a nearby field plowing corn.
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