William and Belle Lewis - The Saga Continues
LEWIS
Posted By: Bill Hansen (email) In Response To: Courier on film? (Mary F)
Date: 11/3/2004 at 15:15:58
Based on the following, I would guess the death of William Lewis to have taken place in early to mid January 1904. By the way, I did not make up these headlines.
The following is from the Daily Iowa State Press (Iowa City, Iowa) dated Monday, February 22, 1904
DEAD MAN'S HEAD TO BE EXAMINED
----------
BY DR. L.W. DEAN OF IOWA CITY --EXHUMED CAPITAL APPENDAGE SUBJECTED TO SCIENTIFIC STUDYDr. L.W. Dean has been instructed by the State of Iowa to examine the exhumed head of William Lewis, which was recently taken from the sheltering arms of Mother Earth in Sigourney.
Lewis is the victim of a tragedy in "Hell's Half Acre". He was murdered by an unknown assasin -- and to complete the horror of the calamity -- his wife, Mrs. Belle Lewis was charged with the crime.
The grand jury studied the facts to the case thourougly, and recently brought and indictment against her.
The court will convene today in Sigourney, and will take up the murder case at once. It is believed the state hopes to show by the report of Dr. Dean on the head, and Dr. Macey of Des Moines on the stomach that the dead man was poisoned.
The defendant, it is stated, will charge her husband with being a constant user of laudunum, and thus show that, if he were a victim of poison, he probably administered it himself in an overdose or with suicidal intent.
The case promises to be as interesting and exciting as the Kuhn murder trial, or the big legal fight in Eldora. Dr. Dean is expected to testify today or tommorrow, though he may not be called into the court room until later in the week.
Wapello Queries maintained by Deborah Lynne Barker.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen