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1887 History of Story County, Iowa by W. G. Allen

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KIRKMAN MURDER 1875
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think the only evidence against her, thus far, is in the fact of the doors being unlocked, when, if we are correctly informed, it was the habit of Mr. Kirkman, since the commencement of these troubles, to always keep the doors locked. In connection with this we might also add that after the murder of Mr. Kirkman, Mrs. Kirkman sent a telegraph dispatch to Mr. Zinsmaster and the children, at Des Moines, to be at the funeral, and entirely forgot the oldest son, James Kirkman, in Union, Hardin County. The first that James beard of his father's death was through the Representative account of the tragedy which was copied into the State Register. But it seems that when he did find it out he comprehended the situation at once, as he came down on Monday last, and has been enquiring about the condition and shape of the property very carefully.

The will which Mr. Kirkman made after the separation of himself and wife, was carefully destroyed before they commenced living together the last time. A copy had been kept by Mrs. Haynes, unbeknown to Mrs. Kirkman, until a few days ago, when that was also burned by Mrs. Kirkman as soon as she discovered it. Many other strange moves have been made by this or that one of this family, enough to make a curious volume, could they all be collected together.

MORE OF THE MURDER.

A recent number of the State Register says that Polk County was disgraced by a mob of citizens in the hanging of Howard, and now Story County has been disgraced by a mob of its citizens in the hanging of Mr. Kirkman.—(1875.)

The first part of the Register's statement above, is correct, namely, that Polk County was disgraced by the hanging of Howard by a mob; but the second part, namely, that Story County has been disgraced by a mob of its citizens in the hanging of Kirkman, is not correct. The facts developed by the testimony of nearly seventy-five witnesses who appeared before the coroner's jury as near as we can find out, casts no suspicion upon any citizen in Story County as being engaged in the murder of the late Geo. N. Kirkman. All of the parties arrested upon suspicion, thus far, are residents of Polk County. Not one of the five arrested on Sunday and Monday last, reside in Story County. In short we believe that the late inhuman and brutal murder of Geo. N. Kirkman is the result of the loose way in which the Howard murder was inquired into and the semi-official winking at it, given it by the Polk County authorities. We don't claim that the Polk County people, generally, are any more evily disposed than the majority of the people of Story, but it is nevertheless a fact, that in this particular case, all of the suspicioned characters do reside in that county. At this writing, Thursday afternoon, the Grand Jury are still investigating the case, but what conclusion they will arrive at we cannot

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