The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-02-12

Murd and Ictde..A MAN III trough
Jenionsy Murders Ana Dissects al :
wife, and Axu ngs n itnself.
Tuesday morning our community wero
shocked at report brough4 into town that
| one OF those tragic events which tell Of the
deep depravity into which human nature can
descend, or the intensity OF the feelings that
can rend the human soul, had taken place in
| our midst-a man had murdered and dissect-
ed his wife and deliberately hung himself,
about five miles west of Newton, on the farm
of MIR. L. Sims. Repairing at once to the
scene of the murder we were shown the room
| in which the murder was committed--a very
small, low rdbm, ia which were found the
bloody axe and blood-stained bed, on which
probably the deed was done. Thence, fol-
lowing the clearly marked track around q
small barn to spot whore the dead body of
the wife had evidently been laid down, into
low, straw matched stable, which was reached
through low, narrow passage, We came up
on such sight as God forbid we should ever
again witness. Immediately In front of US,
as we entered, lay the head Of the wife and
mother, partially wrapped in an old stocking
and laid up IN the straw; near by ia rough
log maDger, lay the headless trunk, wrapped
in blue-fgured silk dress and bloody sheet,
the legs skillfully severed ct the knee joint,
and the stomach opened just below the breast
bone. Within few feet of the headless and
mangled body hung the lifeless body OF the
husband and father, his feet resting firmly
on the ground, his knees bent, and his hands
hanging carelessly by his side. He had fast
ened strap to rail in the low roof, had
then slipped his head through moose, and
in the most determined and deliberate man
ner had launched himself into the presence
Of his God. He could have saved himself,
either by grasping the rail above him or BY
merely Strengthening himself as he rested
upon the ground. Surely he must have well
coined death as relief from the torments Of
his poor tortured soul. @
An inquest was held in the afternoon which
| elected the following facts: The deceased,
Harvey Copeland and Lucinda Copeland,
were about 80 and 25 years Of age, respect
lively. They came from Henry county, fndi.
ana, where the deceased wife has mother
and other relatives living. Their married
life had been unhappy. For awhile they
lived near Fort Des Moines, but separating,
he went to Missouri some nlne months since,
and she came into Jasper county to live with
her friends. A short time since he came back
and sought reconciliation, which che for
some time refused. Finally asserting, on
MOHuhy tuey mOVeu lntO d small Dullulnp OF
the place Of Mr.. Sims, he saying to others
that he had determined to do better, and ho
ping she would. The building was some five
or six feet distant from Mr.. Sims dwelling
Monday night loud talk was heard-princi
pally the wife's voice, for some two hours
Then some one was heard to 60 out and re-.
turn in few moments, after which noise
as Of . blow and she was heard to CRY out
"Oh, don't, Harv!' Several other blow,
followed quickly, and ell was still. Abou
two hours before day the child, bright it'll,
boy three or four years old, was heard cryini
and calling for ito mother, but nothing strang,
was thought OF these things until, in til,
morning, the little fellow came to Mr.. Sims
door crying, with his blood-stained shirt il
his hand. Search was Immediately made
and the bodies soon found - described above
post mortem sxnminAAion of the, BODY O
the wife showed three severe bloWa O. -,
skull, two Of which were sufficient OF tho.
selves to have caused instant death. Hel
stomach was found to be opened by incision
made at right sngles to one another, and ,
pair Of fine CATERS pat within, one Of which
was almost torn to pieces, though evidently
new
The deceased husband was butcher b,
trade. He did his work of dissecting with
razor found in his pocket. His object ap
pears at FIRST to hare been to destroy tho bod
and other evidences Of his guilt, but finding
it impossible, put an end to his existence
Jasper Co. Free Press.