The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-08-02
The Laura Harvey Murder.
FURTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS.
The Remains of Geo. Lawrence
I Found and Identified!
VERDICT OF THE CoRoNER's JvRY,


At the time of the murder of Laura J.
Harvey, now some four months ago, the cir,
cumstances of the case induced the belief
that the girl was not the OILY victim in this
tragedy, but that Geo. Lawrence had been
made way with at the same time This we
believe became a conviction, when, in add
ton 10 the absence of any motive on the
part of Lawrence to take the life of the girl,
no intelligence was had of him, as there was
of McComb, who was alone when heard Of
On Saturday this mystery was solved, by
the discovery ofthe remains, clothing, &c, of
man answering the description of Geo.
Lawrence, in every particular. The follow
ing are the facts as we learn them from the
Coroncrs Jury and ether sources.
On Saturday morning, the 2Sth inst, Mr..
John Butcher, man in the employment of
Mr.. Lewis Hess, was searching for COW
among the brakes of Copperas Creek, and
was passing up ravine putting into that
stream on the south side for the purpose of
getting into the Agency city road, and when
pretty well up the ravine, at point where
the banks come very near together, and are
very steep, he suddenly came upon the de-
cayed skeleton ola human being laying on
was mostly gone, but the skeleton was en-
tire except one leg which had disappeared
entirely. The hair had become detached
| from the scalp but was all there, and all the
clothes, including coat, vest, pants, gaiter
boot on one foot and silk cravat tied around
the throat The flesh of the remaining foot
not entirely decayea.
Mr.. Wood Immediately made known
the discovery, and about 10 o'clock the
Coroner went down and summoned a Jury
consisting of VIM. l.. Orr, @. A. Wood, and
Lewis Hess, who proceeded to the ground,
and on adjournment afterwards to the Court
House, examined a large number of wit
nesses, among whom the principle were
John Potter, w. F. Smith, Miss E. Potter
j. LOOMS, O. H. Harlan and Others The
facts elected from these witnesses, the most
material were that the deceased was Geo.
Lawrence, and that he came to his death by
means of wound inflicted on the head with
murderous instrument, by some person or
persons unknown. Mr.. Smith testified that
he mended the pantaloons of the man known
as Geo. Lawrence, and sewed rips in the
same, and that he recognised the garment
on the deceased as the identical one he mend
ed Miss. and Mrs. Potter, both recognized
the coat as the one on which they sewed
buttons for Lawrence the night he stayed
at their house and Henry Burhans clerk of
Mr.. LOOMS, identified the buttons as those
sold by him to Lawrence others swore to
the size Of the skeleton and Lawrence cor
responding, others to the shoe, color of the
hair &C. The Identification is deemed by
all as perfect and such was the finding of
the Jury.
The remains were inferred on Sunday
The clothing found on the deceased, his hair,
&c, are in the possession ofthe Coroner, Mr.
c. G. Packard The silk scarf, as are most
of the articles, are in good state of preser
walton. Lawrence had valuable scarf for
which he paid $500 in Rockford. Several
witnesses recognized it as the same worn by
him here, and it was tied in the same way,
sailors knot
The place where these remains were found
is perhaps as well adapted to the purposes
of conccaling dead body, as could be found
in the county. 1t is about three miles east
of this city, about one mile east of Sugar
creek, or Woods, and about half way be-
tween the track Of the B. & NJ. r. Railroad
and the travelled road to Agency city, some
30 rods from each. 1t was so near the head
of the ravine, and the banks each side were
50 deep and precipitous, that every body
would find it easier to 90 round the head Of
the ravinc than to attempt to cross it. But
for the accident of Mr.. Butcher selecting the
bed Of the ravine through which to reach
the higher ground, in search Of a cow, the
merest accident, the remains might have
lain there undisturbed perhaps for years. So
it is, that the mystery Of crime is unravelled,
link by link, until the chain reaches to the
criminal, and brings him sooner or later, to
justice. So may it be with Liant McComb.
1t is now clear that no one shared with him
the guilt Of the murder of Laura J. Harvey,
but that he has the additional guilt of muir
dering his friend and associate, for the sake
of his money and property. This accumu-
lation of guilt, this added atrocity, will in
tensify, it is hoped, the desire to find and
bring him to justice.
OsKALoosA RAILRoAD.-W e learn from the
last HerGld that the citizens of Oskaloosa, in
view ofthe expected early completion of the
X. TT. d. NJ, & NJ. r. r. to Eddyvie, are
taking measures TO construct a road to inter
sect it. The Herald zoalously advocates the
project, and a public meeting held last week
unanimously voted in favor oft, and adop-
ted articles of incorporation. The distance
4, "A I, c,,,,, 30,