Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-07-20
IOWA NEWS.

ga - H. Harfolt, of Buchanan county
recently sheared fourteen pounds of WOO
from three year old Southdown Buck
Such sheep are worth raising. b..l =
"A race is to come eff on the 7th o
September for $50, over the Shellook course
Floyd county, between the stations Rec
Eye and James Messenger.
-Kephart, the murderer, has wife ani
family living in Washington county, whom
he is said to have treated in the most bruta
manner for many yesrs. e
The Iowa State Register says that 6v'
voters in one family, at Rising Sun, neal
Desmoines, who voted the Democratic
ticket last year, are now in favor Of the
republican ticket. Thus it goes every.
where. ..4 .-
Boar BUILDING At CLINTON. Clinton
Herald states that the @. I. 4 N. Railroad
are preparing to build powerful steamboat
on their grounds in South Clinton, for the
purpose of conveying loaded cars across the
channel between the Island and tho Iowa
shore. @
The Dewitt Standard records remark
able case of somnambulism, in which state
q young man on the 4th arose at the first
blast of the cannon, and jumped from his
chamber windo" eighteen feet upon solid
gravel walk, and ran severa! blocks before
he awoke. He found himself en- dishabills,
and consequently presented very attractive
appearance. He returned to his rooms 81
soon as convenient.
TIE LATE MURDER. - Another Woxnan
claim. to be the Mother Of the murdered
Children. - From gentleman who was
present at the execution of Kephart, We
learn that lady Of respectability and In
telligence, named Mrs. M. G. Coleman, who
lives in Adell, Dallas county, arrived at Fair,
field, on the 7th, claiming to be the mother
of the two children murdered by Kephart.-
Mrs. Coleman discloses that her husband
deserted her while they were residing in
Ohio, some two years ago, taking with him
three of the children. boy and two girls
whose names were Joseph Willis, Emma R.
and Lily Aurelia Coleman. These children
he took to Mrs. Willis, his sister, and put
them under her care. Mrs. Willis, who, up
to this time, resided in Illinois, then re-
moved to Delaware county, Kansas. Mrs
Coleman supposes that her husband, sfte,
their separation, assumed the name of Willis
for the purpose Of preventing her from as.
certainirg hiA whereabouts, and that HI
resided with his sister in Kansas, where
according to the best information she car
get, Emma R. Coleman, her eldest daughter
was poisoned. Soon after this, Kephart
became acquainted with Mrs. Willis, who
was widow, and, as Mrs. Coleman believes
murdered ber husband.
We give this as We have it from the lipi
of the gentleman above referred to, who con
versed with Mrs. Coleman, and who say
that she presented evidence that would hsv,
convinced the most skeptical. 1t is some
what strange, if this statement is true, thai
Kephart, before his execution, made no al
lusion to the relations existing between
Mrs. Willis and hersupposed brother, who
as far as we are able to learn, were known
as man and wife. It is mysterious story
and as yet necessarily quite disconnected. :
The motives for the separation of Coleman
and his wife, togeteher with his supposed
murder by Kephart, when fully known, ma!
relieve it of much of its mystery, but, unit
then, we shall not altogether satisfied Of it
truth.