Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-05-15
SUICIDE.
and swinduins the Cause,

The Gate CITY, of Saturday, says:
Disconnected reports came to us
Yesterday afternoon from passengers
who arrived on the Valley train, the |
gist Of which is that farmer named
Wallingford, who resides about seven
miles from Bonaparte, together with
MS Wife, committed suicide Thursday
night, and yesterday morning were as
dead as poison could make them.
1t seems from the reports that Wall
ingford has been engaged in dishonest
transactions, such as forging deeds and
divers other unlawful proceedings,
and as these were being arrayed
against him he concluded to evade the
law by placing himself beyond its
reach--in the grave.
lie left q letter duplicating citizens
of Bonapartc as COMPANIONS of his
guilt. and Immediately on their hear
ing Of his statements and death they
fed the country with the officers of the
law in close pursuit.
Bonaparte and the surrounding
country il all excitement over the
event.
The poisoning was evidently a pre-
concerted affair, for late in the night
WallingfOrd called his children M
and Informed them of what had been
done, saying that he supposed as the
mother was almost dead he had not
taken enough, and with this statement
snatched up the remainder of the
deadly draught and swallowed it. It
did its work, and well.
Strange developments arc surely
Forthcoming on a thorough investiga-
ton Of the case.
We clip from the Gate City of yes.
tcrday morning, the following particu.
lars of the suicide:
The forgerics in which Wallingford
were implicated, are much moe ex.
tenslve than was at first reported, and
have been carried on by an organized
gang of thieves and forgers. We are
informed that 100000 acres of land in
Iowa have been sold on forged deeds
Among the victims are G.. B. Proper
Squire Moore and DIR. Cresap, of DO
naparte.
The editor Of the Democrat visited
the scene Of tho tragedy, and says o
it.:
There was throng of people abou
the premises, which the news of tht
awful event had brought together
The house is large, well furnished, ant
everything around it and the premises
in the best Of repair. The suicide wa
committed in the bedroom in which
the deceased usually slept; the bodie
| lay IN bed in their usual night robes
Both lay with their hands crossed owe
their breasts, and both were in precisei,
the same positions. There was n,
distortion of features, the eyes Wer
closed, and the bodies had the m
pcarance of having been laid ont 70
the grave.
The following is the dying state
ment of the parties. The signature
were both in Wallingford's hand
writing:
| My 9Th, lS73.-For the benefit 4
my friends, write these lines. as m
wife and myself have come TO the cor
clnsion to bid farewell TO this W orld {
sin and sorrow:
The cause of this was brought abov
by a den of thieves, and as am no,
going to leave all behind, will give
list Of them as far as l know then
The leaders are William Rhodes an
John Rhodes, and the rest are Georg
Rhodes, and James is the advisor
The old man Rosebery and all hi
boys, Scott at Belfast. George Ball
the man that sold the Shane lant
George Rhodes got him to do i
These statements are true. 1 WI
drawn into tins first by Geo. Rhode
aud John with the promise that the
would take Moniar and his girl ava
and clear Inc. Tell Mr.. South tn.
George Rhodes got his two plows an
blind money. saw them at his hous
Bill Rhodes made the Shane deed-g,
the seal at Sharp's office. Cresap
deed was made by George Ball
Warsaw all right. This is the MAJ
J. ii. Baker. lie killed a rirl in Clsy
county, Missouri. This is the first ba
deed that was brought into, than
God. never seduced Monjar's gin
Hattie. II. WALLINGFoRD,
SARAH WALLINFoRD.