Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-02-12
FOUL PLAY!
A Man Pound Dead in the Snow. and
Marks Of Violence on
his Person!

Marks Of Violence on
his Person
Yesterday morning, at an early hour
as Mr. Thomas Tyson looked out from
the window of his residence, on the west
side, he saw the body of man lying in
the snow in vacant lot near the barn of
the Empire House. Going over to the
man, he found him lying Oh his face, in
the snow, and dead, but did not disturb
the body. Other parties arriving soon af
ter, turned the body over, and then it was
asccrtaincd that 1t was that of Peter Nc
Kcown, an Irishman, about 25 or 20 years
of age, and n single man, who makes his
home on Buffalo Greek, but who, for a
week past, has been working with gang
of laborers shoveling snow on the track of
the Burlington road. When the face of
the deceased was turned up, several severe
Commissions were found upon it, the nose
flattened to the face, the lips cut, and an
indentation in the forehead. The face
was bloody, and the wounds appeared to
have been made by club, or possibly y
heavy fist. The front of his vest, pants
and shirt were also torn open, apparently
with violence, some of the buttons being
torn off. Mr.. Tyson thinks there was the
track of but one person in the vicinity,
and the presumption is that, his wounds not
being sufficient to disable him, McKeown
wandered to the spot where found and
sunk from exhaustion and cold. Another
theory advanced is, that after he was
knocked down and robbed-as was I'M
doubleday the case, a watch and from $50
to $50 in money he was known to have
being missing-hc was carried to the place
and left. He was at the Burlington House,
near the B., c. r & M. depot, at half past
II o'clock, Wednesday night, in a state
Of intoxication and abusing Dolenty, the
landlord. 1t is ascertained that he obtain
ed his liquor at the notorious den of Tom
Ryan. He went there three or four times
during the evening, sometimes with two,
and again with single companion, and
drank every time. McKeown's after move
ments and whereabouts until he was found
dead have not TRANSFERRED, though some
light may be thrown upon the mystery of
his death, and clue to his assaiant-
practically, his murderer-be found in the
testimony at the inquest, now being
held at the engine house, before Judge
Roszcll, acting Coroner
When found, about o'clock in the
morning, his limbs were not rigid, though
the cold was intense, indicating that his
death occurred sometime near morning.
The case has an ugly look, and it is to be
hoped that no effort will be spared by the
authorities to bring the facts to light.
Whatever mystery may hang over the
case, there is no question that whisky
had a primary agency in bringing this
poor man to his untimely death Again,
in terrible aspect, the question presents
itself to the reputable people of indie
pendence, whether they will suffer to
flourish i'll their midst, without attempt
at abatement or control, the hell-holes
that furnish the materials for tragedies
like this. Whisky, dealt out to McKeown
by that miserable scalawag, Tom Ryan,
was the primary cause of his death. 1t
may be the death of other men under
similar circumstances; it is certainly the
prolific cause of riot and dis order, yet
Tom Ryan and others of his class, claim
ing to be a little more respectable, are
selling it with impunity if not with the
concurrence, at least with the federation
of the officers of the law. The peace,
prosperity, good order and good name of
our city require change, and the ques-
ton for the decent people of Independ-
ence to decide is, whether they will
have city officers who will do their
duty and enforce the ordinances.
p. S.-Since the above was written, the
watch and money of the deceased have
been found, the first on his person and
the last in the snow near the residence of
V. r. Beach This of course does away
with the suspicion of robbery, and places
the responsibility solely to the score of
whisky, and the passions aroused by it
McKeown's companion, by whom he was
assaulted, has not yet been discovered.