The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1876-03-03
THE MURDER AT THE ELMs.

Thk MURDER AT THE ELMs.
About len ~ twelve years since wa,
prsrtieing law Al ll,a village of Freeman
then containing Ian Or twelve hundred In
habisanis.
Tho rreat man ii Freeman wac Ralph
N.wecnb, WIN r-.i,l~,l ~ hts ~s,Asc. "Tne
klns." about \ mills fro,n lha village, anil
Who owned. IN addition 10 The paper fac
tory. largo amount of real estate, In and
around the village. A generous. rood.
hearted man WAS Ralph Nswcomb. A. ~.
prossn ~ hls adopting his nephew. jaime,
fAif~eatlsr. when The loy's father died,
leaving him an orphan of Ton years u ag.
destitute and almost rrnnllepr. 1'hls MA,
twenty years before thu ,I,nr II which this
sketch treats And Ralph Nswconb wN,
: young man then, and h. hAd hni Jusl
commenced rearing IN. immense fortune
which. ~ Nifty yenrs " N1~, h wAA pos.
s~~sed of AMI this ,na,l~ hs adoption
u shs ori,hAn more noble than N ~ Ind
hn.l large rum II money which liz did
not know hon 10 dIsrosr u.
The boy grew up In The house of hIp
uncle. and when he arrived NJ n suitable
Ags he wns rant away 10 school, and. when
prepared. WA sen. 10 college, lisrs Jnn.s
acquired some bad hnldia ,ta l.~c.ine 4
member VI s~er~i club. composed II
students of TIM rolla.e. aud. III their com.
pany hs l~a,nel 10 drink aud gnml,ls
For considerable Time ,hia IN no. rearl,
thu rar~ II hIr uncle, hu,. finally. nslrl,
heard VI Il. mud NJ soon ~ hi~ bn@IDe~a
would permit took the enrA for Rutherford
thn city whera thu college w.H situated
Arriving lhrrs. liz repaired 10 The Institute,
and hai long and friendly talk with hIa
nephew, which ended IN ths young mans
promising 10 ahsiaIn from his evil habits
and resigli his position ~ member of ihs
secret society. but. ala. ,hs Temptation,
VIVA too airon.. For several days IN did
not touch eArd nor drink drop ~ spirit.
uo,,s liquor, Nor did ~ enter shs myss~r.
lou~ rreeInctr u ihe club. hut. finally, In
m unRnArsled moment. ono VI hin former
companions nduced him 10 sAks giass ol
wine. This aroused. With renewed vixor,
The sir~siie which ths young man had
saeesetisd In partially qasNchIn., anil 9iAss
aiisr KiAs. Of lhs stlmulAnt wAs consumed
Then. winking % zach other In eongrAsuis.
tlon of thsIr suec~ss. his "broii,srs" of ths
club lsA their hslf.erased eomrAds 10 ,hs
club roam, and producing ihs cards shs
play l~xAn. Rendered moro and more
reckless IVY rsp~Aisd drAughts of Asry
brandy. yo,,nk Yairwsash.r stak~d heavily,
and Aimoss invariably io-i, and. cons~.
quenily, when ~ Aross from lhS iAhls NJ
wAA over tsn thousand dollars III dsM 10
hIs frisnds.it
1hs nest mottinx James vairwsAihrr
awohe With dun, heavy pain In his hsAd.
ths result Of bic dissipation. and ~ he
gradually reeollssted shs proceedings oi
The evening before. aud shs large amount
which hs owed 70 Ms companions. M bewed
kIs heal In despair u aver tsing abs q
irssk from ihs ehsins which bound him
Andhs wAA soon convinced that hi4 creditors
wsrS resolved 70 have shs last cent u Nj,
indsbisslnsss 10 them. They w~r~ angry
with him ior leaving sh~ir ~oclsty. and hal
taken this method of rrvenge. Ai1o. hop,
Inv by II IL Induce him 10 rcjoin ,hem
And ~ soen N n waA A&r@rtAinsL ihAi
young FalrwsNlhsr wn. awake. b,s ers.li
iofs eame inin The room and de,nnhds.
The amounts dus shsm. w lnforn,e,
thsm that As din not have near ihal
.mours Vt money. and had no ms.ns ot
procuring u.
"Wrils and Aak your Uncle for II, III
Will mt refuse you," said on~.
= Viii mt nh him ~ money 10 pay
my gambling lrbts, after breaking ,ny
promise u hint" answered IN unhappy
young man.
Ifyou tlo mol ~ viii" sail smother,
"Aad W Viii not represent your onsn.. In
mild l.hi. W can Ass,rs you."
James saw shA. they were IN earnest
and unlssa he succeeded In raising ths
money whIsh thsy claimed. th~y would
make aIt,IiraiIon III his uncle Tor Ii, Nil.
would. undoubtedly, greatly esA1xsratr hi.
oilsne~. ~ hs arose. and informing them
that hs would gss ths ,nonuy for them IL
ons way " another, went " ths prtnsipal
snI A%kad niri obtained lsass oS al,1~nee
and ii,rn started u, Vi. dri train IN
freeman, This wa3 tlls t.nil, u ihs
month. ~, ths morning of The eleventh
ths usually quiet slliAxe " Freeman VA.
startled by The intelligence thAt \ mnr.ls,
had l~sn committed Viz nigh, l,eforv. and
on inquiry. ! lsafned thas ths murdered
man wAH Nalph Ns~eo,nb ] wan Kioal
u start for his isis sesidsnss. whsn IN
ofllr~r nj ih~ eoiniy jAll. which WAS III.
uA'vd y F,ssma.. arrived - my office and
| informed snr that James Fair~sa,hsr. who