River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-28
DEATH OF MRS MONA TIERS

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF MRs.MeMA TIERS
On Tuesday, August 10, Mrs. ). \. Nc
Masters, widow of the late Rev. Dr. Nc Masters,
was found dead in her house in st. Paul. On
the afternoon of that day her daughter, wife
OF Judge James GilfIlan, called at the house
and found it locked. She meeting with ~ re-
| spouse, broke in, and found her mother dead.
| The doctors pronounced it a case Of apoplexy
| After the funeral suspicious Of foul play began
to be whispered. She was last seen alive on
/ the evening Of Monday, August lS,at the house
OF Mrs. Albert Eddy, where she called, on the
| corner OF Franklin and Fifth streets. she re-
Er;mained there an hour aud hat, was in I'M
| usually good spirits cheerful, and spoke par
/ tjculary Of her health About 80 p. m. she
/ returned 10 her house. She was staying alone
] ut the time, but culored girl, living near by,
/ spent The nights with her. At p. IN. Myra
Peters, tbs colored girl, went TO the door of
the house, knocked, but received no response.
The customary light was act burning, and the
girl returned to her grandfather's house, next
door to the Church, and sept tina. night. Mr..
MJiol tie gran father Of Myra Peters, tue
colored girl, the sexton Of the Church, saw
light ia Mrs McMasters house about o'clock
hAiiill LS21 ulHutto tlAEi mat ia Itlclc Ntit
ID the door found ii fastened and the house dark
Prior 10 this, not far rom nine O'Clock Myra
saw a man come out Of Mrs McNIa-ter'- gate.
The following is Mara Peters statement:
went down Fourth street towards lower town
with the ,irl visiting me. and return I'd up the
same sire l. As we, me and her brother came
along near the church, this side Of il (which is
Gully io" steps from the gate. saw man
come out VI Mrs McMasters' gate. He was
tall, slim man and thought him Mr. Russell
She alltses to Mr. Russell NJ Masters, a son Of
the deceased, who was not al the house that
night tie was dressed in dark clothes and
wore hito hat He passed us, but didn't
see his lace, as his hat was pulled down over
h.s eyes Anyway l thought it was Mr. Russell
and diju't pay much attcnt on 10 him.
u Is. Mesiaster7 watch, intrinsicaly not very
valuable but prizei as having belonged TO er
husband, is missing and cannot be found,
though zesrch has been made. The key Of tho
root door The door being lockedl IS missing
aud cannot DC found. The ph scians made
pcst.mortem examination An eXamina-
to-. u tho corpse discovered the impress Of
| tia gers upon the throat and The marks Of VIC
ic4ce on the Iorehead On the left side Of the
throat lruise WI plainly visible, which was
pronounced the impress of thumb. On the
RIGHT side The deep indenfures of 4 fin ger nail
was dIscernible. On the forehead an brasion
was found winch became more visIbly dis
ligurcment as death settled down to dissOu-
ton. Two pools Of blood were found ON the
floor Of the front room. Tn body was found
on the bed in the bed room back of the parlor,
where the blood stains were found on the car
pet 4 reclmed upon the bed IS if laid out
and prepared for funeral. The drapery
about her person was smoothcd about the
limits, t'sc hands folded, and around her shout
ders 4 shawl was carefully wrapped She
looked and was dressed, even 10 the brooch at
her throat, as she appeared daily to her
friends Beside the corpse, as if it might have
fallen fGom her hand hen 9alsicd by the
stroke If DEATH was found clean and spot
less hardkerchi !. The physicians and friends
OF the deceased still insist, in spite of these
peculiar circumstances, that the death was
natural aud that no violence was used. rhe
police are investigating, but as yet have
thrown no light upon the mystery