The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-10-17
A BOYS NIGHTMARE.

Another Leavenworth Murder Mystery
Rivaling the Mettman Case-David e.
Davis Accused OF Numbering His Aged
| Wife.
LEAvKNwoRTH, Kan, Oct 1O.-Early
yesterday morning fire was discovered
in the bedroom Of Mrs David E Davis
at 612 Delaware street by Harry Crook,
her grandson, who slept in bed on the
| floor in the same room. He gave the
alarm and Charles Morton, boarder
Of the house, was soon at his side and
aided in extinguishing the blaze, which
was evidently incendiary.
While the two were engaged in
smothering the fire David E. Davis, the
husband, rushed down stairs and against
the south door of the bedroom with such
violence as to push the bed in which
lay Mrs Davis over the blaze. The mat
tress caught FIRE. but was extinguished
before it gained Roadway.
Morton then seeing that Mrs Davis
was either unconscious or dead, picked
her up and carried her to the sitting
room, where it was found that murder
most foul had been committed-that
the old lady had met her death by vio-
lence just before the fire was started
The nearest physician. DR.. McCor-
mick. was called and hurried examina-
ton showed that life was extinct
Wednesday night Mrs Davis went to
bed at ten o'clock. and the grandson
went to sleep about that hour on a
feather bed, spread upon the floor. He
blew out the lamp, which stood on the
bureau, before retiring
He had been asleep for some time
when he thought he had a queer dream.
Some one was sneaking around in the
room. He could hear the stairs creak-
ing from the weight of stealthy foot
steps In his dream his grandmother
voice cried, Help Harry, help" He
struggled with the nightmare to waken.
and rousing himself he found the carpet
blazing around the broken lamp in the
center Of the floor. The boy is small
for his age and not strong.
The body was examined by Acting
Coroner White and taken to the parlor,
and number of persons summoned as
jurors, where later an autopsy was held
by DrA Goddard, Lane and NJ. S. Thorn
as This revealed three spots Of extra
vasated blood under the scalp and over
the frontal bone with no evidence Of
violence on the outside. Five or six
bruised spots were found on the right
forearm, each the size OF 25-cent piece.
A large spot or bruise on the left arm
with large clot OF blood under the
skin at this point and the skin
chafed, little hood oozing out
The brain and heart were healthy,
lungs filled with frothy mucus
and also showed some signs of death
from asphyxia A small abscess was
discovered in left kidney which, the
physicians said, might have been caused
from commissions which might have pro-
duced sudden death.
The opinions Of physicians appear to
be that the woman was rendered irsen.
sble by a blow in the forehead, as
shown in the examination, and then
prevented from breathing by some thing
held ever the mouth and nostrils
Mrs Davis had had troublesome times
of late with her husband, suit for
divorce being now pending in the dis
trict court in which most cruel treat
ment was charged against Davis
Wednesday morning Davis, who was
permitted TO live in the house, asked his
wife to drop the divorce and give him
$50, saying that he would then leave her
forever. This she refused to do, when
he said she would be sorry for it.
Tracks leading to the north window
of tho sitting room were discovered, and
Davis boots fitted them precisely.
Harry Crook claims Davis came through
this window, which is open at nights,
and from there entered his grsndmoth-
er's bedchamber.
Mrs Davis had made frequent state
ments to friends and neigh bors about
Davis brutal treatment He is only
forty-five, while she was past seventy
years He is carriage blacksmith by
trade. When arrested he had the mar
riage certificate in s pocket He had
been married about ten years.