The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-09-18
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
An Iowa Town the Scene of O
Tragedy in Which Two
Lives are Lost.
The Wife of a Railroad Con-
tractor Murdered by a
Former Lover.

CLINTON, Iowa. Special Telegram, Sept.
I6.-The little town of Grand Mound, this
county, twenty-five miles west of here, was
to-day the scene of terrible tragedy.
The tracklayers of the Chicago & North
western railroad who are putting down the
double track between Clinton and Cedar
Rapids have nearly reached Grand Mound,
and W. NJ. Langdon, of Langdon & Co.,
contractors, who has the contract for the
work, had secured board and lodging for
himself and wiic at the house of a family
named Twogood, at Grand Mound.
To-day there arrived in the little town a
man styling himself J. w. Deavon of Chi
cago. He met Langdon. The two proceed
ing to the boarding house, had a conversa-
ton with Mrs. Langdon, quarrel fol-
lowed. when, drawing a revolver, Deavon
shot Mrs. Langdon dead
In ali instant bullet from the husbands
revolver struck the murderer dead beside
his victim. Langdon at once surrendered.
Deavon is said 10 have wealthy relatives in
Chicago. Nothing is known at Grand
Mound as to the cause o. the tragedy.
SHOCKING MESSAGE.
MADISON Wis. Special Telegram, Sept
16.-"EiIa will 90 to Madison tonight in a
casket. Bevan has five bullet holes in his
head. Will is sale bu: may be arrested.
will come with the body, (Signedl C. A.
Langdon."
This was the shocking message that was
handed to Mrs. George w. Smith, who re-
sides in Madison. this evening. 1t was
the first announcement she had received
Of beloved daughters death-of a
daughter whom she supposed to be in the
enjoyment of perfect health up to the very
moment that the terrible intelligence came.
No acts in regard to the manner OF this
death are known here, but the telegram is
suggestive of all awful tragedy
FIRST NET HER MURDERER.
Last winter Mrs. Langdon, who was then
unmarried, was attending q seminary at
Valparaiso, Ind. Her brother. in-law Rev.
Otto J. Scoville, now Presbyterian pastor
at Marshfeld, this state, and his
wife were also at Valparaiso
There Miss Smith met young
named J. w. Bevan, good-looking and
about twenty-five years old, which was
about her own age He was an English
man, blonde, rather short of stature and
quite intelligent. He was a bookkeeper.
The young people became warm friends,
and it is supposed that the young man
besought the young lady to marry him. At
any rate they passed as lovers and were
very ten i'll each others company. For a
year or more before going to Valparaiso
Miss Smith had been engaged to Mr.. Lang
don. then student in the Wisconsin
university. While absent they had grown
somewhat apart in their affections. 1t was
at this time that Miss Smith and Mr.. Bevan
became such fast friends. The young lady
came home in the spring and there was u
happy reconciliation between her and Mr..
Lan-don, and Bevan was cast off with as
much gent eness as was possible.
After her marriage, Mrs. Langdon became
very much a.raid OF him, and when she
went to Iowa three weeks ago. to join her
husband, she avoided passing through Chi
cago lor fear OF meeting him. Last Tuesday
Bevan came to Madison, thinking, no
doubt that Mrs. Langdon was here. II she
had been here there is the best of
reason of thinking he intended to
commit cruel murder here But
Mrs. Langdon. happily, had gone to Iowa.
Bevan called at her home, however. His
love was deep and inextinguishabIe and he
freely told of it to at least one young man
IN in town vine is connected with the family.