Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-05-28

ing the past few days. The pipes
carrying the ammonia for the manu-
facture of artificial ice were left full
charged, and on Monday terrific eX-
plosion occurred, instantly killing John
Swineberger and Fred lioffcheimer,
two watchmen who had charge of the
factory. Their bodies were blown to
atoms, and the building was left a
wreck
In case before the supreme court
of Iowa the question involved was
whether or not the person living on
the banks of meandered stream pos
sesses any riparian rights over the
waters and bed Of meandered streams
which have not been declared navigable.
Brown gathered ice over the Wapsipini-
con river adjoining land owned by Cum
nington. The latter secured an in
junction against Brown. The records
showed the Wapsipinicon to be n
meandered stream, but it has never
been declared naviglble. The SUI
preme court holds that in such a case
the government still retains the owner
ship of the waters and bed of the
stream, but will not exercise its au-
thority to interfere with those who
would naturally be the riparian owners
nevertheless such waters are free to
the public and cannot be controlled by
adjacent property owners.
Mrs. Christen Peterson, a Danish
woman and her four children, whose
ages ranged from three to ten years,
were found hanging in the cellar of
their house. near Harlan on the 25th.
1t is thought they had been hanging
there since the goth. The discovery
was made by neighbors who had not
seen any of the family around the
house for several days and suspecting
something was wrong made an investi-
cation with the above result. The
community has been thrown into n
high state of excitement, and morbid
crowds of people VISITED tho place to
get look at the bodies. The coroner
was to investigate, although the case
appears to be conclusively the work of
the woman's insanity. The husband
was sent to the insane asylum about a
week before, and the finding of these
bodies shows conclusively that the
wife should have accompanied him.
In the United States court at Des
Moines in the famous Buena Vista
county land case the folling decree
was cntered-the case being entitled
County of Buena Vista VS.. Sioux City
Railroad Company: That the defen-
| dant is the absolute and unqualified
owner in the fee simple of each and
every tract and parcel of land described
in the original bill and amendments
thereto and in the cross bill; and that
| the plaintiff be forever slapped and
| restrained from IN any manner claim
ing any title to any of said lands or
calling in question, or disXuieting the
said defendants title thereto. And
| that the title OF the defendant be cs-
| tablished to each and every tract of
said lands against any and all adverse
| claims of the plaintiff. The legal title
| of these lands was named, and then
the decree stated that it is further or
dered, adjudged and decrccd by the
court that the title OF the Dubuque &
Sioux City Railroad company to those
lands be quieted. 1t was further adj
;; judged that neither party shall recover
| costs against the other in the suit
| Each Of tho contestants were charged
j with half OF the costs in this case and
executions issued for the amounts.
Hon. Edward Johnstone died at his
! home in keokuk on the night Of May
! 18th. He had been i'll for about a
week, but his case had not been con-
sidered serious. The cause of death
was paralysis of the bladder, accom-
panied by uremic poisoning. He
leaves a wife and four children. The
| funeral was held on the 10Th and all
business of the city was suspended, ac-
cording to the mayors proclamation.
! Judge tombstone had been cashier OF
/ the Keokuk Savings bank since it was
founded. His public life was contem-
| poraneors with the settlement Of Iowa.
! In 1888 he was appointed ono OF the
| three commissioners to collect testi-
mony with regard to the title TO the
| half breed tract. and was one to iu-
| stitute proceedings for the division OF
| lands which resulted in the Decree
Title by which the lands are now
held and upon which the city of Keo-
kuk stands. He was elected to the
Iowa legislature in the summer of 1859,
and was elected spealle" of the house
! for two successive terms. He was APP
! pointed United States district attorney
by President Polk, and in 1851 was
elected judge of the Lee county court
and served lour years. He was men,
Der of the constitutional convention in
1857, and took "a prominent part in the
deliberation Of that body. He has al
ways been prominently identified with
Iowa affairs, and at the time of his
death was president OF the Iowa Co
lumbar Exposition Commission, and
also president of the Pioneer Lawmak-
ers Association of Iowa.
NEW FEATURE.