Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-12
FREEMAN MYSTERY DEEPENS
Ii
No Light Cast on the Missouri Valley
Attempt at Murder and Suicide
VICTIM BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CRAZY
Father of the Dead Man Unable to
Account for his Acts Except on
the Theory that lie wns
Dcmcntcd.

MISSOURI VALLEY, Ia, Dec. 11.-(Spe-
cial Telegram.)-The Freeman suicide and
attempted murder last night has been the
topic of conversation in this city today and
many and varied are the surmsed causes
for the tragedy. DR., Freemans testimony
before the coroner's jury relative to the re-
lations existing between himself and the
boy is in part as follows: THE boy arrived
in the Valley Sunday from California and
went out to his uncle's, east of town. He
came in on Tuesday, and had a long con-
versation with me in regard to his staying
with me, as | intended that he should live
with me, as he is the only child l have. He
was perfectly friendly and not a cross word
passed between us. After our talk he went
back to his uncle's, and remained there until
yesterday afternoon, when he again came
into my Office and we had a long talk over
his prospects here and the prospects OF get
ting employment. He went away from the
office feeling in the best OF spirits. The
boy must have been insane, for there is no
reason in the world why he should have at
tempted to murder me. We had never had
cross word or any disagreement of any
kind and the only reason can see why he
did so was that he was crazy"
Upon the body of the dead boy were
found two lotters-one from the father here
and the other from the mother at Pleas
anton, o. The general tenor Of the fathers
letter bears out his testimony as to kind
relations to the son, beginning: Dear Boy,
Benny-I write you today, according to
promise, but have but little to say / only
want to ask you If you want to come to
Iowa? 1t would please me very much to
have you here | think you could get work
of some kind near here, then you would not
be among strangers, and l do want to see
you"
This letter Is dated November %. 1896,
and continues in the same strain to the end.
Three days before this. the ever true and
affectlonate mother had written from Pleas
anton Benny, my Dear Boy-How | would
love to know what you are doing! DO you go
to Sabbath school and to church? l have
thought of you so much since you have been
gone and spent many sleepless nights, Won
dering where you were.
IL wrote two letters to you when l heard
you were in California but do not know as
you got them. | do not know what you are
doing or how you are getting along, but
whatever happens always try to keep up a
bravo heart Trouble will come in thiH
world. None can escape 1t: ii is sure TO come
to all some time. To some it comes in one
way and to others 1t comes some other. i
h1vd looked for a letter from you ever since
heard you were in California, but have
been disappointed. / would be very thankful
to have you write a few lines to me when
you get this. 1t has been a long time since
| had letter from my boy. Goodbye,
Benny; may our Heavenly Father be With
you and me until we meet again. Your
mother. LOU FREEMAN"
Thus the mystery OF the young mans at
tempt upon his fathers life remains locked
in deaths embrace, unless the mother upon
her arrival can and will furnish
some other possible motive than in
sanity. There are those who think
she can, and another chapter in the
most sensational tragedy ever enacted in
this city may come to light. The body
await, her arrival from Ohio.