Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-03-17

| UCOPe. near MdHcueSUer. nc WIS d
soldier in the war of 1872. He was
born in Cumberland county, Pennsyl-
wanna, September o. 1850. His wife,
aged 80, who survives him, still per-
forms the duties of housekeeper. They
were married sixty-two years ago and
their eleven children, ranging in age
from 30 to IS years, are all living, be-
sides fortyrtwo grandchildren and
thirtytfour great-grandchildre
John McGee, formerly of Lovilla,
| serving an, eighteen-year sentence for
| murder, eight years of which have
| expired, has been pardoned by the
governor conditionally upon future
| good behavior. McGee had a brother
said to he implicated in the same
| crime, who was sentenced for life, but
who obtained q new trial and escaped
with a six months sentence in jail
The pardon had been pending all
through Ex-Governor Jackson's admin
istration, and Senator Druet in his
vigorous way took the matter up and
showed to the governors satisfaction
that the claim for pardon was
meritorious one.
Some four months ago Charles
Traver, aged 81, wandered home from
Chicago to his wife and children in
Clinton in dazed condition. He had
lost his money, valuables and was
poorly dressed. He had apparently
been drugged aid robbed. He rapidly
became insane and was taken to Inde-
pendence and died in the asylum. A
few days ago, on receiving his remai.S-
in Clinton, it was found the body had
been tempered with. The body had
been cut open and the sternum bone
removed, piece of cardboard being
substituted, while several of the front
teeth had apparently been knocked
out. Relatives will, it is intimated,
take steps for an immediate
Investigation.
Warren Burns a leading young man
of 0ttumwa, attempted suicide and
was so nearly successful that the
prospects are that he will die. lie is
druggist, and having recently pur-
chased a drug stock, was moving it to
new building. Being i'll, he thought
to keep up on stimulants. He gave
way from exhaustion, and, growing
temporarily insane, he procured
knife and lacerated his wrists in q
horrible manner in an effort to sever
the arteries. Failing. he slashed his
throat. When discovered he was in a
very bad condition and would have
soon died On regaining consciousness
he said he imagined he was being
followed by enemies.
A tragedy, resulting in the fatal
shooting of Mrs. A. NJ. Patterson, by
her husband, and his death by his own
: hand, occurred at Madison, Wis. The
question whether it was murder and
suicide, or an act intentional on the
part of both was disproved by letter
both parents left to the children. in
which they say they have premeditated
suicide for some time and resolved to
die together. Opposed to this theory,
however, is the fact that when found,
the wife, who had retired and was in
night robe, had one arm across her
face, as if to shield it, and bullet in
the arm. while her husband was fully
dressed. Mr.. and Mrs. Patterson went
to Madison from Algona, Iowa, for the
purpose of educating their children at
the State university,
A dispatch from Waterloo says:
Laporte had a $4,000 fire. Four
business houses were burned with all
their contents; livery barn across the
street from the other buildings was
burned and a warehouse also destroyed
The wagons and horses were gotten
out of Smeltzer's livery barn. NJ.
Cohen, o. A. Brust, Walker g. Me-
Cutcheon, and Il. +. Schuck are the
merchants burned out. The origin of
the fire is unknown, but circumstances
make it appear that M. Cohen and his
brother Ike know of the fire and they
were arrested while the fire was in
progress and were brought to Waterloo
They are now in Jail. There was
danger of lynching in Laporte. Their
goods were insured for Sc. 800. The
estimated loss to all is So 900 and
total insurance is S25, 400
Three suits have been commenced in
the United States court at Des Moines
by the United States, plaintiff, against
the Burlington IL Missouri River road.
now the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
road, and about 500 defendants. If
the suits are successful, it is probable
another tract of land in the state of
Iowa will be thrown open to settlement
and that the scenes and incidents
attending the opening of lands in
0'Brien county may be in measure
repeated. 1t is probably tic most
important suit ever commenced in the
southern Iowa district, and on the
result depends the ownership of over
&c, 900 acres of land scattered along the
lines of the burlington road in the
south part of the state from Burlington
to Plattsmouth. IL is claimed that the
lands mentioned were erroneously
certified to as a part of the grant to
the railroad. The purchasers of the
land from the pompanv arc mada