Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-02-14
BREVlTIES.

BREVITIES.
| Memorial exercises in honor of the
late Judge George G. Wright We're
held in the supreme court room at Des
Moines a few days ago.
The snow which fell on the 18th was
| the; heaviest of the season. AT Bur-
/ lington there was fully 10 inches,while
almost the entire state was covered
with the white blanket.
At Hedrick few mornings since
three boys named Merrifeld, living
alone, quarreled in regard to getting
| up and making the IRE. Joseph, aged
IA. told the others to get up or he would
kill them. They refused and he fired
d 3s-calibre Winchester rifle, killing
High. aged 8. He then shot himself
through the head.
I'D. Alexander a we'll known Council
Bluffs working man, was detected by
a special Waterman of the Rock Island
breaking the seal of a freight car. He
was placed under arrest. His home
was searched by officers and nearly
half car load of valuable goods We're
found. They We're found concealed in
a specially arranged room in his cellar.
Alexander refuses to talk, but the be-
lief is that he is only one of a gang of
thieves who have been committing SER
! ious depredations on loaded freight
in the company's yards. Alexander
has always borne good reputation
and he was thrown out of work at the
time of the big fire in the agriculture
implement district. He was thrown
out of employment and claims he was
obliged to steal or let his family starve.
Larry Hayes, a tramp, caused
disturbance in a saloon at Burlington
recently and attempted to stab the
proprietor, Geo. Plaum, with large
| bowie knife Plaum obtained 16-shot
Winchester and chased Hayes all
through the business portion of the
city, causing stampede wherever
they went. Hayes finally ran into an
area way. Plaum mounted the steps
Of the Merchants National bank and
rifle in hand waited for his man, and
incidentally blocked all traffic, as,
owing to his warlilSe appearance, GUS
toners in the bank were afraid to come
out and pedestrians quickly fed into
side stores and offices near by. Hayes
meanwhile was able to be seen in the
area way knife in hand waiting for an
attack from Plaum. A detail of police
finally arrived and arrested both men
and allowed business to proceed.
Sioux City dispatch: A remark
able case of complicated family troubles
has come to head in Sioux City.
Harry Mewhirter, a druggist of Rock
Valley. left his wife and family there
and came to Sioux City, where he was
stopping at hotel with another
woman. The hotel people found this
out, and he went away; but, failing to
pay his board, he was arrested. Then
the woman commenced suit against
him, claiming breach of promise of
marriage. Then he was arrested on
another charge, and the bonds were
placed high in all of them. He received
word that his mother, hearing of his
escapades, was taken i'll and was likely
to die, and efforts were made to secure
his release so that he could go and see
her. This failed, and later he received
word that his mother had died of
broken heart in Rock Valley. Then
his brother arrived and succeeded in
/ giving bonds in the three cases so that
he could attend the funeral But as
| he was leaving town, another warrant
was served on him and he was again
taken into custody. Being unable to
| give bonds, he was not able to attend
! the funeral of his mother. While he
went wrong at the start, it is generally
| believed that the prosecution of him is
not in good faith. His father is a
wealthy resident of Rock Valley and
he and his brother are the only
| children.
Joseph Westerbick, aged rs, was
killed by the cars in the c., B. & @.
yards at Burlington.
AnOskaloosa dispatch says: The jury
in the case of Banker Gum and DR..
Boatman on trial for causing the
death of Irene Seyert by abortion re-
turned verdict of not guilty. AS a
result of the acquittal of Gum and
Boatman, p. C. Merrilat, who was ar
rested and released on bonds of $4,000
for being par ty to the tragic death
of Irene Severt, was remanded to jail
and his bonds dismissed by Judge Nc
Coy. DR.. Sigafoos, who is at Fremont
| sick. viii be arrested.
| At Clinton DIR. Emma Pinney,
charged with the murder of Mrs. john
son, a patient. was found not guilty.
A Boone dispatch says: Stanhope
Register, on trial for the murder of e.
w Mcfarland, for seduction of his
daughter. is free The jury was only
five minutes in arriving at a verdict Of
not guilty.
Judge Conrad, of the Polk county
court, holds that the mulct tax, being
a tax on occuption, is unlike other
taxes, and that mortgages thus have a
prior lien on real estate when given
| before assessment is made.