The evening times., 1896-02-18
MAUD STRlWH'S MURDER
Her Body Found in Her Sisters
House in Iowa.
DECOMPOSITION HAD SET IN
Indications Point Ia ChIOroform uay-
ing Been Used to Accomplish Her
Ruin and DentlI-Two Men Arrest
ed on Suspicion-Enter cred the House
the Day She Was Last Seen Alive

- Cherokee, Iowa, Feb. 1S.-This part of
the State is in a fever Of excitement over
the new developments which bid fair To
unravel the mystery surrounding the death
OF Maud Strawn, the handsome eighteen
year-old school girl, whose IifclcsS body
was found in her room ut her married sis
ter's home at Sheldon, Iowa.
1t is supposed the girl had been dead for
three OF -four days when found as dc compo-
sition had set in. The body was discoy-
rre' on Saturday. and the girl had not been
in attendance at school since Wednesday
forenoon, nor had anyone seen her on the
streets.
Al IL O'Clock on Wednesday Miss Strawn
ask 60 bc excused, as she expected com
pany and would have to get dinner her
self. AS her sister. with whom she was stay
ing, had gone TO the country ON visit.
LAST TINE SEEN ALIVE.
That is the last time she was seen alive
by her teacher or schoolmatcs. Ncighbors
saw her enter the house where she was
boarding, and the first chapter OF this mys-
terious tragedy ends.
Three days later Art Gruff, brothcr-in
law or the deceased, went 10 the house TO
discover what trace he could OF the miss
ing girl. and was first to view the CHASTITY
spectacle. There, on = cot, devoid OF cloth
HiE anu IIle
remains OF the girl. ON the wall hung Il
bird-cage, which contained IL dead canary.
The fact that the bird was also dead leads
to the theory that ch!oroform had been adj
minstered. as there was an ample supply
of food in the cage for the birds sustrnance
during the three day from the time OF death.
IL was thought at first To DE a case OF
suicide, but Later Developments have en-
tirCly exploded that theory.
Two persons. 4 Bull and q MOrrt,llO
have been arrested, charged with having
knowledge of the girls death. 1t developed
at the coroncr's inquest that, while there
We're no outward Indications OF violence,
there was strong proof of the girl having
been injured and the jury SO found.
WERE SEEN TO ENTER.
IL was also asserted by witnesses that
Bull and MUrrcilo were seen TO enter the
house on Wednesday, the day that Miss
Strawn is supposed To have met her death
Bull was recently divorced from his
wife, she bringing the action. II is also 81 id
that Bull has of late been paying consid-
cradle attention to Miss Strawn, and it is
thought he secured the girls confidence.
and that he was the visitor she referred
To when she asked to be excused from
school on that fatal day.
The suppositon is that Bull took Nor
relic along with him. and by administer
ing drug they succeeded in easily killing
her.
Public feeling is strong against the pris
oners, and should the fact be established
beyond any reasonable doubt that they
were the cause of Maud Strlwn's death
there will probably be a double lynching
The theory of suicide will not be listened
to by Miss Strawn's friends and school
mates. She was of i modest, unassuming
and confiding nature. always putting forth
an effort to please and not TO offend.