Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-04-20

imagined he was a consumptive and
killed himself rather than suffer with
the disease.
John Snyder, aged 20, and Otto
Snyder, aged 81, were drowned IN the
Iowa river near Eldora a few nights
since. Both were bright, promising
young men. The two young men left
home with two horses to go to the
river to sail boat. AS they did not
return at night their parents became
alarmed and a search was instituted.
The horses were found tied in the fair
grounds and the boat was found upset.
Search was at once begun for the
bodies, which were found after long
time.
Governor Drake has granted another
temporary stay to john L. Smith, who
was sentenced to four and one-halt
years in the penitentiary for attempt
ing to murder ex-Sheriff Jones, of
Johnson county. In shooting at the
officer, Smith injured half dozen
little children, who were playing
across the street. The damage suits
brought by the little folks parents
have not yet been tried. Pending
further action by Governor Drake or
the supreme court, Smith has been
taken To the Iowa county Jail at
Marengo, his bondsmen having sur
rendered him to officers.
The trial of Adam Vondresky,
charged with conspiracy in connection
with the dynamite outrages which
occurred in Muscatine the night of
May 10, 1893, in which the homes of
John Mahin, editor of the Journal: +.
NJ. Kessinger and Attorney n. Rosen-
berger were completely wrecked, is
now in progress In the district court
presided over by Judge House, of
Maquoketa. This is re-trial of this
particular case, the jury in the former
trial, last December, having failed to
reach an agreement and were dis
charged by Judge Brannan, who pre-
sided at the November term of this
court.
Later developments in the Kirker
poisoning case, of Guernsey, discloses
the fact that Mrs. Kirker was poisoned
with strychnine. The coroner took
the stomach, heart. liver and one kid
ney to be analysed. The analysis was
given to the jury. Only one-fve-h hun
dredth grain of strychnine was found
in the stomach, but the glands ex-
amined were rank with the poison.
The jury returned verdict of poison
by strychnine and accused Kirker of
of placing the poison in the medicine.
The poisoning of Mrs Kirker was par
emily become tired of his wife and
treated her cruelty. About a week
ago in a family quarrel he struck her
down, terribly injuring her. Later,
when her injuries did not prove fatal,
he is believed to have administered
poison. Advices from Montezuma
brings the news that Kirker has just
died there, where he was being treated
for cancer of the stomach.
Coroner A. j. Harris, of Poweshiek
county, took to Des Moines the stomach
OF Mrs. Sarah A. Kirker, who died
under suspicious circumstances at
Guernsey. Should the suspicious now
entertained mature, the case will
doubtless prove one of the most SEN
sational in the criminal annals of
Poweshiek county. The family in
question lives about six miles south of
Carnsforth, on the Belle PLANE branch
of the Chicago a. Northwestern.
Kirker is rough, brutal fellow, and
has frequently beaten his wife in
checking manner. Recently he be-
came enraged, and beat her until
almost insensible. Her body was COW
cred with black and blue marks and
she was forced to take to her bed.
Later physician was summoned.
Examination disclosed that while
badly bruised, Mrs. KIrlSer had sus-
tanned no dangerous injury. He left
medicine for her, and shortly after
ward she died in great agony.
The supreme court, while the senate
was in the throes of parliamentary
tangle over the consideration of the
Berry substitute for the Temple
amendment, handed down an opinion
in Burlington railroad case in which
the relief department contract is in
volved. The case is decided in favor
of the road and that the relief contract,
when the assured accepts benefits
under it, is bar to the prosecution of
any claim for further damages against
the company. The court holds that the
employee cannot, after accepting the
benefits under his contract, recover by
action against the company. The de-
partment is held to be an organization
for the benefit of the employees, to
which the company makes such con-
tribution, in sustaining its officers and
paying the expenses of its manage
ment, and in contributing money to
pay indemnlties when there is none in
the treasury of the relief, that the
contract releasing the company can be
enforced. The case was that of H. j.
c. Maine VS.. the Chicago, Burlington
g. Quincy road.