Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-02-23
IOWA CONDENSED.

IOWA CONDENSED.
julius Peterson, young farmer,
was instantly killed by a Sioux City
& Pacific passenger train near Sa-
lix few days ago. He was driv-
ing in wagon at the time, and the
team became unmanageable and dash
ed upon the track. The engineer saw
the danger and tried to stop the train,
but it was too late The engine struck
the wagon and killed Peterson at once.
Fire broke out in a large livery barn
owned by John Heyer, of Hampton, re-
Gently, and despite all attempts to
check the flames the barn, with it's
contents, including fourteen head of
horses was totally destroyed. A pecu-
liar feature was that the flames seem
ed to break out all over the barn at
one time. Among other contents
burned were large amount of grain
and hay, buggies and wagons, though
some of the latter were saved. Loss,
$1,000; no Insurance.
One of the neatest and most interest
ing little publications that we have
seen for some time is the new bird
book just issued by the Iowa Seed Co.,
of Des Moines, Ia. 1t gives full direc-
tions for the care of canaries, parrots
and the various kinds of cage birds,
and also has department on gold fish,
which are becoming very popular pets,
as they are easily cared for. The reg
ular price of these books is 10 cents
each, but the publishers agree to send
a copy of same free, to any of our read
ers who ask for it.
A terrible accident occurred a few
days ago IN Tete Des Mortes town
ship, jackson county, and about
five miles from Bellevue. For a number
of years there has been living in little
log shanty in the timber at that place,
an aged woman named Miss Werges,
about 90 years old and cripple. A
couple of little boys were at her cabin
in the morning and found the old lady
there as usual. In the evening they
again stopped at the cabin and were
met by a most sickening sight. In
some manner, at present unknown.
Miss Werges's clothing had caught fire
and burned entirely from her body,
and the blackened corpse was found
sitting upright in a chair near the
center of the room. Miss Werges had
no relatives in this country, although
there are some who knew her in
Germany.
Chicago dispatch: Sheriff Morgan,
of Council Bluffs, is in Chicago and has
enlisted the services of detectives in
his search for John A. Watts, said to
be charged with embezzling $1,000 OF
the funds of a Nicola bank. The sher-
if learned that Watts, under the name
of Watson, was in Chicago a week ago,
and. he informed the police that he
believed the fugitive was still in hiding
in the city. Detectives Briscoe and
Granger are searching for him. In the
early part of 1895 Watts disappeared.
An examination showed that he was
short in his accounts with the bank, of
which he had practically full control.
His father-in-law, C. D. Dillon, and
Herman Mandel, his chief bondsmen,
made good the amount to the bank and
sought to shield Watts. They succeed
ed in averting indictments twice, but
some evidence came to light last fall
which turned Mandel against Watts,
and he secured Watts's indictment by
the grand jury in December. Then
began hunt for the man. After a
time it was learned that he had gone
to South America. He was heard of in
Brazil From there he doubled back
to British Honduras, and about two
weeks ago landed IN Mobile, coming
direct to Chicago, where his wife has
lived for some time.
Guilty of manslaughter was the yer.
diet rendered at Charles City recently
against Frank Wilt, who has been on
trialin Floyd county for the past four
teen days charged with the murder of
his sister, Mrs. jerome Dow. Dow and
his wife were driving together in bug
gy. Wilt came out into the road as
they We're passing his residence. Hot
words passed between the men, when
Wilt seized n large rock, hurting it at
Dow. 1t struck his sister, knocking
her from the wagon. She was picked
up insensible and died next day. The
defense was that she died from natural
causes.