Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-03-10
Sudden Deaths in Iowa County.

Iowa county.
Little more than one week since. a
we'll known young man suicided. by
hanging, at Highland.
Clyde Hill was kicked by horse at
Livingston, and died within two days.
Joseph Rogers, we'll known citi-
zen, in prime Of life, suddenly died
near Arena.
Mrs. Johns, of New Providence, and
Mrs. Short, of Linden, passed away.
Then the fatal accident, between
Dodgeville and Mineral Point, in
which Miss Ollie Rikert lost her life
by the ovcrturning of a cutter.
Before the horror of this was fully
known and realized, Simon Harker,
one of our oldest, wealthiest, and
most influential citizens, dropped
dead from heart disease.
While these two last were awaiting
burial, Ridgeway phoned the death by
apopleXy, of Mrs. Mckee, whose dead
body had been found both in and out
of her own door, with an armful of
stovcwood in her arms. The door, of
course, was open, and two little chill
drcn, 5 and 3 years Of age, were hug
cling a cold stove and crying for food !,
saying, they had no supper last
night, because auntic was sick. :" The
| little ones belonged to a dead sister
who had left them to the care of the
deceased. 1t is supposed she died the
evening before being discovered, thus
leaving the little ones alone with the
dead all night, and II room chilled
with an open outer door. 1t is amaz-
ing how they lived through the winter
night to give their feeble report of the
last call OF their foster mother.
Before this shock had passed away,
and while people were returning from
the funeral of Simon llarker, the sad
dcst of all our sad records was being
enacted in the north quarter of Dodge
VILE. Mrs. Daniel Crowley, an aged
lady, and one Of our Oldest residents,
was being burned to death, alone in
her home, with no hand to assist, and
no ear 20 hear her fatal and helpless
cry. Two small boys apparently
heard u scream, and ran to the win
dow, discovering the fire in the kiteh-
en-. They some way got the news TO
the signal station, and II fire alarm
was wrung. In the meanwhile, two or
three women had discovered the fire
and became Mortified on learning that
the old lady was dead or dying in the
flames. About the same time, Il father
rapidly arriving help, soon eNtin-
guishcd the fire. But the unfortunate
woman was already dead. Her cloth
ing had been entirely consumed, while
the flesh was horribly roasted, the
feet alone escaping the holocaust.
The origin of the fire is not, and
probably never will be fully known.
But Us there was u fire in the oven,
and us some brands were found, it is
supposed she attempted to throw away
the burning wood and thereby set her
clothing on fire. The charred remains
were ~ horror to the strongest men,
who realized that death confronted
them in its most terrible form. An
inquest was called by Justice Boyle,
and the remains, the room, and prob
able cause of the fire was Investigated.
After which, the body was given to
the undertaken and assistants, who
prepared it for burial as speedily as
possible, that the object lesson of un-
tcllablc suffering might be removed
from sight Her daughter Phone,
with whom she lived alone, was work
Ing In town at the.time OF the accident,
and is heartbroken over the sad fate
of her mother, to whom she has prac-
tically sacrificed her own life for
many years. The mother has been
quite iniirm, and required much care
and attention from the daughter who
has so devotedly stayed by her in her
old days. There are few other chill
dpn in other states, who have been
summoned to IL circle of sorrow, SUR
passing anything heretofore laid upon
our people,
Finally, the confession of Naggles,
locating horrible murder just over
our borders in Grant county, and the
finding of the remains according to
his confession, ends the most exciting
and horrfying fortnight in our
history.