Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-07
A MURDER MYsrERY.
Farmer Residing Near Highland
Park Killed While Returning From

City.
Des Moines, Sept. 7.-Edward Tilton.
a farmer who, with his wife and two
children resided a quarter of mile
north of Highland Park College, was
found dead about o'clock last night in
hay rack on a wagon with which he
had hauled a load of hay to the city
during the afternoon, by Charles
Walker and Kenny Stiles, two young
men who reside on farms near the park.
The discovery was made under circum-
stances which, while they mystify,
suggested to the police and others who
assisted in the brief investigation made
last night, that Tilton was murdered,
but it was certainly not with the in
tention of robbery, since pocket book
containing $500 was found on his per-
son. with no indication Of having been
opened.
Tilton was seen to drive past the little
structure used as station by the street
railway company, alive and we'll. not
more than five minutes before his life
less body was found lying on the bot
tom of the hay rack upon which he had
been riding, so that he must have met
his death within a stones throw of the
main college building.
Harry Sailor and George Wells, the
latter a barber engaged In business on
Euclid avenue in Highland Park, and
Joe Wales and Freddie Wigdon. two
small boys whom he drove off his
wagon before turning off the avenue to
go north on Second street past the coll
llege, saw Tilton sitting on the side of
1.-THE rack driving homeward. Five or
| ten minutes afterward Walker and
Kenny, who, with number of others
were sitting on the sward In the cam
| pus singing. heard team moving rap
4 idly down Second street, Which at that
| point is paved to the north line OF the
campus, and going over to ascertain the
cause, found Tilton's team crowded
upon the sidewalk at the intersection OF
the cross street apparently with no one
lin charge. They took hold of the
brides of the horses and conducted
them back to the avenue which leads
from Second street to the west en-
! trance of the college, where they tiee
4 the horses.
AT this time they supposed there was
no one in the wagon. but upon mount
ling the hay rack they We're Mortified
to find Tiiton's lifeless body lying
stretched out on the forward part OF
the rack. Blood was streaming from
two ugly wounds. one immediatel.
above the left eye and the other on the
left temple. The back of his head anc
a portion of the neck rested upon 9
piece of concrete stone. evidently 8
i fragment taken from the curbing some
where, but certainly not in the vicinit.
of the tragedy, as there is no curbint
of that kind within three or four block!
of the college The body was yet warm
but life was extinct.
4 A fact that defied explanation at thu
sltime was that the artificial stone
Though angular and ragged. had no
the slightest hint OF blood upon 1T
Isurface. Where the piece of concret'
came from and how it was placed in thu
Iposition In which it was found were In
lexplicable problems to the police. Sew
lenty-five feet north of the point wher
1.-THE team, bay and a grey horse wa
hitched. and at the place where 1T wa
; discovered by Walker and Kenny, tn
pavement was stained for nearly on
!, foot square with blood that had fiowe'
} from the wound while the wagon an
!, team were apparently temperate.
}. halted.
The police were notified and. accom-
panied by Acting Coroner Aylesworth
Sergt. Foster went to Highland Par
with the patrol wagon. The facts abov
recited were related to the officers an
coroner, and following an inspection o
the premises in the vicinity, a jury com
} posed of A. B. Rowland, w. B. Spoh
and J. N. Mathes was empanelled an
the inquest set for Saturday at 8 o'cloc
} p. m.
An examination Of the wounds abov
Tiltons eye and on his temple evi
} denced that he had been hit twice wit
stones. perhaps thrown by some one
, as the flesh was deeply indented an
not perforated. as would have been tn
!, case had the wounds been caused b
bullets.
THE GRlNNELL NEWS.