The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-09-13
SENSATION AT DELTA
Death of Chas. Kuhn Causes In
tense Excitement.


the subsequent arrest of his wife
charged with poisoning him. She is
incarcerated in the county jail at
~Sigourney and is cool and collected
ever the affair and evidences neither
fright nor sorrow. A bottle contain
ing a few grains of strychnine has
been found on the road over which
the couple Travelled when Mr.. Kuhn
began to evidence signs of distress.
Mr.. Kuhn vas a cripple. His limbs
were drawn and stiffened so that he
walked with difficulty. He was a
eobbler by trade, and by industry
and close attention to business had
amassed property to the value of
about $4,000. He was A years of age
and last Decoration day was united
In marriage with Miss Sarah Crane,
10 years of age. Seemingly the cou-
pie lived happily together, but since
the death of Mr.. Kuhn people in the
neighborhood say that she became
discontented and wanted him to di-
vide his property with her and allow
her her freedom. 1t was generally
thought that he made all provision
for his wife commensurate with his
means and recently purchased a
horse and buggy. Last Tuesday
evening the couple went to What
Cheer, about seven miles away.
Upon their arrival Mrs. Kuhn left
the vehicle while the husband re-
paired to a saloon where he purchas-
ed twelve bottles of beer. In about
twenty minutes the couple started
for home. They had gone but a
short distance when he evidenced a
desire for bologna sausage. The cou-
pie turned back to What Cheer where
the bologna was purchased, she hold
ing the horses while he went into the
store. They started home a second
time, he drinking the beer and eat
ing the bologna. After drinking
nearly all of the beer in two of the
bottles and eating a quantity of the
sausage, he complained of feeling
badly. The horse was whipped up
and driven very fast in the direc-
ton of home. When on the outskirts
of this place Mr.. Kuhn called for
help, and when opposite the resi-
dence of Wesley Snider, stopped.
Mr.. Snider came out and Mr.. Kuhn
said to him: 81 am dying; she has
poisoned me; get DR.. Busby." Sni-
der thought Kuhn was slightly in
toxicated and at first paid but little
attention. In q moment, however,
he became convinced that something
was wrong and he got into the We
hicle and drove to DR.. Busby's, both
Mr.. and Mrs. Kuhn making a great
cutlery. Several parties who heard
it say that Kuhn declared he had
been poisoned.
DR.. Busby was not at home and a
run was made for his office; he could
not be found here and in frantic haste
asecond physician's Office was visited.
Neither was this physician in and as
they were leaving Kuhn fell back and
he moved no more nor made any fur
Their cutlery. The terrified occupants
of the buggy whipped the horse into
a run and made for a third physicians
Office where DR.. Morris was found.
That gentleman came out, examined
Mr.. Kuhn and says he thought he
heard a slight beat of the heart. He
ordered that Kuhn be driven home,
the physician accompanying. A
hypodermic injection of some restor-
alive was administered but it had no
effect. He was dead. Drs. Johnson
and Martin wer called in, and they
too pronounced life extinct.
From Mr.. Kuhn's condition after
death and the history of the mans
actions during his last moments, the
doctors agree that he died from the
effects of some poison and that strych-
nine would produce the conditions
similar to those related of Kuhn.
The empty beer bottles were care
fully corked and given into the hands
of the authorities as was everything
else in the buggy.
A coroner's jury composed of Abe
Hankins, j. o. Tressler and James
Beatty was empaneled and after hear
ing the evidence of the physicians
and other witnesses, ordered the
stomach removed and sent to the
state chemist at Des Moines for an
alysis. The coroner instructed DIR.
j. u. Johnson to perform the post
norton, which he did assisted by
Drs. Cilley, of What Cheer, and
Pfanebaker, of Sigourney. The brain,
heart, lungs, spleen and liver were
removed, and all large arteries we're
examined in a thorough manner. The
stomach was excised and placed in a
fruit Jar and sealed in the presence
of all parties. The empty beer bottles
were also sealed and the whole thing
expressed to the state chemist.
The jury then took the evidence of
the physicians findings and returned
verdict, recommending that the
wife be held on the charge Of causing
her husbands death.
CA9
R.s,. IN. 1Ihs Kind You Have Always Bought