The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-08-23
STATE.
1ption In the Mt. Pleasant
ASYLUM ExDosed. .

Des Moines, August 21.-The fact
has been unearthed that the indus
trial department of the hospital for
the insane at Mt. Pleasant has been
selling large quantities of the states
supplies to various parties for a
small part of their value. These
goods are purchased by the state
board of control in large lots and at
wholesale prices, have been selling the
goods at almost half of their selling
value and dividing the spoils among
themselves.
1t is said that some of the goods
have been unblushingly shipped away
from the Mt. Pleasant depot, but most
of them have been hauled in wagons
to other stations and shipped to the
consignees under fictitious names.
Numerous shipments have been
made to one firm at Burlington and
by them resold in larger or smaller.
lots. but always at less than their
1t is even believed that the fire
value.
which on February Is, 1900, destroyed
the building of the industrial depart
ment was the desperate and deliber-
ate work of the gang of plunderers
whose crimes are soon to be laid bare
and it is hoped. adequately punished;
that. having been selling the state
supplies for months or years, they
fired the shop in order to conceal a
portion of the evidence of their
crimes.
The thefts have been going on so
long; suspicion has been thrown upon
Il n
spiracy to rob the state is so great
that much of the evidence will nee
essarily be withheld until all the prin-
cipals in the crimes are under arrest
and the evidence against thsm clinch-
ed in so positive manner that none
of the guilty persons can escape.
John NJ. Stone, superintendent of
the industrial department., is named
as one of the guilty parties and let
tiers in the hands of the authorities
show that he contracted to deliver
goods, and did send the goods by ex-
press to Des Moines. They were re-
ceived. however. by the detectives who
had been working on the case, thus
furnishing the link necessary to
fasten the crime upon him. The board
OF control will prosecute the of
| tenders.
Samuel Waller of Burlington has
been arrested at Nevada City on the
charge of enlightenment. He will be
held in San Francisco until an officer
arrives from Burlington to take him
back to that place.
According to Des Moines dispatch
the speaking campaign of the repub-
lican party of Iowa will be opened
about September 20. The exact date
was not decided upon at the general
conference, but it will not be un-
til after the middle of the month
This was the opinion of most of the
politicians present at the meeting and
was adopted as the course of action.
1t is satisfactory to all of the men
who expect to be on the stump this
fall. none of whom desire that the
campaign shall be dragged out very
long. Nearly all express the hope
that it be as short as possible.
At recent meeting, B. F. Stevens
appeared before the town council of
Spirit Lake and modestly asked it to
receive on the part of the town the
complete power plant and light and
heating system, which he has built at
a cost of about $4,000. There are
no strings to the gift. There is no
debt to pay, no service to promise,
no obligation to assume. The property
is practically new. 1t has all been
put in of the best material and work.
manship. There is at the power
house vast surplus of capacity that
may be used to promote public inter
est. Under intelligent and progress
sive direction, this gift may be large
ly beneficial to the town.
A serious shooting ARRAY took place
in Forest City few nights ago, in
which the city marshal. Homer D.
Miles. was seriously wounded. Jake
Studer, blacksmith, has been on
debauch for several days and went
home and began to smash up the
| furniture and make things disagree
able for his family. His wife sent for
the marshal, who appeared at the
door of the house and asked what
the trouble was about. No sooner
were the words out of his mouth than
Studer opened fire on him with 32-
calibre revolver He shot three times,
one shot taking effect just below the
collar bone and another in the side;
another shot struck young son of
Studer, who was standing near.
Sheriff c. j.. Anderson was awakened
and placed the culprit under arrest
and he now languishes in the county
! Jail Miles will recover.
The general store kept by Leopold
Likes at Maryville, Marion county,
a few nights ago, three miles north
west of Hamilton and about the same
distance from Bussey, was burglarized
a few nights ago, the safe blown open
and $1,000 in cash taken. Mr.. Likes
has conduced store at Maryville for
thirty years, and as precaution
against possible visitations by burg
lars, purchased a heavy safe in which
to keep his money and other valuables.
1t has been his custom to keep 81 1000
or more on hand for the purchase of
produce from farmers of the vicinity
and it seems this fact leaked out. The
store is situated short distance from
the residence portion of the little viii
lage, and the burglars conducted the
work SO quietly that the robbery was
not discovered until morning, when
Mr.. Likes went down to open the
store. The robbers deadened the
sound of the explosion by wrapping
the safe with wet blankets and cord
ing about it piles of dry goods taken
from the shelves.
A case of possible infanticide has
been discovered at Fort Dodge. While
some men were walking through some