The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-07-16
The HARM
SUICIDE
Unfortunate Tragedy
at Ute.
Accounts Of the Sad Affair
as Given by Charter Oak
Times in its Last Issue.

N 4 ~
For the past two weeks there has
been considerable sensation in this 10
cality over the Harm and Palmer at
fair at Ute. The people here have
been quite interested in the affair as
Mr.. Harm was for a number of wears a
resident of this place. Many conflict
ing stories have been going back and
forth and it was hard to tell just how
the matter stood. We have taken con-
siderable pains to get the facts in the
case, which are as follows:
1t seems that Richard Palmer had
had suspicion for some time that Chris
Harm had been very intimate with his
wife-this matter eliminated on the
evening of Jure 81, 1901, when Palmer
watched his wife and saw her enter
Harms store in a suspicious manner:
following his convictions up closely he
satisfied himself that he was correct.
He saw his wife enter the store and re-
main there for 10 or Is minutes: the
lights were out at the store and the
clerks had all gone home. Harm was
in the store alone except when Mrs.
Palmer was there Palmer then went
to Harms house and had Mrs. Harm
come up to the store and Investigate.
She did so and found Harm in the store
but had considerable trouble gaining
admission. Mrs. Palmer was hid in the
store and Mrs. Harm did not see her.
Harm told his. wife that he was in the
store alone and accompanied her home.
Palmer hid back of the store and after
Mr.. and Mrs. Harm went home he re-
manned hid in the same place and in "a
short time Mrs. Palmercame out of the
.a~l L., -, ..,l Lol o.J .l~1,~I
her. She yelled and several persons
came to see what was going on and
found her there. About this time Mrs.
Harm vent up to the store to lock it
and Harm wanted to go with her but
she locked him in the house and would
no let him 90. She went and when she
came back Harm was nowhere to be
found. Palmer, after the alteration
with his wife went home and Mrs.
Palmer vent to a friends.
Palmer did not see Harm after he
went home with his wife, and there
was no evidence that any one saw him
that night or since he was found in the
Soldier river west OF town. Three boys
went fishing in the river On the Sth OF
July and discovered that there was u
dead human body in the stream and at
once notified parties in own who went
down Immediately and found the body
there as reported. His clothes were
all on except that he had no hat. Oily
a part of the body could be seen above
water. 1t was badly ~decomposed and
as far as the face was concerned it could
not be recognized. The maggots were
all w the body; the clothes were wet
and filled with mud, and in all it was a
deplOrable and pitiable sight. The body
had been in the water and hot sun for
17days. Mr.. Harm had on his every
day slothes which We're readily recog-
nized by his acquaintance and his son
Henry. who was called to identify him
He had a watch and chain and penny
charm on as he vas used to wearing it,
and several note books, papers and let
tiers in his pockets. and had $1.55 in
money, a key and a handkerchief also:
the key fitted the back door If the house
and it is supposed that it was with this
key he unlocked the back door and
made his escape while Mrs. Harm was
out to lock the store.
His body was taken to st. Clair CEN
etery that evening and locked in the
vault tilt the coroner, DR.. b. f. Fisher
OF Rodney, anne over in the evening
and held an inquest. A very careful
investigation was made by the coroner
and his jury, as good an examination
as was ever held in the county. 1t wa
thought perhaps that Harm had sho
himself and hen fell into the river 81
the coroner took all the flesh off the
head to the bone and down to the neck
and also examined the mouth and tn,
throat and found that no bullet ha(
penetrated the skull and found no blow
or anything that would indicate fou
play. He also examined the underwear
on the body which was new and fount
that'no bullet had penetrated it and al
so examined the throat and muscle
were yet we'll enough intact so thai h,
could easily determine that the throa
had not been cut. He was examined
very closely and all the evidence which
could possibly be had was subpoenae'
to thrown light on the subject. Their
was nothing to Indicate but that he ha,
committed suicide by drowning him
self; which a the verdict of the jury
The evidence showed that he had som
time before indicated to N. j Ullrich
his former partner at Charter Oak
that if anything was to happen him a
it had to persons of whom they wer
speaking, he thought the best way t
Settle UHe uiluCulUy WOulu DC 10 put
bullet through his head. Harm wa
very nervous. it apperrs, on the even
ing on which the difficulty occurre,
and he shook and jerked so that he wa
almost uncomfortable, 1t is believe
that he ven forthwith to the river an
plunged into the water and drowned
He was probably temporarily insan
through excitement. Palmer is an eS
banker at Ute. having lately sold ou
to the Farmers Loan & Trust Co. {
Sioux City. and has lived in the tow
and vicinity for many years. Mrs
Harm is very nice woman and ha
many friends in Charter Oak and Ut
who sympathize with her in her tro,
bic, She will get 1900 life %insuranc
and her home in Ute, worth SO, ZOO an
which is exempt from her husband
debts.
j. B. ROMANS co. carry the mo
complete stock of white lead, mike
paints, dry paints. varnishes, colo
in oil, and brushes. Call at the