Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-10

MYSTERY NH[RDlhIR
Demise Of Mrs. Specht Near Ma.
son City Arouses Neigh
bors' Suspicious.
Was Divorced From W ealthy Hus.
band With Whom She
Had Trouble.
Aiterward Became Hi. Servant
In Order TO Be Near
Children.
pecial to Times-Republican.

Mason City, Sept. 1O.-The death of
Mrs. William Specht in Grant township
q few days since is involved in mys-
terry. 1t is said an investigation may
be made. A local paper prints the fol-
lowing story:
Mrs. William specht is dead and bur-
led. She was formerly the wife of Will
liam Specht, a well to do farmer of
Grant township. The news relating to
the trouble is rather meager A tele-
phone message to Fertile failed to re-
veal anything new. Fertile is quite a
distance from the home of Mr.. Specht,
and even If any knowledge Of the trou-
BILE is possessed by Fertile citizens they
don't care to tell it over the phone.
Mrs Specht has several times been in
consultation with Attorney ]. u. Clark of
this city, and what little can be learned
we have secured thru him, and he
knows nothing about the ending of her
life. 1t appears that Mr.. and Mrs.
| Specht were married some twenty-five
years ago. There was some trouble be-
tween the two and about twelve years
ago divorce was granted Mr.. Specht
| in the Winnebago county courts II
seems that Immediately after the d.
vorce Mrs. Specht accompanied her d.
vorced husband home and they have
been living in the same house since. Mr..
| Specht claiming that she remained as
Inothing but hired girl. The children.
| in the home were reared as much by
one as by the other. S. M. Stem, a,
brother of Mrs. Specht, Is a Norwegian,
| but had moved to London, England,
and is piano manufacturer. He came
out here to see his sister and settle the
trouble between the two. He seemed.
to be unable to settle matters
land then he thought he
would look up the chances for her get
ting an allowance from Mr. Specht for.
her support It is understood that Mr..
Specht would give her no allowance and
that she was nothing more to him than
a hired girl. From here Mr.. Stem went
to. Minneapolis but he informed his sis
/ ter that it was no way to live and that
| she had better change conditions. Mrs.
/ Specht seemed to be in rather a pecul-s
| lar condition Of mind and she did make
an attempt to end her life by taking
acid which she secured at her neigh
boris. She then went to st. Paul and
stayed with her brother, but seemed to
grow very anxious to see her children,
and without her brother knowing it left
him and came to this city, reaching here
4 one week ago last Saturday She called
upon Mr.. Clark then and asked him to
write her brother and ask him for
money so that she could return. It
seems that she went out to Grant town
ship and stopped with a neighbor by the
name of Lee. 1t is understood that she
was forbidden to come to the Specht
home, but had an opportunity to see her
4 children at the Lee home. The imme-
date facts surrounding her death can
not be learned. The brother has tele-
graphed for the facts. From this dis
4 lance it looks as if she ended her own
life.
Mrs. Fred Zerble, who resides on AL
exander street, know Mrs. Spech., and
the lady stopped there. Mrs. Zerble's
daughter, Miss Kate, went up Saturday
to attend the funeral. Mrs. Zerble is Of
the opinion that Mrs. Specht must have
4 taken her own life. She gave the his
tory Of the affair much as given above
This is the story told by the friends
OF the woman. The husband is a
wealthy farmer possessing 400 acres of
land.
Mr.. specht AYERS on the other hand
that when he was granted the divorce
without contest he offered her sum
of money and some land suficient to
care for her but she insisted on coming
back to be with the children and con-
!; sented to perform the duties of ser
!. want to be with them for which he paid
, her in produce and cash. Once his
neighbors had told him that she had
purchased poison for the purpose of
: poisoning him and when it was discov-
cred she threatened to poison herself as
!. subsequent incidents showed. He was
4 afraid she would commit suicide or kill
3 him and that is why he would not al
] low her to return after she went with
!, her brother to Minneapolis.
DR.. Jones who attended the woman
in the last moments of her life could
not diagnose the case. The death oc-
. Cured on Friday at the home of a
/ neighbor, Fred Levick. 1t is thought
that some action towards having an au-
topsy performed will be taken by the
; residents of Grant township.
The Dog Came Back.
= Special to Times Republican.
: Fort Dodge. Sept 10.-A remarkable
j feat Of canine sagacity and endurance
Twas accomplished last week by dog
owned in this city by George Garlick,
which was lost in Keokuk and made his
Iway diagonally across the state to his