Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-12
CARES TOO HEAVY
Sad Case Of Des Moines County
Farmer.
INSANITY WAS CAUSED BY WORRYING
A Former EmpIoye Serving Time in
the Penitentiary at TT. Madison for
Arson Is Responsible for the Condi-
ton of the Patient.

Burlington, Nov so. G. VanWin-
kle, at one time one of the most pros
porous farmers and dairymen in Des
Moines county, has been adjudged in
sane and will be taken to the insane
hospital at Mt. Pleasant.
The direct cause of his insanity was
the burning of his barn some months
ago by Orville Tcnnity, who is now
serving a term of Imprisonment in the
state penitentiary on the cause of ar
son.
The case is a peculiarly sad one. For
many years Van Wrinkle had conduct
ed dairy farm on large scale at the
old Hilary farm southwest of the city.
AT first his business was good and all
went we'll, but few years ago re-
verses came and the end was yester-
day when the Des Moines county in
sanity commission adjudged the unfor-
tunate man to be of unsound mind and
ordered that he be sent to the state in
sane asylum.
Never having wronged anyone, his
form of insanity is even more sad, for
he declares that he has been a very
wicked man and that he believes that
he has done a great wrong in his life.
He thinks that all his friends have de-
. SSllSu llln anu THAI IllOSS WIZ lOSC
and cherish him are his enemies.
The story of the burning of his barn,
which is declared to be the final stroke
that unbalanced his mind will still be
remembered About two years ago he
employed young man by the name
of Orville Tennity as hand on the
farm The boy was naturally bad but
Mr.. Van Wrinkle did all that he coulu
for the young fellow and tried to make
a man of him. Tennity showed his
gratitude by stealing calf and selling
It to another farmer. For this crime
young Tennity was imprisoned in the
county Jail and upon his release de-
clared that he would get even" with
his former employer. 1t was not long
afterward that the flames of Van
Wrinkles barn, considered one of the
largest and finest in the country. lii
up the sky with {. red glare and the
dairyman lost hundreds of dollars
The barn, horses, large quantities OF
hay and feed destroyed. There was
but little insurance on the property
and Mr. Van Wrinkle was practically q
ruined man.
Tennity had been seen in that
neighborhood the evening before the
fire and disappeared from this par
of the country at that time. This fac
taken together with mis- threat led tt
the thought that he had committed thu
awful crime and the local police a
once went to work on the case Al
examination of the premises revealed
the fact that someone had entered thu
barn, taken out team and buggy
driven to grove nearby, tied the team
and returned to the barn. This same
person had left in a great hurry ant
driven off westward. These fact
were shown by the footprints of NAL
walking to the barn, leading a team
away to the grove, the SCARED ire
where the animals had nibbled off tn
bark and the piece of rope still dang
ling to the tree The fact that thi
person left hurriedly was shown ais
by the footprints of a man running an
the end Of the rope that had been Gu
and not united.
A description of Tennity and of tn
horses and buggy was sent out an
in few weeks lie was captured at AL
ington, small town in Jefferson coul
ty He was brought back to this city
tried and sentenced to six years in
prisonment in the penitentiary at f
Madison.
Tennity is now being punished, an
punished severely for his crime Of a
son. But his punishment is nothin
compared to the sufferings he ha
caused an innocent man. Tennity
being punished for robbing Mr.. Va
Wrinkle of his barn and contents. "
he committed a greater crime, he he
robbed the unfortunate man of h
reason, he has taken the head of til
family away from those who loved hi
but for this there is no law to punis
him.