Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-28
GOODS Strange TALE
Detail Of the Waterloo Revival Of
the Famous Ray Elliott
Case.
May Prove : Pipe Dream Similar
to Tribune's Pat Grove
Fake.
.-.-----------.
Good Probably Seeking Revenge
For Arrest AT His Mothers
Request.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Waterloo, March 2s..-A story that
may prove another hop dream on the
order of the Tribune's Pat Grove fake
but if verified casts light upon secrets
carefully guarded for years comes from
Reuben GOOD, prisoner in9the Black
hawk county Jail. He has made ccn-
fession which, OF true, involves his
mother. Mrs David Lucas, of La Porte
City, in the crimes of murder and kid
mapping and clears up the mystery Of
the famous kidnapping case nf Ray
Elliott. The Elliott case is a familiar
story to Iowa households. The i-vear-
old SON of George Elliott, Of Marengo,
Ia, disappeared on May II, 1893, and all
search for the child was without result.
The river ard ponds for miles around
Marengo were dragged and the wells
inspected. 1t was thought he might
have been stolen by a band Of gypsies
|. thru revenge and the reward of $1,000
| offered caused the search of many NOV
| er's wagons turnout the state.
/ After months Of search and when
| the hope of recovery was nearly
lost the boy was recovered thru
a Mrs. Helper wife OF Wat rloo
hackman. The child had been left
in her care by Mrs. David Lucas,
of LaPorte who failed to come for it at
the specified time. Mrs. Hepner wrote
| to George Elliott the circumstances and
Iher suspicious that the hoy was his lost
son. which We're verified upon the ar
Trivial of the Elliotts. This Mrs. Lucas is
| the mother OF Reuben Good, who makes
1 the confession.
4 The story that Reuben Good told to
| Sheriff Law is as follows in substance:
The mother was working in an or
phans home in Muscatine. The daugh.
tier. known as Mrs. Tom Burke.
became enciente from a man
named Charles Eisenhower. To
save herself from disgrace and
1 Ito be- near her mother, the
young girl, then about sixteen years of
age, went to Muscatine and entered the
home under the name of Miss Lizzie
NIeskell Here she bore a child which
was named Louis Leroy Meskell. The
father had agreed to pay money regu-
larly for the support and Mrs. Lucas
4 consented to take the child 10 save her
4 daughter.
For the purpose of deception adoption
papers were drawn up naming the child
as above. The boy was taken away by
Mrs. Lucas and the daughter disap-
i peared. The babe was very fretful and
a gave Mrs Lucas much annoyance. One
A day, thoroughly exasperated she struck
u the child as 1t was sitting in high
4 chair. The blow was of such force as to
|5completely tip over the chair. the babe
4 falling with the piece offurniture to the
4 floor. The Injury was fatal. Mrs. Luca S
4 placed the child on bed, where after
4 gasping for a short time it died.
Thoroughly frightened Mrs. Lucas
4 questioned her future course. The
daughter was liable to come home a,
sl any time and find the babe missing
4 The neighbors knew OF its existence and
4 We're due at amy time to make the dis
4 covery. Accordingly Mrs. Lucas re-
solved to get rid of the body She Went
a to a neighbours and bought chicken
which she killed and permitted tbs
blood to sprinkle slightly in the room
: The feathers We're also left go as tc
! show slightly. The remainder of them
We're to be burned. The child was Their
: literally cut into pieces and placed in
4 the stove. The smell became obtrusivs
Land a feather pillow was brought. The
= feathers We're dumped into the stove
. With the burning flesh to smother the
4 human smell. The chicken VAS bough;
4 for the purpose of misleading the neigh
bors should suspicion be directed to-
ward her. She could then account fol
j the blood and for the smell.
!, Having committed this awful deed
a the womans fear became too great to
i permit her to remain in Laporte and
she Went from the town as If to blot
a from her sight the awfulness of the
q crime. She drifted about for period
finally reaching Marengo, where lived
a the Elliotts. Fearing all this time that
i her daughter might discover and betray
4 her. she resolved to capture the boy Ray
Elicit, who was then about the size
the former child should have been had
he lived. She hung about for several
II days before she was able to accomplish
4 her purpose. which she did one evening
about o'clock. She brought the child
4 hurriedly to Waterloo, where Tom Lu.
Z cas- and his wife We're stopping for the
4 time, the mother accepting it as hel
own. Later the child was given over
4 to Mrs Burke, who had had her own
babe for a time before the tragedy, and
who was willing to accept him again
not knowing change had been made
For period of over year the boy was
carried from place to place by the
J wandering Burkes. Finally while Mrs
\ Lucas was living in Independence. Mrs
Burke came home and brought thetboy
The mother and daughter quarreled
about religion, one being an Adventist
4 and the other a Methodist. Becoming
angry, Mrs. Lucas took the child and
brought it to Waterloo. where she left
1t with Mrs Hepler.
Mrs Lucas, when confronted with
Goods confession at her home In La
porte, denied fatty the entire story
Good is in Jail charged with robbery
from his mother and che says ne is try.
ing to make trouble for her thru re-
venge. No legal steps have been taker
against her.
EVANGELICAL CONFERENCE.
Des Moines District Of United Evan
gelical Church Convenes ~ Cedar
Rapids.