Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-01
CRIME IS A MYSTERY
Slayer of Newton Man Has Not
Been Found.
STEPSONS HAVE BEEN RELEASEr
Coroner's Jury Unable Yet to Say How
Frank LavelIeur Came to His Death
Suspicion That Foul Murder Was
Committed is Strong.

Newton, April Especial AFTER
full days session of the coroner's
jury yesterday the three men who
composed the same were still unable
to ascertain how Frank Lavelleur
came to his death. A score of wit
neses We're examined and large part
OF the time taken up in the examina-
tlon of Henry Myers, one Of Lavel-
leur's step sons, who was arrested
Sunday evening and placed in differ
ent cell than that Herman, his broth
er, occupied, who is also suspected of
the murder. One development yester-
day almost proves the suspicion that
the man was murdered, is that guam
tlty of blood was found where the
mans head was resting, which would
not have been there had death been
caused by suffocation from the smoke.
1t seems to be the general opinion that
Lavelleur was first murdered by being
struck in the head probably with an
axe and his body placed in the she'd
like barn after which timbers were
thrown around the body and the barn
set fire to. This theory is founded on
the fact of the hole in the back of the
mans head and the large amount of
Goals where the body was found. How
the legs and arms were severed from
the body cannot be accounted for un-
less it was that they We're cut of af-
ter the man was killed. If this is true
one of the most terrible crimes in the
history of the state has been commit
ted and the jury will use every effort
to bring the guilty party to justice.
All the circumstances of the case
point to foul play. The relatives say
that Lavelleur ate dinner with them
and shortly after the meal the barn
was discovered to be on fire, which
Herman the fourteen year old step-son
now admits he set fire to. They tell
that the old man went into the barn to
remove a buggy, the shafts Of which
We're in easy reach of the open door,
making the removal of the buggy easy
without going into the barn. They
say he went into the barn and that
was the last seen of him. Neighbors
say the family had been quarreling
and Lavelleur had recently returned
from Des Moines where he had been
for some time, it being generally sup
posed that he had ceased to live with
his wife, with whom he did not get
along well. The step sons, Herman,
the youngest, fourteen years old, and
Gus and Henry, deny any knowledge
of the affair other than that stated, al
though according to report Herman1s
has told the jury enough to iRpl;cate
a party with the crime.
Henry and Herman were released
from custody late yesterday afternoon
and other arrests will be made. Mrs.
Lavelleur has not as yet been before
the jury, but will appear today, she
having yesterday attended the funeral
which occurred at Greencastle. 1t is
expected that her testimony will be
important and that by tonight the jury
can arrive at verdict
Lavelleur was over sixty years of
age, Frenchman and a truck farm
er. He came to this county at an
early date, settling enar Mingo and
has been married a number of times.
He and his last wife did not get along
well and there had been a number Of
separations and according to neigh
bors they were constantly quarreling.
He had some property and small
harness store, but this is not thought
to have been a motive for his disposal.
Mrs. Lavelleur told friends Saturday
last that she would not have the old
man around; that he had to go away
and leave them alone, and that they
would not be bothered with him.
When asked during the fire as to her
husbands whereabouts she seemed
unconcerned and finally suggested
that he might be in the barn and that
she was afraid he might not get out
Mrs. Lavelleur's actions during the
fire excited suspicion as she seemed
unconcerned as to her husbands
whereabouts. After the body had
been removed to the undertaking es-
tablishment of Baum & Mclaughlin
and she was told hole had been found
in the back of the mans head, she
tainted. She told the officers that the
last she saw of her husband was when
he went into the barn to pull out the
buggy but during the fire she did not
seem to know where the husband was.
The Myers family do not bear the
best reputation and her husband was
killed by man named Swartz a few
years ago in this county, in quarrel
with neighbor in which Mrs. Myers
took part. Swartz was cleared on the
ground of self defence.
The Lavelleur home is about mile
and half northeast of the business
part of Newton and the home stands
some distance from the nearest house,
The barn was beyond saving when
the neighbors arrived and knowing La
velleur was home We're surprised to
find that he was not fighting the fire.
He was last seen alive going into the
house for dinner and it is believed that
the quarrel which led to death was
started while at the dinner table. The
sons OF the murdered man are here and
fully believe that their father was
struck in the head with some unknown
instrument and in attempting to hide
the crime the body was placed in the
barn which was set fire to. Many Wis
tied the scene yesterday and Sunday
and pieces of the clothing and part
of the shoe marked the place where
tn body was found. 1t is said that the
mutilated body was sickening sight
and there was so little left intact that
is was necessary to pick up the re-
mains in a sheet.
Sentiment nnDpp tho nlOn1e 10 y,,p-